In the late morning of September 28, 2006, Montgomery Police Officer Keith Edwin Houts, a 30-year-old male, conducted a seemingly routine traffic stop on North Decatur Street. A two-year veteran of the department and a U.S. Army Reserves veteran, Houts approached the gray Impala he had pulled over. As he reached the vehicle, he was met with sudden and brutal violence. The driver, Mario Dion Woodward, opened fire, striking Officer Houts in the head.
As Houts lay wounded on the ground, Woodward fired several more shots into his chest; however, these were stopped by his protective vest.
Following the shooting, Woodward fled the scene, initiating a manhunt that would cross state lines. The gravely injured Officer Houts was rushed to Jackson Hospital, where he fought for his life for two days. Despite the efforts of medical staff, he succumbed to his wounds on September 30, 2006. The community and his fellow officers were left to mourn the loss of a man described as having a good heart and soul.
The search for his killer culminated in the capture of Mario Dion Woodward in McDonough, Georgia, by the United States Marshals Service. He was swiftly extradited back to Montgomery to face justice. Woodward was charged with capital murder for the death of Officer Houts. His trial revealed a history of violence, including a prior manslaughter conviction. In 2008, a jury convicted Woodward of capital murder.
During the sentencing phase, the jury recommended a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole by a vote of 8 to 4, taking into account mitigating factors such as a troubled childhood. However, in a move that drew public attention and legal debate, the presiding judge overrode the jury's recommendation and imposed the death penalty. This decision was later a subject of criticism by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who raised concerns about the influence of electoral pressures on judicial sentencing in capital cases. Despite appeals, including one to the U.S. Supreme Court that was declined, Woodward's conviction and death sentence have been upheld by higher courts.
