DENVER — Crimes in Denver are going unsolved as evidence piles up untested for months at the city’s crime lab, public records obtained by 9NEWS show.
Police records show the Denver Police Crime Lab’s overall case turnaround time has nearly tripled since 2021, from about 16 days to 46 days in 2026.
The latent print unit, which processes evidence, like fingerprints left at crime scenes, has seen a 567% increase in that same period, from a 12-day turnaround time to nearly 80. There are 336 cases currently backlogged in that unit alone, with half its positions vacant, though the unit is only budgeted to have four positions…