Spring Hill, FL: Co-workers of slain SPC professor speak fondly of her

SPRING HILL --
A 61-year-old Spring Hill man has been charged with murder after he called 911 and told a dispatcher he shot and killed his wife.

Alan Osterhoudt Jr. was being held at the Hernando County Detention Center without bail for the alleged murder of Maria Osterhoudt, whom deputies found dead at the couple's home on the 7100 block of Raymond Place in Spring Hill.

Maria Osterhoudt was a professor at St. Petersburg College. She taught computer science at the Tarpon Springs campus, had a Ph.D degree and loved the piano.

Her co-workers spoke fondly of Osterhoudt on Monday.

"We were so looking forward to her embracing her next step of her life, which she was going to retire July 1,'' said Ourania Stephanides, SPC Professor of Mathematics. "And she’s so creative and so energetic, we could could only anticipate what that part of her life was going to be. And now it’s not going to so we’re all kind of stunned by that."

Hernando County Sheriff's Office said Osterhoudt called 911 late Saturday and told the dispatcher he had shot and killed his wife after an argument. He said he'd done "the most heinous thing" he has ever done in his life and that he would be awaiting deputies outside the residence.

Responding deputies took the man into custody.

Neighbor Elissha Schultz said there was no indication the couple had problems. "He came at about 3 every day," she said. "He went and got his mail, went home. I mean, it didn't seem like there were any problems."

Another neighbor, Jason Goldstein, also expressed surprise. "I mean, you would think if somebody did something like that, the first instinct would be to run," Goldstein said. "And here he was, sitting there waiting for the police."