BARDSTOWN, Ky. — This year will mark nine years since Crystal Rogers was first reported missing. For the first time since her disappearance, the Ballard family is entering a new year with new hope.
Three men were arrested in the case at the end of 2023, including Rogers’ boyfriend Brooks Houck. He is charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection to events that happened on the Fourth of July weekend in 2015, the same week Rogers was last seen alive.
The other two men arrested and charged were Joseph Lawson and his father Steve Lawson, a former employee of Houck.
On Thursday, all three will appear in court on the same day for the first time at 1 p.m. in Nelson County Circuit Court.
Although the hearings can't be livestreamed, WHAS11 will be in the courtroom providing live updates on Thursday.
Brooks Houck
Houck’s court appearance is scheduled as a pretrial hearing.
Attorneys are expected to discuss the sharing of evidence, which we know to include thousands of documents, hours of police interviews and possible evidence from previous searches.
During his first court hearing, Houck’s attorney, Brian Butler, suggested his team would not be ready for trial until 2025 due to the sheer volume of discovery.
The attorneys and judge are expected to discuss a trial date and possibly submit a motion for a change in venue. Butler also mentioned the desire to move Houck’s trial to another county, where he would be granted a fair trial.
Houck is currently being held at the Oldham County Detention Center and will be transferred to Nelson County Circuit Court to appear before the judge in person.
Steve Lawson
Steve Lawson’s court appearance is scheduled as a "fast track" review.
It’s still unclear what exactly this could mean for his case, but historically when a case is deemed to be "fast tracked," it means the defendant requests to bypass the pre-trial phase and schedule a trial date sometimes as quickly as three months out.
Lawson’s attorney, Ted Lavit, insists his client has been promised transactional immunity, in exchange for information regarding Rogers’ death.
Lawson is currently being held in the Nelson County Correctional Center. He will be brought from the jail to the court room ahead of the hearing.
Joseph Lawson
Joseph Lawson’s court date is scheduled as a pre-trial hearing, in which the attorneys are expected to argue for a lower bond. Right now, Lawson is being held on $500,000 bond.
According to court documents, filed by his attorney Kevin Coleman, Lawson is a paraplegic who is “not a danger to the community or himself.” Coleman is asking for a bond reduction to $50,000 with medical releases and GPS monitoring.
Lawson is currently being held at the Kentucky State Reformatory in Oldham County. His attorney has requested he be transferred to Nelson County to appear in person for his court date.
The court hearings are all scheduled for 1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8 in Nelson County Circuit Court.
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