New DNA testing in 1994 Boulder murder supports innocence claim, attorney says

New DNA analysis now supports the claim of a Boulder man that he was wrongly convicted of a murder in 1994, contradicting previous testing by discredited Colorado Bureau of Investigation scientist Yvonne “Missy” Woods, as stated by his attorney on Monday.

Michael Clark, aged 49, was found guilty of first-degree murder in a 2012 trial for the cold-case killing of Boulder city employee Marty Grisham, who was shot at his home on November 1, 1994.

Despite Woods’ DNA testing linking Clark to the crime scene, he has consistently professed his innocence. However, new testing by an independent lab reveals flaws in Woods’ testing methodology, according to Clark’s attorney, Adam Frank.

Subsequent testing was initiated by the CBI after discovering that Woods had mishandled DNA testing in over 1,000 cases, leading to her facing 102 felony charges. Clark was the first to challenge his conviction based on her tainted work.

The new analysis showed that the DNA in a lip balm container found near Grisham’s apartment was more likely contributed by random individuals than by Clark, as per court documents. This contradicts Woods’ earlier conclusion that Clark could have been included in the DNA sample.

Clark’s DNA was not detected in the lip balm container during the re-testing, Frank confirmed in a court filing.

Investigators had initially suspected Clark due to his access to a 9mm gun matching the murder weapon and alleged check fraud involving Grisham’s account. A jail informant also claimed Clark confessed to the killing while in custody.

Despite maintaining his innocence, Clark was convicted based on Woods’ erroneous DNA testimony. The new DNA results have provided evidence supporting Clark’s claims.

Clark, serving a life sentence, is set to appear in court for a hearing regarding the recent DNA findings.

The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office did not respond to requests for comments.

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