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Conviction in 1994 Boulder murder thrown out over flawed DNA work by Missy Woods

Boulder County DA asked judge to vacate case, may retry Michael Clark in killing of Marty Grisham
Michael Clark convicted murderer scene
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A judge overturned the conviction in a 1994 Boulder murder case Friday because of flawed DNA testing by disgraced Colorado Bureau of Investigation scientist Yvonne “Missy” Woods.

It’s the first case to be thrown out since the CBI beginning in 2023 discovered hundreds of criminal investigations in which Woods cut corners in her DNA testing — a scandal that has cost Colorado millions of dollars already and shaken the state’s criminal justice system.

  • Watch our previous coverage in the video player below
New DNA testing in cold case supports imprisoned man's innocent, lawyer says

Boulder District Court Judge Nancy Woodruff Salomone vacated the first-degree murder conviction of 49-year-old Michael Clark, who has been serving a sentence of life without parole since being convicted in 2012 in the cold-case shooting death of Boulder city employee Marty Grisham.

A hearing is scheduled for June 6 at which Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty is expected to announce whether or not he will retry Clark on charges stemming from the 1994 killing.

“This is a really good day,” said Adam Frank, Clark’s attorney. “Michael Clark’s conviction is gone.”

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