Laurie Houts progression story

[KimiMariaS]

A Tech Executive Is Charged, for the Third Time, in a 1992 Killing

So i was reading this story earlier and it just occurred to me that the accused at the time was an adobe executive, clearly he was educated? As of recent he was running his own company which seems successful enough if he owns a headquarters and an office abroad.

"A statement from Mr. Woodward’s company, which has its headquarters in Oakland, Calif., and an office in the Netherlands, said the news of his arrest “was a jolt to all of us.” " - the words of his own employees is shocking to me, no red flags and seemed like he had a decent repo if no one suspected him of such a heinous crime.

Its mind boggling how people carrying a high level of education can be culpable of such crimes, completely has put a perspective on a lot of "trustworthy" individuals. It seems as if at any point, unassuming individuals can be guilty of such crimes. You can't trust anyone honestly

 

[cvaldez1975]

A Tech Executive Is Charged, for the Third Time, in a 1992 Killing

So i was reading this story earlier and it just occurred to me that the accused at the time was an adobe executive, clearly he was educated? As of recent he was running his own company which seems successful enough if he owns a headquarters and an office abroad.

"A statement from Mr. Woodward’s company, which has its headquarters in Oakland, Calif., and an office in the Netherlands, said the news of his arrest “was a jolt to all of us.” " - the words of his own employees is shocking to me, no red flags and seemed like he had a decent repo if no one suspected him of such a heinous crime.

Its mind boggling how people carrying a high level of education can be culpable of such crimes, completely has put a perspective on a lot of "trustworthy" individuals. It seems as if at any point, unassuming individuals can be guilty of such crimes. You can't trust anyone honestly

honestly i trust rich folx the least. they have a different set of rules. not all criminals are dumb or poor.

 

[vls12345]

California tech CEO arrested on murder charges for 1992 death of woman

A Silicone Valley CEO suspected of strangling a tech worker in a fit of jealousy 30 years ago was arrested Saturday after new DNA evidence emerged linking him to the murder

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Woodward stepped off the plane at John F Kennedy International Airport on July 9, 2022, and was arrested in connection to Houts' murder.

Now 58 years old, Woodward is the chief executive of ReadyTech, an international training software company, but police say they have new evidence connecting Woodward to a three-decade-old cold case.

Investigators have continued to reexamine evidence, but it wasn't until 2005 that they found a lead.

DNA samples that had been collected from the rope found around Houts' neck reportedly matched Woodward.


The Mountain View Police, led by Detective Sgt. David Fisher re-opened the case in 2020.

“We looked deep at every single option we had,” Fisher told Mercury News.

In a new examination released on July 11, 2022, police wrote that “fibers from sweatpants inside Woodward’s car were virtually indistinguishable from fibers found on the murder weapon (rope) around Houts’ neck.”

However, without knowing Woodward's location, the authorities were unable to make an arrest.


When Woodward flew to the US on July 9, 2022, he was flagged by the Department of Homeland Security and investigators flew to New Yorkwhere they arrested him.

Authorities have until July 29 to send Woodward to Santa Clara County in California where he will await trial for murder.

If convicted, he faces life in prison.

In a statement, Houts’s family said: “Laurie Anne Houts was a beloved family member and friend to many.

"Although she was only 5’ tall, she had a huge heart and her humor and spunk were endearing to all.

"The way Laurie lived and treated people was a stunning example of what was right in the world. She was a gem to so many, but her bright life was taken from us at the age of 25.

They added: "We are hopeful that justice can finally be served for Laurie and incredibly appreciative of the law enforcement agencies who have never given up on her.”

Who was Laurie Houts?

LAURIE Houts was 25 years old when she was found strangled in her car near her office in Mountain View, California in September 1992. Three decades later, her ex-boyfriend’s roommate has been…

www.the-sun.com

 

[iulia]

Judge dismisses 1990s Mountain View murder case on a legal technicality

On Tuesday morning, a packed courtroom listened intently as Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Shella Deen granted a stay order to keep John Kevin Woodward -- a tech CEO charged with murder -- under house arrest.

www.mv-voice.com

On Tuesday morning, a packed courtroom listened intently as Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Shella Deen granted a stay order to keep John Kevin Woodward – a tech CEO who has been charged three different times with the murder of Laurie Houts – under house arrest with an ankle monitor.

Last week, Deen dismissed the murder charges against Woodward, stating that he could not be tried again on grounds of double jeopardy, according to the order.

The case now is with the court of appeals as prosecutors seek to overturn the ruling. The stay was put in place to keep Woodward from leaving the country and returning to the Netherlands, where he resided before his arrest last year.

 

[dotr]

''Northern California man could face third trial in 1992 murder case​

John Woodward was tried twice in the 1990s for the murder of Laurie Houts but never convicted.''
MICHAEL GENNARO / March 14, 2024 rbbm

https://www.courthousenews.com/northern-california-man-could-face-third-trial-in-1992-murder-case/

'SAN JOSE, Calif. (CN) — A California appellate court on Thursday reversed a lower court finding that a Northern California man could not be retried in a murder case he stood trial for twice in the 1990s.

John Woodward was tried twice in the 1990s for the murder of Laurie Houts, his roommate's girlfriend. Prosecutors argued at the time that Woodward, who is gay, strangled Houts in her car because he was jealous of her relationship with his roomate.''

The DNA found on the rope in 2022 amounts to the new evidence needed, prosecutors argued.

”We are pleased with the decision and remain determined to bring John Woodward to justice for his murder of Laurie Houts,” the Santa Clara District Attorney’s office wrote in a statement.

Woodward can now face trial for the third time in the Houts slaying, though he could appeal the appellate decision to the California Supreme Court. His attorney did not respond to requests for comment asking if he planned to appeal.''