Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Search continues for slain woman Date: Sat, 31 Oct 92 14:00:15 EST Message-ID: \SE A;METROPOLITAN \HD Search continues for slain woman \BY Darlene DePass \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES The search for Laura Houghteling's body continued yesterday, as police drained a pond near her Bethesda home and combed the woods with dogs. Montgomery County police also announced yesterday that the FBI has joined the case but that, as of yesterday, "there's nothing new." "We're continuing the search," said Sgt. Harry Geehreng, a county police spokesman. "We're still pretty much limited to the immediate area." Miss Houghteling, 23, was reported missing Oct. 19 after she failed to show up for work. She was last heard from at 10 p.m. Oct. 18, when she spoke by phone to a co-worker at Holman Communications. Nothing in the house was out of place except for an open back door, a missing bottom bedsheet, pillow and mattress cover from Miss Houghteling's bed and two house keys, said her mother, Penny. The area had been completely cleaned and no blood stains were visible, but police tests with a special chemical under ultraviolet light showed a "sufficient quantity of blood to indicate the strong possibility of foul play," Sgt. Geehreng said. Police changed it from a missing person to a homicide case Oct. 23, the same day they found clothing, a bloody pillow and pillowcase in woods near the Houghteling home. They would not say if the clothes belonged to Miss Houghteling. "Some clothes were found but we're not going into a description, nor can we say there's any link to the woman's disappearance," Sgt. Geehreng said. Police said they released a homeless man who had been questioned in connection with the disappearance. His truck and makeshift campsite were searched but no clues were found. There are other suspects but police would not comment further. The pond authorities were draining last night is near the area where police found the clothing and bed linens. Nothing had been found in the pond as of last night, however. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM