John Kevin Woodward was charged with murder for the third time last year after new evidence was discovered in the 1992 killing of Laurie Houts. Woodward, a 59-year-old tech executive, is accused of killing 25-year-old Houts in Mountain View back in 1992 after she left work at Adobe Systems. However, a judge says she’s dismissing the case, citing double jeopardy, which has left the Houts family in disbelief.
The case against Woodward has been tried twice before and both ended in a mistrial. The judge says trying this case again is double jeopardy, but Houts' family says they’ll keep fighting for justice. "If this judge can make this decision on our case, then all cold cases going forward where DNA evidence has been found later on, after decades of families waiting, then their cases are in jeopardy also," Reiss said.
"We are appealing the judge’s decision because we want the defendant held accountable for murder," Rosen said.