BARDSTOWN, Ky. — Investigators have made a third arrest in connection to the death of Crystal Rogers.
Rogers, the missing mother of five from Bardstown, was last seen alive the Fourth of July weekend in 2015. Now, police are linking a third man to her death, citing an incident on that same weekend.
Court records show Steven Lawson has been indicted on two charges: conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence.
The charges stem from an incident over the Fourth of July weekend in 2015, when investigators say he acting alone, or with others, mutilated, concealed or destroy physical evidence and aided a person in the planning or commission of a crime causing the death of another person.
WHAS11 has since learned Steven has a son named Joseph Lawson -- that being said, WHAS11 cannot confirm if he is the same man who was arrested.
A Kentucky State Police detective executed a warrant on 32-year-old Joseph Lawson in August of 2023, two months after a grand jury indicted him on two charges.
Both Steven Lawson and Joseph Lawson are facing the same charges.
Steven Lawson in currently incarcerated in Indiana. His Nelson County arraignment has been scheduled for Dec. 21.
Who are the Lawsons?
Steven Lawson was mentioned in one of the very first police interviews between Nelson County Detective Jon Snow and the main suspect in Rogers' disappearance, Brooks Houck.
The interrogation took place inside the Nelson County Sheriff's Department. The detective had asked who was on the other end of the line, during a late-night phone call, on the night Rogers disappeared.
Snow: Who's Steve Lawson?
Houck: Steve Lawson works for me.
Houck told the detective he couldn’t remember why Steven had called him so late. Then he picked up his phone and called him from inside the interrogation room.
Houck: The other night you called me really, really late. I can’t remember what you were calling me about.
Steven Lawson told Houck he called him with a question about rental properties, which Houck replied he had to ask Crystal and would call her to ask and would call him back. Detective Snow had to think about that answer, and followed up with another question, regarding an earlier statement Houck had made.
Snow: So that begs the question in my mind- if she's in the truck next to you when she called, why would you need to call her?
Brooks Houck, Rogers’ former boyfriend, has also been arrested in this case. Houck is charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence, according to court documents. His bond is set at $10 million cash. He's also ordered to not have any contact with Roger's family.
Rogers disappeared on July 3, 2015. Her father, Tommy Ballard, later found her car along the Bluegrass Parkway. Inside he found her keys, cell phone and purse. Rogers has been presumed dead since October 2015.
There three upcoming court dates in this case. Steve Lawson is expected in court on December 21st. Joseph Lawson's next court date is January the 5th. Brooks Houck is scheduled to be in court on February the 8th.
This is a developing story. It will be updated as we learn more information.
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