CEO arrested as suspect in 30-year-old Mountain View strangulation murder of Laurie Houts

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (KION-TV)-- On Saturday, an arrest was made of a suspect believed to be connected with the almost 30-year-old cold case homicide of Laurie Houts, according to the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office

58-year-old suspect John Kevin Woodward was arrested at John F. Kennedy Airport over the weekend. Houts was murdered by strangulation after leaving her work at Adobe Systems on Charleston Road in Mountain View on September 5, 1992, according to the DA's Office. 

Houts was found dead in her vehicle on the 1300 block of Crittenden Lane near a garbage dump a mile from her work. The rope used to strangle her was still around her neck and her footprints were visible on the interior of the car's windshield, according to the DA's Office.

Her unrifled pocketbook was found nearby, according to our CBS affiliate in the Bay Area. Woodward knew Houts because he was roommates with her boyfriend.

Woodward was arrested later that same year as a prime suspect in the case. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said Woodward was openly jealous of Houts because he had developed unrequited romantic feelings for his roommate, and had no alibi for the night Houts was killed. 

When the boyfriend asked Woodward if he killed her with police listening in, he asked what the investigators knew. Woodward's fingerprints were located outside Houts' car, but investigators could not prove he was inside the vehicle.

He was tried twice for the crime. Both trials ended in a hung jury. In the second trial, the trial judge said more evidence would need to be found to re-try Woodward again, according to our CBS affiliate. 

Woodward moved to the Netherlands after the trials. He is currently the President and CEO of the online training company Readytech, according to the DA's Office.

In 2020, detectives started to re-examine the Houts case, re-submitting items from the investigation to the Santa Clara County Crime Lab. Police said DNA samples collected from evidence at the scene matched Woodward's DNA.

Over 80 latent fingerprints that were also collected at the time of Laurie's death were re-examined by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Identification Unit, which resulted in even more fingerprints matching Woodward, according to our CBS affiliate.

"This case is the culmination of incredible determination by our detectives over the decades and with phenomenal teamwork with our agency partners here in Santa Clara County and in New York," said Mountain View Police Chief Chris Hsiung. "I am honored that our agency finally gets to give hope to Laurie's family that they can see a successful prosecution carried out. It bears repeating – we do not give up on justice for victims, no matter what."

The new information, along with the old evidence from the first two trials, was enough for the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office to issue a new warrant for Woodward's arrest for murder.

"I want Ms. Houts' family and friends to know that we never gave up on her. Neither time nor distance will stop us from finding out the truth and seeking justice," Rosen said.  

Woodward is being held in New York without bail until he can be extradited to California. He could face life in prison if convicted.  

The Houts family released the following statement about the arrest:

"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.   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."

Laurie Houts was an avid athlete ahead of her time as a woman in the STEM field. In tribute to her memory, her family helped establish the Laurie Houts Memorial Girls Athletics Scholarship, whose donations go to graduating female seniors who have been involved in sports all four years and plan to get a degree within a STEM discipline. People can learn more and donate at the Gunderson High Foundation website.

This article was written with help from KPIX.