Woodward was tried twice in the case in the 1990s, but the prosecution was dismissed “for insufficient evidence,” the DA’s office said. Woodward then moved to Holland.
Houts’ body was found, with a rope around her neck, in her car in September 1992, about a mile from her workplace in Mountain View, California. The 25-year-old software engineer’s footprints were found on the inside of her windshield, a sign of a struggle, the DA’s office said.
Investigators said Woodward had developed feelings for his roommate, Houch’s friend, and was jealous of their relationship.
Last year, the Santa Clara County Crime Lab and the Mountain View Police Department used new advances in forensic science to link Woodward to the rope around Houts’ neck, investigators said.”The biggest obstacle… “Col. of Mountain View Police. David Fisher told CNN affiliate KGO. “Since then, those developments have really given the DA the ability to file charges here.”
“I want Ms. Houch’s family and friends to know that we never gave up on her. Neither time nor distance will stop us from learning the truth and seeking justice,” said District Attorney Jeff Rosen.
“My first reaction was ‘Yes! ‘Yes!’ And then you get off of it, you go, ‘He’s not coming home,’” Hoots’ sister Cindy told KGO.
Woodward is being held without bail in New York pending extradition. He is expected to stand trial once he returns to California. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison, according to the DA’s office.
It’s unclear if Woodward has an attorney.
ReadyTech called Woodward’s arrest “horror for all of us,” in a statement issued Tuesday.
“We have the utmost sympathy for the families involved,” he said. “ReadyTech will leverage the strength of our long-standing leadership team to support our employees, our customers and our business during this time.”
