Authorities in Colorado believe errors in DNA testing by the state’s bureau of investigation could require the reworking of more than a thousand cases.
On Wednesday, the Colorado Department of Public Safety requested additional funding for the year to account for the retesting of samples used in litigation, after issues were discovered in some results of tests by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
It said that potentially up to 3,000 samples would need to be retested by a third-party laboratory after “anomalies were discovered in the world of one former CBI forensic scientist.”
The department added that the incident was “isolated to one former employee” who was now subject to internal affairs and criminal investigations.
CBI
“It is possible that substantial evidence will be available to re-try prior criminal cases,” officials noted in a budget request.
The Colorado District Attorneys’ Council told the Colorado Sun that it “conservatively estimates” local prosecutors would need to review and potentially re-prosecute at least 1,200 cases across the state.
This is a developing story and will be updated with further details shortly.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.