Updated: 07/06/2015 10:22 PM | Created: 07/06/2015 10:10 PM

By: Caleb James, KOB Eyewitness News 4

Jeremy Gatzke's life was shattered after being arrested for raping an Albuquerque woman, being labeled a sexual criminal and being stuck behind bars pending his trial. But the DNA meant to convict him wasn't his, and if it hadn't happened to him, it very well could have happened to you.

"Hell" is how Gatzke describes the last two years of his life. He spent 14 months awaiting a chance to defend himself against what seemed indefensible.

His wife left him, he was labeled a monster. But he wasn't one.

"DNA profiles are broken down into a set of signals, and there were signlas present in the forensic mixture that Jeremy didn't have," said attorney Levi Monagle.

Monagle says parts of the DNA found at the crime scene matched parts of Jeremy's DNA, but was not a complete match.

Gatzke was exonerated of his charges, filed a civil lawsuit against the Albuquerque Police Department, and won.

"That was something I wasn't going to want to happen to anybody else," he said.

Gatzke's case sheds light on how APD handles DNA. Because of it, the department's policies have changed.

Now, standard operating procedures require APD officers to explain the strength of a DNA hit before using the word "match" when asking for an arrest warrant.

"There was a lack of training in terms of investigating officers' knowledge of DNA," Monagle said.

Gatzke received a monetary settlement from APD. APD says the department is always reciewing its policies and procedures.