What to Know
Yvonne ‘Missy’ Woods pleaded guilty in June 2026 to cybercrime, perjury, attempting to influence a public servant, and forgery. Though Woods’ name might not be familiar, the former forensic analyst with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation played a part in one of the most famous murder cases in modern United States history.
In 1996, Woods worked on the forensic team handling the JonBenét Ramsey case. Investigators found the 6-year-old murdered in her family’s Colorado home, and more than 30 years later, her death remains a mystery. JonBenét’s father, John Ramsey, now fears Woods may have botched the investigation.
Woods allegedly altered data in multiple cases.
According to CNN, Woods resigned in 2023 after decades working as an analyst. During that time, she allegedly inaccurately documented tests and failed to troubleshoot issues. Per an arrest report obtained by CNN, Woods allegedly told investigators she changed data to complete cases more quickly. Following the discovery, prosecutors reportedly had to review hundreds of cases involving homicide, sexual assault, robbery, and more.
Ramsey worries Woods may have hurt his daughter’s case.
NewsNation reported that while there is no evidence Woods had anything to do with the JonBenét case, Ramsey remains concerned. The grieving father told the outlet that although he learned DNA evidence from JonBenét’s case went to a lab outside the CBI, he still questions what really happened to the evidence.
“We did know that a number of items from the crime scene were sent in for testing, and a number were not tested,” Ramsey said. “We always kind of wondered why. I mean, items that should have been sampled, but they weren’t, I don’t know whether it was a cost issue or they already found unidentified male DNA, so why go any further.”
Ramsey’s waited more than 30 years for answers.
Ramsey told NewsNation he continues to fight for his daughter’s case.
“We’ve advocated for a year almost that we use forensic genetic genealogy, FGG, which is kind of the latest tool that’s out there,” Ramsey said. “You have to go to an outside lab, but it’s got to be one that knows how to do it.”
He added that the last batch of evidence was sent out for analysis just six months ago, and he still has no information.
“They won’t tell us what the results, if any, were of the latest testing done by somebody,” Ramsey said. “So, yeah, that’s a concern. And it’s not using the latest technology.”
Woods could spend years in prison.
Per CNN, Woods faces between eight and 16 years in prison at sentencing thanks to a plea deal. The CBI could spend upwards of $11 million investigating closed cases following Woods’ plea.
“This moment is not about moving on, for CBI it’s about moving forward,” Armando Saldate, Director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, shared in a statement. “Today’s guilty plea is an important moment of accountability.”
Police found JonBenét inside the Ramsey family’s Boulder home on December 26, 1996. Ten years later, a man named John Mark Karr confessed to killing the young pageant contestant in August 2006. Just weeks later, prosecutors dropped Karr as a suspect after finding his DNA didn’t match anything found at the crime scene.
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