Boulder County, Colo. - On November 1, 1994, Marty Grisham answered a knock at the door to his home and was fatally shot four times in his head and chest. The Boulder Police Department investigated the case and on January 5, 2012, the Boulder Police Department arrested Michael Clark. At trial, Michael Clark was convicted of Murder in the First Degree and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The Defendant filed a Motion for Relief, seeking a new trial on the charge of Murder in the First Degree. Among other claims, Defendant asserted misconduct by Agent Missy Woods of the Colorado Bureau of Investigations (CBI), juror misconduct, and ineffective assistance of counsel. Ms. Woods is under indictment and being prosecuted in the First Judicial District.

Due to Ms. Woods’ misconduct at the State Lab, as well as the particular facts and circumstances in this case, the District Attorney’s Office requested a re-test of important evidence by an independent lab. The independent lab, BODE Technologies, tested both Ms. Woods original swabs and re-swabbed the inside and outside of the item.

The People were required to file a motion response by April 11, 2025. The People filed a motion response with the Court this afternoon.

After a careful review of the exceptional circumstances presented in this case, the District Attorney’s Office determined that it is in the interest of justice to vacate the conviction of Murder in the First Degree. The original bond of $100k will be reinstated and Michael Clark is eligible to post the bond.

The District Attorney’s Office believes this action is consistent with the ethical obligations for prosecutors and appropriate considering the exceptional circumstances presented here. It is the People’s intent to re-evaluate the evidence, locate key witnesses, and determine whether the case can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt at a second trial. In the meantime, the defendant’s bond status should be changed to reflect the status and developments, as outlined in the motion response filed this afternoon.

A status conference has been set for June 6, 2025 at 815 a.m. The status hearing will determine next steps in this case.

District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated, “The duty of a prosecutor is to do justice. After the misconduct of the State’s DNA lab analyst was communicated to our office, we requested a re-test of an important piece of evidence. Based on those results, as well as the significant claims of juror misconduct and ineffective assistance of counsel, our office determined that the conviction must be vacated. It is the right thing to do, after considering all three issues. In light of the charges in this case, we will carefully and thoroughly analyze all the evidence to determine the right and just outcome.”

As in every criminal case, these charges are merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.