DNA Evidence Leads to Arrest Nearly 40 Years After Woman Was Found Murdered
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND — September 23, 2026

Nearly 40 years after a 23-year-old woman was found shot to death in a Baltimore park, authorities have charged a 67-year-old man with her murder after DNA evidence linked him to the case.

David Alexander Williams has been charged with first-degree murder and related offenses in connection with the death of Teresa Ann Houck, according to the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office.

Woman Found Dead in Park in 1986
Houck was found dead in a grassy area of Druid Hill Park on October 22, 1986.

Authorities said she had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to her head, neck and chest. She was found partially undressed, and investigators later recovered forensic evidence indicating an apparent sexual assault.

Investigators learned that Houck had worked as a dancer at the Pussycat Club in Baltimore. Coworkers and acquaintances told police she left the club at around 2 a.m. on the morning of her death and was never seen alive again.

Her vehicle was later found in a parking lot several miles away, leading investigators to believe she had been taken to the park by another means.

DNA Evidence Preserved for Decades
The breakthrough came from biological evidence collected during Houck’s autopsy.

In 2005, scientists identified sperm cells from vaginal swabs collected from Houck and developed a male DNA profile. The profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a database used by law enforcement to compare DNA evidence with profiles from other investigations.

For years, the evidence produced no known suspect.

Then, in September 2025, a routine search of Maryland’s DNA database produced a high-stringency match involving Williams, according to prosecutors.

Investigators later obtained another DNA sample from Williams. Baltimore’s police crime laboratory determined that he was the sole contributor of the sperm DNA recovered from Houck during her 1986 autopsy.

Suspect Already Serving Life Sentence
Williams was not living freely when investigators connected him to the decades-old case.

Earlier in 2026, he was convicted of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of his wife, Lillian Williams, in Harford County in 2025. He received a life sentence and remains incarcerated.

Williams has denied involvement in Houck’s death. Court records indicate that he told investigators he had never had sexual intercourse with a white woman and was not in Maryland in 1986.

The new case means Williams is now facing murder charges in connection with a second death.

Nearly Four Decades Without an Answer
Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said the case demonstrates how forensic technology can give investigators new leads even decades after a crime.

The investigation into Houck’s death remained open for nearly four decades before the DNA match identified Williams as a suspect.

Williams is presumed innocent of the 1986 charges unless and until he is proven guilty in court.

Sources: Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office; CBS News Baltimore; The Baltimore Banner.