OSP suspends drug evidence testing at Bend crime lab

Over the past few months, Oregon State Police have voluntarily suspended all substance analysis in the Bend and Pendleton crime labs, but Deschutes County’s chief prosecutor said Friday it hasn’t led to a backlog in evidence to be processed – at least, so far..

The moves were taken in late August and early September in response to the ongoing investigation into forensic analyst Nika Larsen, who allegedly tampered with evidence at numerous labs across the state, including the lab in Bend.

Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel said all drug-related tests are now being sent to the other three OSP rime labs across the state in Portland, Springfield and Central Point. He is not expecting a backlog in cases in Deschutes County.

“Of course, if you have less capacity in the lab, that’s going to slow down the process in cases,” Hummel said. “That being said, the Oregon State Police is putting more manpower and more effort into fixing this problem. Because, you know, they’ve made some mistakes, the spotlight is on them. They want to get it right.”

Hummel said OSP employees are working overtime to ensure cases will be processed timely.

OSP suspended drug testing at the Pendleton lab on Jul. 28 and at the Bend lab on Sept. 3.

Hummel said he expects the internal investigation into Larsen to be completed by the end of the year, after which it can be decided whether Larsen will be criminally charged by the state or at the federal level.

Due to the change in testing protocols, the quality accreditation by the American Society of Criminal Laboratory Directors/ Laboratory Accreditation Board had to be updated. In a letter, OSP Major Andy Heider told all Oregon district attorneys that when the Pendleton and Bend labs resume testing controlled substances, the accreditation status will be updated again.