Oklahoma County District Attorney Bob Macy asked Wednesday for the appointment of an independent prosecutor to investigate embattled Oklahoma City police chemist Joyce Gilchrist.

Macy, who is retiring June 30, denied any wrongdoing by his office. He said an
independent investigation is needed to restore "the public’s confidence in the
Oklahoma County criminal justice system." State Attorney General Drew Edmondson declined Wednesday to appoint an independent prosecutor. He said the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is already investigating Gilchrist.

"Any decision now about appointing another district attorney would be premature," Edmondson said. In a letter Wednesday to Edmondson, Macy asked that his office be disqualified from the Gilchrist investigation. "I welcome a thorough, independent and comprehensive investigation into the insinuations, allegations, or even rumors of unethical or illegal conduct by myself or any current or former employee associated with this office," Macy said.

The FBI said Gilchrist misidentified evidence in five cases that ended with convictions. The FBI also said she testified "beyond the acceptable limits of
forensic science." Gilchrist denies any wrongdoing. The FBI urged a review of all cases in which the 21-year police chemist’s work was significant to a conviction. The federal investigation is ongoing. Gov. Frank Keating and Edmondson requested an investigation. On May 9, the OSBI received police files on 1,448 cases assigned to Gilchrist.

In almost a month, five OSBI criminalists completed a review of 134 cases.They have recommended evidence in three murder cases be retested. Defense attorneys requested last month that Macy and Edmondson step down from the investigation. Edmondson refused. Macy said there have been "insinuations" that prosecutors ignored or even instigated deliberately false or misleading testimony. Gilchrist has publicly denied that ever occurred, Macy said.

"I can state without doubt no prosecutor, myself included, ever requested Joyce
Gilchrist or any other analyst to testify beyond what the evidence suggested in
any case prosecuted in Oklahoma County," Macy said.