A 2017 Coal Creek triple homicide retrial has been continued to July while prosecutors review the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s findings of the involvement of former DNA analyst Yvonne “Missy” Woods in the initial investigation.
In 2019, Garrett Coughlin was convicted of three counts of felony first-degree murder and one count of aggravated robbery in the shooting deaths of Wallace While, Kelly Sloat-White and Emeory Fraker on April 13, 2017, at the White’s home in Coal Creek Canyon.
According to court documents, during the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office crime scene investigation, multiple evidence samples were sent to the bureau for forensic analysis, including DNA testing. The DNA analysis was conducted by Woods who produced seven reports relating to her analysis in this case.
In 2023, the bureau found that the analyst tampered with DNA testing by omitting and altering data in her work. Following the finding, approximately 3,000 DNA samples were called for retesting statewide, including samples collected in the Coughlin case.
According to a court document, in 2019, Woods reported that swabs from a chair contained “a mixture of four DNA contributors, including ‘strong support’ that Mr. Coughlin was one of the contributors to that DNA profile.”
Woods reported “limited support” that an alternate suspect in the case matched DNA found on the revolver used in the homicides, according to the document. Woods reportedly said that was “very strong support” that Coughlin was one of the contributors to the DNA found on the holster related to the same revolver.
Coughlin was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, however defense attorneys filed an appeal asking for a new trial after two jurors allegedly lied on their questionnaires.
Former Boulder District Court Judge Ludith LaBuda granted the appeal and overturned the conviction, finding that one of the jurors deliberately and repeatedly lied or misled the court about her family’s criminal history. The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office appealed the decision, but it was upheld by the Colorado Court of Appeals. Prosecutors asked the Colorado Supreme Court to take up the case, but it declined to do so.
Coughlin was set for a three week trial starting April 8, however in a March hearing, defense attorneys asked for a continuance, according to Boulder District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Shannon Carbone.
A Feb. 21 court document filed by Coughlin’s defense attorneys requested “immediate discovery of information” relating to the bureau’s investigation, stating Coughlin “is completely in the dark about what actually happened and what CBI is doing about it.”
In March, a judge granted the defense’s continuance request, according to Carbone. Coughlin is now set for a three week trial on July 15 with his next appearance being April 22 for a hearing. Coughlin has a motions hearing set for May 20. He remains in custody.
According to an affidavit, on April 15, 2017, three bodies were found in White and Sloat-White’s home in the 800 block of Divide View Drive. Fraker, who lived in Broomfield at the time of the murder, was White’s brother. All three victims suffered gunshot wounds.
Investigators said they were able to tie Coughlin to the gun used in the homicides and found that guns were missing from Coughlin’s mother’s house. In the affidavit investigators noted that Coughlin had departed Colorado the week after the homicides and connected him to the home on Divide View Drive. .
Through interviews, investigators said they determined Coughlin had shown up four hours late for work on the morning police believe the three were killed.
Deputies removed 100 marijuana plants from the property during the investigation, and witnesses told investigators that they saw Coughlin with large amounts of pot packaged in a manner consistent with the marijuana owned by the victims, as well as large amounts of cash following the homicides.
