BARDSTOWN, Ky. (LEX 18) — A private investigator who volunteered to assist in the search for answers in the disappearance of Crystal Rogers is sharing her thoughts on the latest arrests in the case.
Heather Cohen, a Tennessee-based private investigator, formerly assisted Sherry Ballard, Rogers' mother, in looking for evidence that would lead to closure in her daughter's case.
Cohen had been traveling in Bardstown shortly after the death of Rogers' father, Tommy Ballard, in late 2016.
"I said, 'We need to get in contact with the family. I want to volunteer,'" Cohen said.
It was then Cohen developed a relationship with the Ballard family and began looking for answers.
For years, Cohen and her assistant and researcher, Tracey Ellis, began losing hope.
In early September, the arrest of 32-year-old Joseph Lawson for conspiracy to commit murder reignited their belief that justice could be served for Rogers.
On Wednesday, the FBI announced Brooks Houck, Rogers' boyfriend at the time of her disappearance and longtime suspect in the case, had been arrested and charged with Rogers' murder and tampering with physical evidence.
"Tracey had messaged me and was like 'Is this real?' And then we confirmed it and at that point, for me at least, it was just tears of joy," Cohen said of the news.
Cohen and Ellis have other names they believe will be in line to face charges in the case.
"I think that we will have, maybe not all the pieces, but I think that once the dominoes start falling that there are going to be a lot of people coming forward to help put the pieces together," she said.
Cohen now serves as an advocate for families, including the Ballards, as they search for answers about the disappearances of loved ones.
She hopes to see justice served for Rogers and her family in the near future.
