Crime & Safety
Man Accused of Killing Novato Woman was Hothead, Acquaintances Say
Prosecutors say Rodney Hill repeatedly stabbed Novato resident Catherine Houghton in a hotel lobby in Littleton, N.H., in what officials have called a random attack.
In the wake of the stabbing death of a Novato woman, neighbors of the accused killer are describing him as having a short temper, according to an Associated Press story.
Police say it is unknown what motivated the attack on Catherine "Kitty" Houghton on Monday night at the Hampton Inn in Littleton, N.H. Prosecutors say the suspect, Rodney Hill of Vermont, and Houghton were strangers who happened to be registered at the same hotel.
Houghton, 70, lived in the Indian Valley area of Novato and served on the board of the Indian Valley Associates, a homeowners group. She also served on the board and sang for the choral organization SingersMarin.
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The AP story said Houghton was a trustee at a small New Hampshire private school from which she graduated in 1960 and was a retired business counselor with the U.S. Foreign Service.
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Attached are some TV reports from New Hampshire.
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