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Tech CEO charged in 30-year-old murder of Laurie Houts

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4 years ago

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CREDIT: MOUNTAIN VIEW POLICE DEPARTMENT

A California IT executive has been arrested and accused with murder in the 30 yr old murder involving the girlfriend of his former roommate.

ReadyTech, an online training company based in the Bay Area, had its president and CEO, John Kevin Woodward, arrested by New York City police on Saturday after he arrived from Amsterdam, according to a press release issued by the Santa Clara County Office of the District Attorney on Monday.

Woodward, an American citizen living in the Netherlands, is accused of murdering computer engineer Laurie Houts, 25, in 1992. Houts was “ahead of her time as a woman in the STEM sector,” according to a news statement from the Mountain View Police Department (MVPD).

If he is found guilty, Woodward might spend the rest of his life behind bars.

 Woodward may or may not have legal counsel who can speak on his behalf at this time.

Woodward, now 58 years old, was tried twice in the late 1990s for Houts’ murder but found not guilty both times. According to the Santa Clara County DA, after the second trial ended in a hung jury for lack of evidence, the judge dismissed the case and Woodward fled to the Netherlands.

Houts’s body was discovered inside her automobile on September 5, 1992, in Mountain View, California, a mile from her place of employment and atop a garbage dump. Police claim she left footprints on the inside of the windshield and that the rope used to strangle her was still around her neck. Additionally, her “unrifled” purse was discovered close by.

Having developed a “unrequited love relationship” to his roommate, Houts’s boyfriend, the Santa Clara County DA’s office claims Woodward was a prime suspect from the start.

Even though Woodward’s fingerprints were supposedly found on the outside of Houts’ automobile, the 1992 investigation never produced any evidence that Woodward was actually inside the vehicle.

Late in 2020, though, investigators began resubmitting evidence from Houts’ case to the MVPD for further examination.

The MVPD announced that the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Identification Unit had found “even more fingerprints matching Woodward” after re-examining “over 80 latent fingerprints” taken at the time of Laurie’s death.

Police claim they obtained a warrant for Woodward’s arrest for murder after reviewing the new evidence and re-examining the prior evidence that led them to believe Woodward as the major suspect.

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“I’m overjoyed that, after nearly 30 years, we finally have an opportunity to pursue justice on Laurie’s behalf. It’s quite unusual for a case to be reopened decades after it has been closed; this new evidence gives us a second chance to bring Mr. Woodward to justice “PEOPLE spoke with Rob Baker, deputy district attorney for Santa Clara County.

“As a result of developments in forensic science, Mr. Woodward was apprehended. There is no way we could have refiled this murder case without those developments.” In his latest installment, Baker elaborated. “The difficulty of solving cold cases is exacerbated by the fact that authorities just began routinely gathering DNA evidence around 20 years ago at the earliest. It’s likely that Laurie’s wallet and handbag contained a lot of DNA, but testing them would’ve been futile due to the fingerprint dust that had accumulated on them.”

D.A. Baker came to the following conclusion: “In modern investigations, fingerprints are rarely used as a primary method before DNA is ruled out. It’s amazing how rapidly society evolves.”

“Family and friends of Laurie Anne Houts cherished her deeply. Despite her diminutive stature, her big heart, witty remarks, and feisty spirit won the hearts of those who met her “The Houts family issued a statement through the MVPD, which read as follows.

“Laurie’s life and treatment of others exemplified so much that is good and right with the world. So many people lost a shining star while she was only 25 years old “It was said further. We are grateful to the law enforcement agencies that have never given up on finding Laurie, and we hope that justice will be done for her.

The Laurie Houts Memorial Girls Athletics Scholarship was established by Houts’s family to honor her memory and provide financial assistance to female high school seniors who have participated in sports throughout high school and want to pursue a degree in a STEM field.

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ISTHATPORKS TAKE:

Technology today is catching up and passing the technology of yesterday. Criminals who did crimes many moons ago should be worried that the Mee Too" of any alleged crime back then may come back to knock on their door to say "Hey, remember me?" It's obvious that people who don't take heed to the power of technology or proceed with caution find out in uncertain terms that this can happen. AND it does. Some cold case gets solved every year and the culprit goes away for the rest of their lives. "Mee Too" in whatever crime the culprit did PERSONIFY. PORK AWARD and METER PERSONALIZED. The lesson here, think before you act people. Keep those emotions disguised as black-holes at bay when dealing with others so no one knocks on your door. Another person just added to the PORK METER of life. Don't let it be you!

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DOZENS REQUIRE CPR AFTER CROWD SURGE IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA… At Itaewon Gathering

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3 years ago

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October 29, 2022

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Dozens of unresponsive victims requiring CPR at what appeared to have been a large gathering in South Korea on Saturday have raised death toll estimates to several.

Pictures and videos of dozens of people lying on the streets of the trendy Seoul area of Itaewon are currently making the rounds online, with many of them receiving chest compressions from passersby and emergency personnel.

It's clear from the reaction that the scenario is extremely chaotic, and the visuals are unsettling because many of the people in them don't appear to be conscious.

Ground reports indicate that over a hundred people were hurt, with many reportedly suffering cardiac arrest. Photos show police placing tarps over what appear to be dead bodies, suggesting a high death toll, although the New York Times reports only 2 confirmed deaths.

There are so many people here because this is one of the largest Halloween parties in Seoul; word is that tens of thousands of people have crammed into the narrow alleys, which may have caused the stampede.

It has been speculated, but not proven, that the crush occurred when a celebrity was spotted in Itaewon and everyone rushed to the scene's only bar to catch a glimpse of them.

Yoon Suk Yeol, president of South Korea, has already sent emergency services to the city of Seoul, and the mayor is returning from an overseas trip to assess the damage and receive a briefing.

The story is currently evolving…

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Four teens were killed in an accident after doing “The KIA Challenge” on TikTok.

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3 years ago

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October 29, 2022

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In Buffalo, New York, four adolescents were killed in a car incident early Monday.

Marcus Webster (19), Swazine Swindle (17), Kevin Payne (16), and Ahjanae Harper (14), according to the New York Post.

Kia, the destroyed vehicle, was reported stolen on Sunday night, according to Buffalo police. Police think the youngsters took the vehicle to take part in “The Kia Challenge,” a viral challenge on the video-sharing platform TikTok in which users are shown how to hot-wire a Kia, a South Korean automobile, using only a screwdriver and a USB connection.

According to WIVB, “five of the six occupants, were ejected.”

The unidentified 16-year-old driver of the stolen vehicle was reportedly one of two people who survived the crash and received treatment at Erie County Medical Center. According to the source, the driver has been arrested and charged with criminal possession of stolen property and illegal use of a vehicle.

While he awaits his court date today (Friday, October 28), police have freed him on bond.

A 14-year-old girl was the other lucky survivor; she was taken to the hospital and treated in intensive care before being released.

Having recently received a newborn girl on what would have been Harper’s 15th birthday, her family has started a GoFundMe to raise $15,000.

A resident of the area said of her in a TIKTOK video, “SHE WAS A YOUNG MOTHER,

Image via GoFundMe /.png

Nashira Anderson, Swindle’s sister, said her sibling’s favorite activities included basketball and jokes.

Webster will be remembered by his family and friends as a dedicated worker who struggled to keep up with both employment and school.

Image via Twitter / @ClaudineWgrz

The Buffalo Public School District said, “We certainly send our deepest condolences and sympathies to all the families and everyone impacted by this unfortunate and horrific tragedy,”

WGRZ reports that Kia issued a statement on the matter on Thursday.

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Police arrested alledged serial killer in Stockton, Calif.

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3 years ago

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October 16, 2022

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California, STOCKTON — Suspect in the shooting deaths of six men and the injury of a woman in Northern California was apprehended early Saturday morning as he drove around Stockton with a revolver, authorities said.

Five of the shootings took occurred in this city in the Central Valley, and police began following leads on the culprit around 2 a.m., according to Police Chief Stanley McFadden’s press conference.

Stockton resident Wesley Brownlee, 43, “was out hunting,” according to McFadden. Brownlee wore a mask and all black clothing.

He then stated, “We are sure we stopped another killing.”

For some time, it was unclear if Brownlee was represented by counsel. On Tuesday, he is scheduled to be formally charged with murder.

The black and gray weapon the guy was reportedly carrying was seen on police camera. A semiautomatic handgun made of what looked like plastic and rubber.

Between July 8 and September 27, five men were ambushed and shot dead in Stockton, and police had been seeking for a man in black who had been seen at multiple murder scenes. A car was parked, and four people were walking.

A man was killed in Oakland, 70 miles distant, in April 2021, and a week later, a homeless lady was injured in Stockton; police suspect the same individual was responsible for both attacks.

Ballistics testing and surveillance footage, according to investigators, proved the crimes were related.

A moment of silence was observed at the press conference in honor of the victims.

On April 10, 2021, Juan Vasquez Serrano, 39, was shot and murdered in Oakland; on April 16, 2021, Natasha LaTour, 46, was shot but survived in Stockton. Five men were slain in Stockton this year: 35-year-old Paul Yaw on July 8; 43-year-old Salvador Debudey Jr. on August 11; 21-year-old Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez on August 30; 52-year-old Juan Cruz on September 21; and 54-year-old Lawrence Lopez Sr. on September 27.

Brownlee has a criminal background, according to the police, and he is thought to have lived in other places in the Stockton area.

Hundreds of leads poured in when authorities announced the manhunt, and investigators were able to track down and keep a close eye on Brownlee’s residence.

With the help of information from the public and Stockton Crime Stoppers, police were able to narrow in on a likely culprit, as McFadden explained. “Our agents kept tabs on him as he drove around. We observed his behavior and realized he was on a killing spree first thing this morning.”

McFadden further mentioned that Brownlee was held because he had been seen going to parks and other dimly lit areas, stopping to look around, and then continuing on.

They were looking into the attacks to see if they could determine a reason for them. The police reported that some of the victims were homeless but not all. No one was hurt, and the one woman who made it out alive claimed her attacker was silent.

The police chief acknowledged the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.

Investigators in the area have teamed up with their counterparts in Chicago to look into the possibility of a connection between these slayings and two homicides that occurred in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood in 2018. A man in black with a peculiar walk was spotted on surveillance footage, according to the authorities.

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