BARDSTOWN, Ky. — A week after the attorneys and prosecutors in the Crystal Rogers case agreed to move the trial to Christian County in southwest Kentucky, another new development has occurred.
RELATED: Attorneys, prosecutor in Crystal Rogers case agree to move trial 150 miles away from Bardstown
The Nelson Circuit Court Clerk has received a copy of a certified video recording of the July 9, 2015 episode of Nancy Grace on a flash drive, according to new court documents released Thursday.
However, the documents say it can only be used in legal proceedings against Rogers' boyfriend Brooks Houck -- not father-son duo Steve Lawson or Joseph Lawson.
Rogers, a Bardstown mother-of-five, was reported missing over the Fourth of July weekend in 2015. She has been presumed dead for nearly nine years.
In the episode, Grace asks Houck why he didn't report Rogers missing when he realized she was gone.
"...I was not in the least little bit alarmed in any way, shape or form," Houck said. "We have had a stressed relationship at times. And one of the ways that Crystal has always chose to cope or deal with that is by going to -- a young woman's name, Sabrina, that is her cousin, her dad's brother's daughter, whom she is very close to. She spent the night there on several occasions."
Rogers' parents, Sherry and Tommy Ballard, were also on the episode. Grace asked them if they knew who Sabrina was and Tommy confirmed that was his niece. Grace asked them if they knew that Rogers would go there and spend the night when she was having an issue at home, and Tommy said he knew of one time.
Grace then grills Houck on why he went to the Fourth of July get-together that his family was having when he didn't know where Rogers was.
"I had put in a phone call that morning and then around lunch, and usually the maximum period of time that she has stayed gone has only been like a day to a day and a half, at the most," Houck said. "And as a result of that, I thought that she would join us."
He said he didn't call Rogers while he was at the Fourth of July get-together, but he called her before he left for the party.
Grace said that some people had accused Houck of "not being involved enough in the search efforts." She asked what he thought of that.
"That is a great question and one I certainly appreciate you asking me," Houck said. "And that is, all of my effort in searching for her has been done behind the scenes with the Nelson County Sheriff`s Office. Detective Snow who is leading the investigation and Jason Allison who is a deputy there assisting him along with the Kentucky State Police Agency Post Number 12," Houck said.
Grace brought up the polygraph test and asked if Houck passed. He said it was ruled as "inconclusive" and he "wasn't exactly sure what that means."
"I have been 100% completely honest with everyone. I have been 100% cooperative in everything that has been asked of me. I have not asked for any kind of legal advice or assistance or an attorney of any nature. I'm 100% completely innocent in this. And I have exhausted my efforts with the law enforcement agencies to gather all the facts necessary to allow me to have a clean name again. That's very important to me," Houck said. "I have not responded to a lot of the negativity and all of this animosity because I want the emphasis to remain on Crystal's safe return home. And that's where I want it to stay focused in that area rather than dealing with any of the animosity between the families."
Houck is charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence in her case. Joseph and Steven are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence.
The trial is scheduled to begin in February 2025.
To read the full transcript of the episode, please click here.
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