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Author: Yujiemi Chisholm
Accreditation Document Repository

Small Office: General Operations Documents

These documents pertain to office practices, continuing education, handling family complaints, responding to received messages, review board participation, quality assurance, and organ/tissue procurement and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A”. These examples are reflective of a small office that performs autopsies at other facilities.
May 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Small Office: New Employee and General Operations Documents

These documents pertain to employee requirements and training – including new hire training – criminal records checks, mental health, confidentiality, internet access, shadow policy, and transfer of leadership and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A”. These examples are reflective of a small office that performs autopsies at other facilities.
May 2026
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Denver7

Man sentenced to life in prison in 1996 Denver murder of Terri Turachak

Nearly 30 years after Terri Turachak was murdered in her Denver apartment, her killer has been brought to justice. Turachak, 35, was killed on October 5, 1996, and the case remained unsolved for years until DNA testing helped identify Ricky Dawson as a suspect. Dawson was charged in 2023, convicted in March 2026, and sentenced on April 29, 2026, to life in prison without parole. The sentencing marked the culmination of decades of investigative work and provided answers for Turachak’s family after nearly three decades without resolution. As part of BJA’s Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA (COLD) Program, this work reflects the continued value of forensic DNA in helping agencies revisit and resolve long-standing cases. The case also highlights the persistence of the Denver Police Department, Denver Crime Laboratory, and Denver District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Unit in pursuing justice.
April 2026

Check out our new Legal Document Repository!

This repository provides a collection of legal documents to assist investigators, prosecutors, and other criminal justice professionals in navigating the legal complexities often associated with cold case investigations and prosecutions. VIEW THE REPOSITORY
April 2026
Forensics TTA

Legal Document Repository

This repository provides a centralized collection of legal documents related to cold case investigations and prosecutions. It contains opinions, motions, warrants, and other relevant legal documents such as court orders and affidavits. This repository aims to assist investigators, prosecutors, and other criminal justice professionals in navigating the legal complexities often associated with cold cases, including those involving emerging tools like Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG).
April 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Small Office: Safety and Facility Documents

These documents pertain to biohazards, personal protective equipment, workplace injury, office cleaning, and office security and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A”. These examples are reflective of a small office that performs autopsies at other facilities.
April 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Medium Office: General Operations Documents

These documents pertain to performance improvement, training/continuing education, quality assurance, communication, ethical standards, social networking, and wellness and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A”. These examples are reflective of a medium-sized office that performs autopsies in-house and at other facilities.
April 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Medium Office: General Operations Documents

These documents pertain to confidentiality, general code of conduct, carrying firearms and assigned county property – including use of vehicles and dress code – and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A”. These examples are reflective of a medium-sized office that performs autopsies in-house and at other facilities.
April 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Large Office: Safety and Facility Documents

These documents pertain to organ and tissue donation, quality assurance, personnel health, safety, facility and equipment maintenance, and facility access, and address standards for NAME General, section “A”. These examples are reflective of a large office that performs autopsies in-house.
April 2026
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Highlights

Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory Division leverages CEBR funding to strengthen forensic biology/DNA capacity, reduce backlog, and expand laboratory services

With support from grant funding through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA’s) DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program, the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory Division (WSPCLD) achieved transformative improvements in efficiency, capacity, and service delivery resulting in a 91% reduction in their DNA backlog while simultaneously expanding access to forensic DNA testing statewide.
April 2026