John Woodward released in deadly love triangle for 3rd time

A tech CEO who was arrested at JFK Airport last year in connection with the alleged strangling of his roommate’s girlfriend Laurie Houts in 1992 has been released for a third time.

A judge in Santa Clara County, Calif. last week dismissed the charges in a deadly, 30-year-old love triangle that allegedly involved 59-year-old John Woodward, citing double jeopardy, according to KTVU.

The CEO of ReadyTech, an online training company, had been tried twice for the crime in the 90s, but both trials ended with a hung jury, and the case was dismissed due to a lack of evidence.

Woodward then moved to the Netherlands to enjoy his freedom.

But in 2021, new developments in forensic testing linked his DNA to the rope used as the murder weapon.

He was arrested at Kennedy Airport in New York City after flying back to the US last summer.

Woodward was accused of using the rope to strangle 25-year-old Houts in her car after she left her job at Adobe Systems in Mountain View.

Woodward’s fingerprints had been found on the side of the car in the 90s.

Prosecutors alleged the tech CEO was openly jealous of her relationship with his roommate and had no alibi.

Prosecutors announced they would fight Judge Shella Deen’s decision to dismiss the charges.

“We are appealing the judge’s decision because we want the defendant held accountable for murder,” Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen reportedly said in a statement. 

The woman’s friends and family told the Bay Area Fox affiliate they will continue to fight for justice in the case.

“The appeals process is how you actually change the system, and that’s really what needs to happen,” Houts’ sister Cindy Levers said. “So we’re going to fight with this appeals process and hopefully get some justice.”

“We were disappointed that we couldn’t be in the courtroom, and she couldn’t say it to our faces when the decision came down. It all came through emails,” Houts’ friend Marilyn Reiss told the station.

“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.  

“There are a lot of us that love Laurie, that will remember and continue to plug on and give this case the light of day until justice is served for Laurie.”

Woodward did not immediately return a request for comment from The Post.