Rhode Island Crime Lab Takes Back More Firearms Work

Rhode Island’s state crime lab is accepting more firearms evidence and reducing its reliance on outside reviewers as it rebuilds its testing staff, according to an October 7 report by Rhode Island Current.

Director Dennis Hilliard told the outlet that external verification, which covered 15 percent of cases in April, is dropping to 10 percent this month. A further reduction to 5 percent is expected by March 2027 if examiners continue meeting reliability requirements.

The recovery follows the suspension of toolmark testing in August 2024 after discrepancies emerged in a Pawtucket murder investigation. The laboratory, located on the University of Rhode Island’s Kingston campus, subsequently relied on outside specialists.

Its action plan requires an independent internal verification for cases needing review, with selected cases receiving another examination by an external specialist. Reviewers are not given the original analyst’s findings or notes, and analysts do not know whether their cases will receive the check.

The plan makes reductions conditional on two consecutive quarters without major discrepancies. Quarterly monitoring continues, and outside review can increase if risks emerge. Those safeguards matter because rebuilding capacity also requires demonstrating that evidence can be examined consistently.

Hilliard said police departments can again submit firearms cases even when investigators have not identified a suspect or recovered a comparison weapon. Microscopic examination can begin while that investigation continues.

The laboratory commission was scheduled to receive an update October 8. Its review provides an opportunity to examine the monitoring results behind the lab’s return to more internal work. Rhode Island Current