DNA analyst fired amid alleged misconduct

Her work included Larimer, Loveland cases

The Weld County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate alleged anomalies found in a longtime DNA analyst’s casework.

The sheriff’s office terminated Chiara Wuensch, a DNA analyst for more than 10 years at the Northern Colorado Regional Forensic Lab, on Wednesday based on violations of conduct.

The sheriff’s office began investigating Wuensch on Jan. 31, reviewing anomalies in her casework, according to a sheriff’s office news release. The investigation revealed she violated the Weld County Code for expectations of proper conduct and the sheriff’s office standards of conduct policy for not cooperating with the agency’s internal investigation.

The anomalies in Wuensch’s casework first came to light due to a separate and active investigation by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation of their own personnel, the release said.

Officials found anomalies in the DNA testing work of Yvonne “Missy” Woods in 2023, kicking off internal and criminal investigations. Woods had worked for the agency for 29 years, leaving before CBI publicly announced the anomalies in November.

CBI will move to retests DNA samples in thousands of criminal cases as a result, expecting to spend at least $7.5 million to do so, according to a report from The Denver Post.

CBI has no further information at this time due to the ongoing investigation, according to the sheriff’s office release.

The sheriff’s office reported limited anomalies discovered in Wuensch’s casework but has yet to determine how this will impact the criminal cases she has worked on.

The lab where Wuensch worked provides forensic services to the Weld and Larimer county sheriff’s offices, as well as Greeley, Loveland and Fort Collins police.

Wuensch testified about the factors that can affect DNA samples in the 2021 trial of Steve Pankey for the 1984 kidnapping and murder of Jonelle Matthews. Prosecutors did not have DNA evidence in their case against Pankey, but investigators confirmed Jonelle’s remains with DNA evidence as well as dental records.

Wuensch came to the Northern Colorado Regional Forensic Lab in November 2013 from the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory, where she was the senior forensic scientist for DNA analysis.

She had more than 23 years of experience at the Wisconsin lab, according to her Linkedin page.

The sheriff’s office plans to pursue criminal charges for the alleged anomalies, but charges have yet to be determined due to the ongoing criminal investigation, according to the release.

“We hire people that we believe have the utmost integrity,” Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams said. “No system is better than the people who work in it.”

The sheriff’s office says it will not release any more information until the conclusion of the criminal investigation.