Colorado crime lab seeks federal funding as director acknowledges significant DNA backlog

A Colorado crime lab is seeking federal grant funding as it works to address a backlog of DNA evidence.

The Unified Forensic Laboratory processes evidence for the Aurora Police Department, Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office and Douglas County Sheriff's Office. Lab Director Kim Morrow says the facility receives approximately 40 to 50 requests for DNA testing each month. While those numbers have remained relatively steady, the lab is carrying what she describes as a significant backlog.

"We work with our agencies, however, to do the best we can to triage our evidence, to make sure that we are testing the most relevant items for their case," Morrow said.

Under federal guidelines, DNA evidence is generally considered backlogged if testing has not started within 30 days.

Morrow says once an analyst begins working on a case, the testing typically takes about 60 days. But evidence can wait longer before an analyst is available to begin that work.

"With our backlog, it does take a little while for an analyst to take possession of a case," she said.

Despite the backlog, advances in DNA testing are helping investigators solve cases that once seemed impossible to crack.

For nearly four decades, the 1987 murder of Rhonda Marie Fisher in Douglas County remained unsolved

Investigators reopened the case in early 2025 and submitted additional evidence for DNA testing. Using technology far more sensitive than what was available when Fisher was killed, scientists at the Unified Forensic Laboratory helped develop a DNA profile that ultimately linked her murder to serial killer Vincent Groves. Groves died in prison in 1996.

"The sensitivity of DNA testing has progressed so much that we were able to go back and look at samples for whole cases that previously wouldn't have been suitable for testing," Morrow said.

The laboratory worked with other regional forensic facilities to help identify Groves, providing answers in a case that had remained unsolved for nearly 40 years.

"Victims deserve closure, no matter how old their case is," Morrow said.

This week, the laboratory sought approval from Arapahoe County commissioners to apply for four federal grants totaling more than $637,000. The funding would support analyst overtime, training and equipment purchases, including technology intended to speed up DNA extraction from sexual assault evidence.

Morrow says the lab receives approximately 150 to 200 sexual assault kits each year.

The proposed equipment could reduce the amount of manual handling required during testing, potentially improving DNA recovery and allowing analysts to process evidence more efficiently.

The laboratory has received some of the federal funding since 2020. This year's application process is changing because Arapahoe County is taking over financial management of the laboratory from the City of Aurora.

"We are very well supported by our agencies, and we will continue to function," she said. "We have been given new staff. We have the resources we need to continue. This additional funding will allow us to do more."

Morrow says training an analyst to work independently can take years, even when that person has experience at another laboratory.

As communities across the Denver metro area continue to grow, Morrow says the demand for forensic services is increasing.

"The more efficiently we can provide high-quality forensics to our agencies, the better they can use it in their investigations," she said.

For victims and their families, the hope is that additional resources will help evidence move through the testing process more quickly, allowing investigators to pursue answers sooner.