Laurie Anne Houts, a 25-year-old computer engineer, was strangled to death before her body was discovered in her car in the Mountain View neighborhood.
Nearly 30 years after the incident, authorities reportedly detained Readytech CEO John Kevin Woodward. He had already gone to trial twice, but the prosecutions were dropped for lack of sufficient evidence.
After 30 years, when the police reopened the case and using modern DNA technologies, they discovered fingerprints from Houts’ home and her car that matched Kevin’s.
Woodward, who was Houts’ ex-former boyfriend’s roommate, is thought to have perpetrated the horrific act out of jealousy.
If found guilty of the murder, the CEO of Readytech, who is now in police custody, will receive a life sentence.
Laurie Anne Houts
Readytech CEO: John Kevin Woodward Wife – Who Is Laurie Anne Houts?
58-year-old John Woodward is accused of killing Laurie, the girlfriend of his former roommate.
John supposedly had a romantic relationship with his roommate that went unrequited. His blatant jealousy of his girlfriend Houts was palpable.
In Mountain View, California, at Adobe Systems, Houts was a computer engineer.
In Mountain View, California, on September 5, 1992, Laurie’s body was discovered in her car next to a trash can. She was killed by being strangled with a rope that was still around her neck.
The victim’s footprints, which demonstrated her resistance to the murderer, were found on the interior windshield.
John Kevin Woodward Kids & Family
The CEO of the Oakland, California-based online training business Readytech is Kevin Woodward.
After his second trial, Woodward relocated to the Netherlands, where Readytech established a regional office. Whether he relocated there with his family and children is still a mystery.
Her family describes Houts as having a vivacious personality and being a pioneer in the STEM area.
“We are hopeful that Laurie can finally receive justice and are immensely appreciative of the law enforcement agencies who have never given up on her,” her family stated in a statement.
Laurie Anne Houts Case Update
The thirty-year-old case has changed course, and the alleged murderer is currently being jailed without bail in New York.
The CEO of the IT company was always the main person of interest. Although Hout’s car had been found to have his fingerprints on it, there was no technology available at the time to examine the DNA.
In order to give the young girl justice, the Santa Clara District Attorney reopened the thirty-year-old case in 2020. More than 80 latent fingerprints that were taken from Houts’ home were reexamined using modern DNA methods.
When the DNA from the rope, her home, and her car matched that of Woodward, he was promptly detained at New York’s JFK airport. He had just arrived from Amsterdam by plane for his meeting.
A search warrant for the suspect’s residence and place of business was issued to the Dutch authorities. From Woodward’s home, they took computers and USB thumb drives.
John Woodward is currently awaiting extradition to California. It is most likely that he will receive a life sentence.
