NELSON COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — A new podcast is diving deep into the disappearance of Crystal Rogers, as well as four unsolved murders that happened in Bardstown between 2013 and 2016.
"They know the story of my family," said Sherry Ballard, the mother of Crystal Rogers. "And I hate to call it a story. It's my life. It's not a story. But I don't know how else to word that."
It is a story that Sherry Ballard began telling four years ago alongside her husband Tommy, as they searched for their missing daughter. Now, Sherry continues the story alone. In 2014, Tommy was gunned down while hunting on family property. His is one of the four unsolved murders in Bardstown.
The other cases the new podcast, "Bardstown," will be looking into include the murder of Officer Jason Ellis in 2013, and the double murder of Kathy Netherland and her teenage daughter Samantha in 2014.
"I never dreamed this town would see this many murders. And with them all being unsolved, that just is unbelievable to me, that this many murders in this town have gone unsolved," said Sherry.
The mother of five was last seen on July 3, 2015 at her home. Crystal Roger's car was found abandoned on the Bluegrass Parkway. It had a flat tire, and some of Crystal's belongings were found inside.
Sherry told LEX 18's Conroy Delouche that sometimes, being interviewed is torture, causing her to relive her worst days. The grieving mother says that she will continue to talk, in hopes that one day the conversations move into a courtroom and lead to justice for her family.
"I can promise I'm not gonna go anywhere. I'm gonna keep doing this until I find my daughter," said Sherry.
The new podcast, "Bardstown," will launch August 28. It is from TEGNA's Vault Studios.
Crystal Rogers' then-boyfriend Brooks Houck was the only suspect named by law enforcement in the investigation of her disappearance. In October 2015, LEX 18 reported that a document showed Brooks' brother, Nick Houck, was fired as a Bardstown Police Officer for allegedly interfering with the case. The paperwork states that on July 8, Nick called Brooks to warn him that detectives were planning to interview him about Crystal.
"Nick Houck's actions have drawn our attention in his inability to remember what he's done on certain occasions," then Nelson County Sheriff Ed Mattingly said in October 2015. The sheriff went on to say that he believes Nick Houck "has knowledge of what has happened."
Later in October, LEX 18 reported that videos had showed detectives interviewing the brothers. In the video, investigators asked Nick if Brooks killed Crystal Rogers, and if he helped Brooks move Crystal's body, telling the former cop that they found bodily fluids in his cruiser.
On August 20, 2019, the Nelson County Sheriff told LEX 18's Conroy Delouche that Brooks Houck is still a person of interest in the disappearance of Crystal Rogers. He told Delouche that they will have another update on the Crystal Rogers case by the end of this month.
The other cases are being handled by Kentucky State Police.
If you have any information that can help the investigation, please contact the Nelson County Sheriff's Office at (502) 348-3211.
