Jonathan Guthrie Houston, 44, is charged with first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping in connection with the death of his wife, 37-year-old Aunika Houston, at a hotel in Kingdom City, Missouri.
Authorities say the killing happened at the Baymont Inn and Suites on Jade Road in late 2025. The case came to light Sunday after one of Houston’s seven children made a quiet 911 call asking for help.
According to court documents, the child told the dispatcher that Houston had been holding the children and abusing them for years. Deputies traced the call to the hotel, where they found Houston and the seven children.
During the initial investigation, one of the children privately alerted a deputy and disclosed that her mother had been killed.
Investigators later interviewed the children separately. Their accounts led authorities to allege that Houston had strangled Aunika Houston while several of the children were present. Court records say he directed some of them to assist during the attack and used loud music in an effort to prevent others from hearing what was happening.
The children also told investigators that Houston had previously talked about killing their mother. Authorities allege the killing was planned and that Houston later disposed of her body in a dumpster at the hotel.
Houston allegedly gave investigators an account that was consistent with key portions of what his children had described. According to the charging documents, he acknowledged that he had told the children beforehand that he intended to kill his wife and admitted to stopping her when she tried to leave.
The victim was not reported missing before the investigation began, according to authorities.
The sheriff’s office has since identified the victim as Aunika Houston. She was originally from California and had lived in the Mid-Missouri area for several years. She and Houston had been married for 17 years.
Investigators have said they believe Houston’s concern about losing his children may have been a motive for the killing. The charging documents also state that he previously worked as a probation and parole officer and as a state corrections officer.
The investigation is continuing, and authorities say Houston is also being investigated in connection with allegations involving sexual assault and assaults against other people.
The seven children have been placed in protective custody.
Houston remains at the Callaway County Jail without bond as the case moves through the court system. He has been formally charged, but the allegations against him have not been proven in court.
