BARDSTOWN, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Nelson Circuit Court has denied Steven Lawson's motion to continue the trial date for DNA testing on hairs recovered from Crystal Rogers' abandoned vehicle based on several factors, according to new court documents.
According to court documents, in March 2025, the commonwealth filed a motion to order testing of the hairs for the purpose of obtaining a DNA profile.
A court document then states, "On April 2, 2025, Lawson filed his response to the above motion. In doing so, Lawson objected to said motion and requested the following relief: (1) an opportunity to evaluate whether the two hairs are candidates for CODIS profiling, (2) to express his preference for CODIS profiling over mitochondrial DNA testing, and (3) that if the sample was going to be consumed, Lawson wanted his expert present for the DNA testing."
"Lawson also filed a motion to continue the trail date based upon his request for DNA analysis," the documents further read.
The court denied the request based on several factors. One factor is that the identification of the hair's owner would not exclude Lawson's alleged involvement.
The court says that Lawson has already testified about helping Brooks Houck move Rogers' vehicle and drive his son, Joseph Lawson, to get the vehicle, along with picking his son up from the Bluegrass Parkway, retrieving a Louisville Slugger baseball bat from the vehicle, calling Houck about the vehicle being moved and being instructed by Houck to lie about a conversation they had.
According to the document, the court determined that the hair evidence has "minimal exclusionary value" and that the court, "believes that Lawson is simply attempting to further delay this proceeding."
