DENVER (KDVR) — A man who was convicted of murdering a Boulder resident in 1994 filed a Motion in Relief in April to have his conviction vacated following the scandal connected to former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic scientist Yvonne “Missy” Woods.

The conviction of first-degree murder by Michael Clark was vacated by District Court Judge Nancy Woodruff Salomone, who reinstituted a $100,000 bond and said a status conference would be held in June to determine the next steps.

On Thursday afternoon, the District Attorney’s Office of the 20th Judicial District determined that Clark was eligible to face a second trial, due to the conclusion of its findings.

“The duty of a prosecutor is to do justice. After the misconduct of the State’s DNA lab analyst was communicated to our office, we requested a re-test of an important piece of evidence. Based on those results, as well as the significant claims of juror misconduct and ineffective assistance of counsel, our office determined that the conviction must be vacated. It was the right thing to do. In light of the charges in this case, we then carefully and thoroughly analyzed all the remaining evidence to determine the right path forward. Our request for trial dates is a reflection of that process and our decision of what justice requires. We look forward to the trial,” District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated in a press release.

On Nov. 1, 1994, Boulder resident Marty Grisham answered a person who was knocking on the door of his home. When he opened the door, he was shot four times in the head and chest.

After nearly two decades of investigation, Boulder police arrested Michael Clark on Jan. 5, 2012, in connection with the shooting. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

What was once a closed case had new life breathed into it, following the scandal around alleged data manipulation by former CBI forensic analyst Woods from 1994 to 2023.

“The reason the Boulder County DA prosecuted Michael Clark in 2012 was because Missy Woods made the false claim that Mr. Clark’s DNA was at the scene of Mr. Grisham’s murder. Obviously, if that had been true, it would be an extremely damning piece of evidence. But let me be clear: Missy Woods’ testimony implicating Mr. Clark was false. The prosecution’s chosen lab retested the original evidence with improved modern technology and did not find Mr. Clark’s DNA. Missy Woods’ false testimony that Mr. Clark’s DNA was at the murder scene caused an innocent man to be convicted and wrongfully sentenced to life in prison,” said Clark’s attorney in a statement on Thursday.

In January, Woods was charged with 102 felony counts of charges, including:

• Forgery
• Cybercrime
• Perjury
• Attempting to influence a public servant

An investigation by CBI into the work of Woods discovered that Woods had tampered with data from 652 cases between 2008 and 2023. A review of her work between 1994-2008 is currently taking place.

One of the cases investigated pertained to Clark’s DNA, with a sample being submitted to an independent lab for retesting.

The DA’s office said it intended to re-evaluate evidence, locate key witnesses, and determine whether the case could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt in a second trial.

“Now, in what appears from the outside to be an attempt to protect Ms. Woods and CBI from that damning conclusion, Michael Dougherty is prosecuting an innocent man for murder 30 years after the incident based on the same evidence his office had in 1994 when they concluded they should not charge Mr. Clark. Putting aside the morals of that choice, it is deeply unfair. Evidence that helps demonstrate Mr. Clark’s innocence has been lost to the sands of time. We will show this at future court dates,” said Clark’s attorney.

The process was completed, and the trial was able to be set to proceed as early as October.

The DA’s Office requested October 2025 for the trial, and the defense requested December 2026.

The court set the date for the second trial in May 2026.

DENVER (KDVR) — A man who was convicted of murdering a Boulder resident in 1994 filed a Motion in Relief in April to have his conviction vacated following the scandal connected to former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic scientist Yvonne “Missy” Woods.

The conviction of first-degree murder by Michael Clark was vacated by District Court Judge Nancy Woodruff Salomone, who reinstituted a $100,000 bond and said a status conference would be held in June to determine the next steps.

On Thursday afternoon, the District Attorney’s Office of the 20th Judicial District determined that Clark was eligible to face a second trial, due to the conclusion of its findings.

“The duty of a prosecutor is to do justice. After the misconduct of the State’s DNA lab analyst was communicated to our office, we requested a re-test of an important piece of evidence. Based on those results, as well as the significant claims of juror misconduct and ineffective assistance of counsel, our office determined that the conviction must be vacated. It was the right thing to do. In light of the charges in this case, we then carefully and thoroughly analyzed all the remaining evidence to determine the right path forward. Our request for trial dates is a reflection of that process and our decision of what justice requires. We look forward to the trial,” District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated in a press release.

On Nov. 1, 1994, Boulder resident Marty Grisham answered a person who was knocking on the door of his home. When he opened the door, he was shot four times in the head and chest.

After nearly two decades of investigation, Boulder police arrested Michael Clark on Jan. 5, 2012, in connection with the shooting. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

What was once a closed case had new life breathed into it, following the scandal around alleged data manipulation by former CBI forensic analyst Woods from 1994 to 2023.

“The reason the Boulder County DA prosecuted Michael Clark in 2012 was because Missy Woods made the false claim that Mr. Clark’s DNA was at the scene of Mr. Grisham’s murder. Obviously, if that had been true, it would be an extremely damning piece of evidence. But let me be clear: Missy Woods’ testimony implicating Mr. Clark was false. The prosecution’s chosen lab retested the original evidence with improved modern technology and did not find Mr. Clark’s DNA. Missy Woods’ false testimony that Mr. Clark’s DNA was at the murder scene caused an innocent man to be convicted and wrongfully sentenced to life in prison,” said Clark’s attorney in a statement on Thursday.

In January, Woods was charged with 102 felony counts of charges, including:

• Forgery
• Cybercrime
• Perjury
• Attempting to influence a public servant

An investigation by CBI into the work of Woods discovered that Woods had tampered with data from 652 cases between 2008 and 2023. A review of her work between 1994-2008 is currently taking place.

One of the cases investigated pertained to Clark’s DNA, with a sample being submitted to an independent lab for retesting.

The DA’s office said it intended to re-evaluate evidence, locate key witnesses, and determine whether the case could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt in a second trial.

“Now, in what appears from the outside to be an attempt to protect Ms. Woods and CBI from that damning conclusion, Michael Dougherty is prosecuting an innocent man for murder 30 years after the incident based on the same evidence his office had in 1994 when they concluded they should not charge Mr. Clark. Putting aside the morals of that choice, it is deeply unfair. Evidence that helps demonstrate Mr. Clark’s innocence has been lost to the sands of time. We will show this at future court dates,” said Clark’s attorney.

The process was completed, and the trial was able to be set to proceed as early as October.

The DA’s Office requested October 2025 for the trial, and the defense requested December 2026.

The court set the date for the second trial in May 2026.