At the New Haven Superior Court on Monday, the state prosecutor handling the murder of Annie Le GRD ’13 said one of the reasons the case needed a continuance was because of a backlog at the state forensics laboratory.

But Connecticut State Police spokesman Lt. Paul Vance said the Le case is top priority and that all of the DNA evidence needed for the case to proceed has been examined.

“All the materials for the hearings to go forward have been made available,” Vance said.

Vance said the prosecutor, John Waddock, may be waiting for additional reports but that those reports would be on evidence for “elimination purposes,” meaning additional evidence to be checked for DNA matches. Vance said he does not know how long it will take to complete those reports.

Waddock declined to comment on Vance’s remarks but said the state lab has been “terrific in trying to expedite” the examination of materials in the Le case.

Waddock said there is a backlog in the state lab because of the “sheer volume” of materials the lab receives.

“They simply don’t have the resources and manpower,” Waddock said.

Vance acknowledged there is a backlog “to a certain extent.”

Waddock declined to comment further on why he cited the backlog in asking to postpone the hearing. The accused, Raymond Clark III, is due back in court Jan. 26.