HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — The work of a Houston-area forensic analyst is under scrutiny after she was fired from a job providing DNA analysis for hundreds of criminal cases.
According to recent court filings, the analyst worked on the high-profile murder of Migos rapper Takeoff, who was gunned down in Houston in 2022.
This week, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office filed a Brady Notice informing attorneys defending Takeoff murder suspect Patrick Clark about the analyst’s termination.
The notice highlights several examples that show the analyst’s “lack of attention to detail” including one instance where she switched DNA samples, and another instance, where she processed the wrong DNA sample resulting in a “chain of custody” mix-up.
In a statement Thursday, a spokesperson from the Houston Forensic Science Cneter explained those errors were made in proficiency testing – not legitimate casework.
“The analyst was terminated, in part, due to errors in handling proficiency test materials. Proficiency tests do not involve actual cases or evidence, they are administered to test a forensic expert's skills and understanding of HFSC's processes,” the statement reads.
That terminated analyst is connected to a total of 392 pending cases according to the Harris County District Attorney's Office. A spokesperson for the DA’s office confirmed to KHOU 11 that defense attorneys in all of those cases received Brady Notices this week.
The DA’s office also revealed there are 170 additional cases previously “disposed” or closed, that are connected to the analyst. We’re told defense attorneys in those cases will soon receive Brady Notices.
While HFSC maintains there was no evidence to suggest their former employee’s work was invalid, KHOU 11 legal analyst Carmen Row said there is still a spotlight on it.
“They [prosecutors] can’t call her as a witness because her credibility is zero and they can’t rely on her testing," she said.
Roe said defense attorneys will likely look at this situation as an opportunity -- if any mistakes are eventually found in the analyst's work, Roe said it would ultimately impact the outcome of the cases involved.
“It may result in a lesser offense rather than the one that should have been the convicted offense, and some will result in a trial that is limited by the absence of certain evidence," she said.