BARDSTOWN, Ky. — A Nelson County judge has chosen where the three men charged in Crystal Rogers' death will be tried next year.
Rogers' ex-boyfriend, Brooks Houck, was charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence years after her 2015 disappearance. Two other men, Joseph and Steve Lawson, are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence in the Bardstown mother's death.
At a hearing on Friday, Judge Charles Simms said the trial location had narrowed down to two counties: Warren or Christian Counties.
Attorneys had previously agreed on moving the trial to Christian County, but attorneys told WHAS11 Simms was not convinced it was the right space after an in-person visit earlier this summer.
On Monday, Simms ruled the trial for all three suspects would move 100 miles south of Bardstown to Warren County.
The trial is expected to begin next February, however it's still unclear if all three suspects will be tried together.
Steve Lawson's new attorneys said the trial may also be delayed as they get caught up on the massive amounts of discovery in the case.
Why was Crystal Rogers murder trial moved out of Bardstown?
Back in March, attorneys and prosecutors both agreed the trial in Crystal Rogers death should be moved out of Nelson County.
One of the primary reasons for the change in venue is media coverage of the Crystal Rogers case. The case has been heavily covered by Louisville and Lexington media, and has even been covered on a national level.
Simms requested attorneys find a courtroom large enough for public viewing and one with a separate entrance for jurors.
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