Crime · Charlotte, NC
Charlotte DNA Analyst Pleads Guilty to Manipulating Crime Lab Tests
Kelly Elizabeth Shea, 40, who worked at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department crime lab for nearly 10 years, pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon to obstruction of justice for intentionally substituting failed positive-control samples in DNA testing. A two-year State Bureau of Investigation probe under Mecklenburg District Attorney Spencer Merriweather found one confirmed manipulation caught by her supervisor, with Shea admitting possibly one other instance. Prosecutors said no faulty identifications of criminal defendants resulted, but the tampering delayed trials and required costly retesting of evidence. Shea was sentenced to one year of probation and community service.