Allegations At ISP Crime Lab Could Jeopardize 1000 Drug Convictions

Based on alleged misconduct at the Idaho State Police crime lab, nearly one thousand people convicted of crimes in Idaho could have reason to challenge their conviction. Over 800 notification letters have already been sent out. The state public defender’s office had to go through its database and notify everyone who had evidence at the lab between January 2003 and June of 2011. A memo from the Idaho State Police to attorneys accuses one of its forensic scientists, Skyler Anderson, of keeping an unauthorized amount of an unidentified controlled narcotic. The memo says he and others intentionally hid the drugs from auditors to avoid detection and Anderson did so on at least four occasions. A second memo says Anderson told another lab manager, Shannon Larson, that there was a box of drugs used for show and tell, and that the drugs weren't tracked. Attorney David Leroy says  that it’s likely criminal attorneys will be reviewing their cases.  Last month, the Idaho State Police said it placed three employees on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.