DNA Evidence Error Found In NYC Crime Lab
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The city's crime lab is under fire for mishandling DNA cases.
One employee has been fired and another suspended after the crime lab discovered more than 50 cases in which DNA samples weren't sent to a state database, WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported.
The oversight prevented the samples from being compared to genetic material from other convicted offenders.
DNA Evidence Error Found In NYC Crime Lab
The oversight was found during an extensive review undertaken after the office found errors made by a former lab tech who failed to detect existing biological evidence in at least two dozen instances, Diamond reported.
Of the 55 samples, the medical examiner's office said one led to an investigative lead in connection to a 2006 burglary.
In a statement, the lab said the failure is not acceptable for a world-class DNA lab that prides itself on accuracy and attention to detail.
The medical examiner's office said the employees who knew about the problem didn't report it in a timely manner.
An outside expert is being brought in to do a complete review of the lab's management, Diamond reported.
