BARDSTOWN, Ky. (LEX 18) — On July 5, nine years ago, Crystal Rogers’ car mysteriously ended up abandoned on the Bluegrass Parkway.
Her purse and cell phone were inside, but Crystal was nowhere to be found and hadn’t been seen in two days.
Crystal’s mom filed a missing persons report, never imagining that the next nine years would be consumed by an investigation into her daughter’s disappearance.
After nine years, Crystal’s case has garnered the most movement in the last nine months.
In August, the first arrest was finally made when Joseph Lawson was charged in connection to Crystal’s murder.
A month later, the FBI and Kentucky State Police arrested prime suspect Crystal’s boyfriend, Brooks Houck, charging him with murder and tampering with physical evidence.
Not long after, the FBI and KSP dug up a property in Nelson County, confirmed by the Circuit Court as a possible location for Crystal’s body.
Finally, a third arrest came in December. Joseph Lawson’s dad, Steven Lawson, was arrested and charged in connection to Crystal’s murder.
So far this year, the suspects have appeared in court on several occasions. At times, they’ve individually requested that their bonds be lowered, their cases be moved out of Nelson County, and they be tried separately.
For now, the trial is scheduled for February 2025, likely outside of Nelson County, but to be determined.
On Monday, Brooks Houck will return to court for a hearing on the motion to be tried separately from the Lawsons.
