The Texas Department of Public Safety Corpus Christi crime lab receives an estimated 700 evidence samples a month, marking the importance of the facility during National Forensic Crime Week.
Some of those 700 samples are distributed across the 16 DPS crime laboratories in Texas that specialize in firearms and toolmarks, toxicology and other areas of analysis, according to evidence technician Jacob Perez.
The Corpus Christi crime lab assists with South Texas law enforcement agencies — and some outside the Coastal Bend— with processing evidence for investigations. The Corpus Christi lab is split in two sections: the biology and DNA division and the seized drugs division.
Danielle Mitchell-Ozougwu, a forensic scientist for the DNA division, demonstrates sample testing with prop weapons and clothing on Sept. 21, 2026, at the Texas Department of Public Safety Corpus Christi crime lab.
During an open house of the crime lab on Sept. 21, Texas Highway Patrol Sgt. Rob Mallory said sexual assault cases take priority for testing and have up to 90 days for a turnaround time under Texas law.
Mallory also said submitting evidence for a crime lab analysis is a crucial step for building an investigation.
“It’s all part of a system,” he said. “It starts with that officer out there on the street collecting the evidence … from a traffic stop or a crime scene, and they bring it here to be analyzed.
“It’s all part of building that case and we can’t do one without the other.”
Chas Bomgardner, a forensic scientist with the seized drug division, said six out of 10 times they will identify methamphetamine within an evidence sample and that is the most common substance they see in the lab.
Bomgardner said they see between 300 to 500 seized drug cases a month.
Between April 1 and June 30, the Seized Drug Division had 1,281 new testing requests. The Biology and DNA Division had 158 new requests, according to the most recent DPS Forensic Services data.
Jeannette Kentch was one of 95 people who visited the lab during the open house. She said she had gone to support the forensic scientists and technicians working in the lab.
“These are the people that you don’t hear about, that are in this legal process in order to reinforce our laws,” Kentch said.
“They have such a high skill level [and] nobody ever thinks about them. … They’re just as important as everyone else within that legal process.”
Felicity Guajardo covers breaking news and public safety. Contact her at felicity.guajardo@caller.com.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Inside Corpus Christi DPS crime lab, how it helps with investigations