TRIAL DAY 8: Thursday, July 3
UPDATE: July 3 at 4:45 p.m.
The defense in the high-profile murder trial of Crystal Rogers rested its case today, emphasizing that despite extensive searches, no physical evidence links the defendants to her murder.
Brooks Houck and Steven Lawson face prison time if convicted in the disappearance of Rogers, a mother of five.
The defense's final witness, a former Louisville homicide detective who reviewed most of the case files, testified that law enforcement conducted thorough searches for Rogers using drones, K-9s, ground-penetrating radar, and even excavated a driveway at a home Houck built.
"All that searching led to no information or evidence associated with Crystal Rogers," the defense argued.
During cross-examination, lead prosecutor Shane Young asked the witness if he agreed that not all crime scenes contain bodily fluids. The witness confirmed this was true.
Young then questioned whether someone with enough planning time could commit a murder without leaving trace evidence. "It's possible," the witness answered.
The prosecutor continued, asking if someone could poison, suffocate or strangle a person and leave no evidence without a body. The witness responded, "Yes."
The jury showed particular interest in evidence preservation, asking how rain and snow affect trace evidence. The witness explained that "DNA can fall apart" under such conditions.
In another revealing question, jurors asked how fire affects blood trace evidence. The witness noted that teeth could still be found even after a fire.
These pointed questions from the jury could provide insight into their thinking as the trial moves toward conclusion in Bowling Green.
Original Story:
Today marks 10 years since Crystal Rogers vanished without a trace in Bardstown, Kentucky. As the anniversary of her disappearance arrives, her ex-boyfriend, Brooks Houck, sits in a courtroom while his defense team fights for his freedom, along with co-defendant Joseph Lawson.
Thursday morning, the defense called a psychologist to testify about memory and the reliability of eyewitnesses, attempting to undermine prosecution witnesses who claimed they saw Rogers' car on the Bluegrass Parkway the night she disappeared.
Defense attorneys also challenged testimony about a white car reportedly seen parked on a road near the Houck farm the night Rogers vanished. That vehicle was later identified as belonging to Houck's grandmother.
A significant focus of the defense strategy involves questioning police tactics, suggesting officers coerced witnesses into giving false statements. They specifically targeted testimony from Charlie Girdley, a former Houck employee, who claimed Houck and Steven Lawson asked him to move Rogers' car.
The defense also challenged Heather Snellen's testimony that she overheard Joseph Lawson and Steven Lawson discussing moving a body on the Houck farm with a skid-steer.
So far, the defense has not called any witnesses to corroborate Houck's alibi for July 3 into July 4, 2015, when Rogers disappeared. Instead, they've relied on expert testimony aimed at undermining the credibility of the prosecution's witnesses. The defense is expected to conclude their case today.
TRIAL DAY 7: Wednesday, July 2
UPDATE: July 2 at 6 p.m.
The jury in the Crystal Rogers murder trial heard from multiple defense witnesses today as attorneys for Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson attempted to create reasonable doubt about their clients' involvement in Rogers' death and disappearance.
Joseph Lawson's attorney told the jury that Lawson is "collateral damage" for the Commonwealth, claiming prosecutors did whatever they had to do to prosecute Brooks Houck.
Throughout the day, Houck's attorneys called witness after witness to try and poke holes in the prosecution's case. The state claims Houck hired Joseph and Steven Lawson to help him get rid of Crystal Rogers and her car, which was found on the Bluegrass Parkway.
Houck's attorney presented a K9 expert to discredit testimony from the Commonwealth's K9 trainer, who stated yesterday that his dog detected the scent of human remains from a car once owned by Houck's grandmother. The defense attempted to portray the state's expert as an amateur and his dog as unreliable.
During cross-examination, the prosecution pointed out that the defense paid their expert $10,000 to testify.
Later, the defense called a computer science expert, a University of Louisville professor, who contradicted the state's digital forensics expert's testimony that Steve Lawson's phone pinged on the Bluegrass Parkway the night of July 3 and after midnight on July 4, when Rogers vanished.
The defense expert testified that data showed Lawson was on another road that runs parallel to the Bluegrass Parkway.
During cross-examination, lead prosecutor Shane Young asked the professor how much he was paid to testify. $10,000, the witness told the court.
"Oh, that must be the going rate," Young quipped.
Things intensified when Brooks Houck's sister Rhonda took the stand. She's helping to raise Rogers and Houck's son and testified that he has an eye condition that makes his eyes sensitive to sunlight.
The prosecution previously pointed out that Houck got the windows tinted on his truck not long before Crystal vanished. The state believes he did this so no one could see inside his truck and notice that Crystal didn't return home from the farm with him and their son on the night of July 3.
Of all the witnesses, the jury had the most questions for Rhonda – six total, though only four were allowed to be asked.
The judge read them, including "Are the windows on your vehicle tinted?"
She answered yes. The jury then asked if Crystal's windows were tinted, and she also said yes.
Rhonda McIllvoy testified about why she, her mother, brother and others secretly recorded their grand jury testimony, which is illegal. She said she wanted to have "proof of what I did and didn't say" because she was paranoid from all the public scrutiny.
She also discussed how early in the investigation, police and the public accused the Houck family of being involved in Crystal's disappearance.
The defense is expected to wrap up its case tomorrow, with both sides potentially giving closing arguments on Monday. The jury could receive the case early next week.
Original Story:
Defense attorneys for Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson began presenting their case to the jury in Bowling Green, where both men are accused in the death of Crystal Rogers.
Joseph Lawson's attorney told the jury during opening statements that his client is not guilty. The attorney claimed there was no agreement to move a body or car, referring to Crystal Rogers and her vehicle.
Lawson's attorney emphasized there's no forensic evidence, no DNA, and no trace evidence linking his client to the crime. Lawson and his father, Steven Lawson, are accused of helping Brooks Houck move Crystal's car the night she vanished, and prosecutors believe they helped dispose of her body, which has never been found.
At Steven Lawson's trial, where he was convicted of the crime, he admitted to picking his son up on the Bluegrass Parkway the night they abandoned Crystal's car. However, this jury won't hear that testimony as it's not admissible because Steven Lawson isn't testifying.
Brooks Houck's attorneys called their first witness, a K-9 trainer, who disputed the findings of the prosecution's K-9 expert. The prosecution's expert had testified that his dog detected the scent of human remains in a car once owned by Brooks Houck's grandmother. Heath Farley testified that "dual-trained dogs" like the one mentioned by the prosecution often make mistakes detecting a live person versus human remains.
"Dual-trained dogs like the one mentioned yesterday often make mistakes detecting a live person versus human remains," Farley said.
During cross-examination, the prosecution asked if it was typical for dogs to be dual or cross-trained, and Farley confirmed this was standard practice. When asked if he was claiming it's impossible for dogs to detect human remains, Farley answered no.
Houck's attorneys also called one of three coon hunters who were near the Houck family farm the night Crystal vanished. Earlier this week, two of the hunters testified they saw a white Buick that seemed to be parked out of place on a gravel road near the Houcks' farm that night. Prosecutors believe that the car was the Houcks' grandmother's car, which likely had Crystal's body in the trunk.
The third hunter, testifying for the defense, stated he didn't see a white car that night, contradicting what the other two hunters said.
TRIAL DAY 6: Tuesday, July 1
Update: July 1 at 4 p.m.
The prosecution wrapped up its case against Brooks Houck on Tuesday, presenting evidence they say shows he planned the murder of Crystal Rogers with help from Joseph Lawson and his father.
In court, witness testimony contradicted Houck's account of his activities on the day Crystal Rogers disappeared.
A digital forensic expert who analyzed Rogers' phone told the jury about activity found on her device. Prosecutors believe Rogers was killed on July 3, 2015, at the Houck family farm, contradicting Houck's claim that they all returned home that night.
The expert testified that games and Facebook activity appeared on Rogers' phone from just after 7:30 p.m. until right before 9 p.m. The phone lost power at 9:23 p.m.
The device turned on again at 11:57 p.m. and seconds later was "manually" shut down, requiring someone to physically power it off. Prosecutors believe Rogers was already dead by this time.
Steven Lawson's mother testified that Joseph Lawson told her his father killed Crystal Rogers.
Rebecca Greer, Steven Lawson's ex-wife, testified she overheard a conversation between Joseph Lawson and her daughter about being paid $50,000 to move a car.
"If you need details - ask Steve," Joseph Lawson reportedly told her when questioned about the conversation.
The prosecution's last witness was a bookkeeper, Brooks Wicker, who testified that he met with Houck about a week before Rogers disappeared. Houck, Wicker told the court, was looking for someone to handle the bookkeeping and tax work for his rental properties, which Crystal already did.
The defense for both Houck and Lawson filed motions for a directed verdict of an acquittal. Houck's attorney, Brian Butler, argued that since there is no body, no crime scene or no physical evidence, there is no proof of homicide.
Judge Charles Simms denied that motion, saying that there was proof of death.
"The court believes it would be reasonable for a jury to find that (Crystal Rogers) is deceased in this case," Simms said.
The prosecution presented nearly 40 witnesses during their case. The defense will begin calling witnesses Wednesday morning.
Original Story:
Evidence presented in court on Monday revealed that a hair similar to Crystal Rogers' was found in the trunk. According to the prosecution, the car was spotted near the Houck family farm the night Crystal Rogers vanished on July 3, 2015.
The Commonwealth alleged on Tuesday that Nick Houck and his grandmother took to a Louisville dealership to sell it about nine months later, when police were trying to determine who owned the vehicle.
Benjamin testified that a detective brought him and his dog to the car lot in May 2016 to search the area. He said he was given no information about what to look for.
"He said 10 vehicles were on the lot... and that Ranger hit on Houck's grandmother's car...and other red car parked next to it... but then said the dog alerted him to the scent of human remains in the back rear passenger side of the white Buick," Benjamin said.
The prosecution is attempting to prove that Crystal's body was likely in the back of that car the night she disappeared.
The defense countered by pointing out that the dog is "cross-trained" to find both living and deceased people. They also got the K-9 handler to acknowledge that only 20 percent of the dog's 300 searches involved human remains detection.
TRIAL DAY 5: Monday, June 30
UPDATE: 6 p.m.
A detective testified in court today that a hair found in a car owned by Brooks Houck's grandmother matched Crystal Rogers' profile, marking a significant development in the case of the missing woman.
Two men testified they were coon hunting near the Houck family farm on the night of July 3, 2015 - the night prosecutors believe Rogers was killed at the farm.
The hunters told the court they saw a white Buick parked on a random road where they were participating in a hunting competition with their coon hounds. They said the car didn't belong to anyone in their party and thought it was odd to be parked there late at night around 10:30 p.m. on a rainy night with bad weather.
Days later, after hearing about Rogers' disappearance, they notified police.
For months, no one knew who the car belonged to. On April 28, 2016, Rogers' father Tommy Ballard put out a Facebook post asking for information about the car and its owners.
A detective with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department testified that police received a tip and confirmed the car belonged to Nick and Brooks Houck's grandmother, Anna Whiteside.
The detective testified that on May 2 - just days after Ballard's Facebook post - they learned the car had been sold to a dealership in Louisville.
Police said they found a hair on the left side of the trunk. The detective testified that tests showed it matched Rogers' hair profile and did not match the grandmother's hair.
As that testimony was presented in court, Rogers' sister left the courtroom crying, and her mother, Sherry, was seen consoling her in the hallway.
This is the first evidence presented of any sign of Rogers' whereabouts the night she vanished.
In earlier testimony, construction worker Charlie Girdley testified that Steven Lawson said Brooks wanted to "get rid of his old lady." Girdley also claimed Joseph Lawson told him if they buried Rogers with a skid-steer, nobody could find her. It wasn't clear in court when that comment was made.
The defense challenged Girdley's credibility, saying he changed his story multiple times with police after police and the lead prosecutor "promised to help him" when he was on felony probation. Houck and Joseph Lawson's attorneys said the police essentially coerced Girdley into making those incriminating statements.
During cross-examination, the defense asked the coon hunters if they heard any gunshots, screams, or heavy machinery running at the Houck farm the night they were at a neighboring property. Both men said they did not.
ORIGINAL STORY: 12 p.m.
The jury in the Crystal Rogers case heard testimony that challenged Brooks Houck's account of his activities on the day Rogers disappeared in 2015.
Amber Bowman, the ex-girlfriend of Nick Houck, testified that Brooks' brother disappeared for 24 hours during the July 4 weekend when Rogers vanished, claiming he was helping Brooks with a rental property.
Prosecutors believe Nick was actually helping his brother carry out the crime and dispose of Rogers' body as part of what they're characterized as a family conspiracy.
Bowman told the court she tried calling Nick approximately 15 times from Friday morning until Saturday morning, but his phone went straight to voicemail— something she described as highly unusual, especially given his position as a Bardstown police officer at the time.
"I've been working," Nick reportedly told Bowman when she questioned why his phone was turned off.
The state contends that Crystal Rogers disappeared from the Houck family farm on July 3, 2015, and was never seen again. Prosecutors believe Brooks Houck took her to the farm where she died.
Bowman, who dated Nick for seven years before they broke up in 2016, testified that Nick's disappearance was particularly strange because they were in the middle of moving and had significant furniture to relocate.
The defense attempted to counter this testimony by pointing out that Nick frequently worked late nights on rental properties after his police shifts, suggesting his absence wasn't necessarily suspicious.
TRIAL DAY 4: Friday, June 27
During the cross-examination of Heather Snellen, ex-girlfriend of Steven Lawson, the defense pointed out that she said Kentucky State Police pressured her into saying things.
Four hours and twelve minutes into interrogation in 2023, a detective says, "think of that little boy... I don't want to take you from your little boy." The defense said KSP told her they could charge her with tampering with physical evidence.
In a written statement after that interview, Snellen wrote, "I hope it's clear I don't know anything."
Snellen said she felt pressured to say things that were untrue. The defense pointed out that she never mentioned anything about the Lawson's moving a body in her four previous interviews.
During her testimony, she said she was scared about the high-profile case and didn't want to get involved.
In court on Friday afternoon, Google location records show the following timeline of Houck's whereabouts on July 3:
- 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.- He was at the Houck family farm.
- 4:43 p.m. to 7:05 p.m.- He was at his house.
- 7:05 p.m. to 7:24 p.m.- He was leaving his home and going to the farm.
- 7:24 p.m. to 11:57 p.m.- He was at the farm.
Remember, in his written statements on July 3, 2015, he gave lots of details about doing work-related things—evictions, placing work orders at the electric company, and mentioning the vinyl siding company—witnesses testified they didn't communicate with Houck on July 3.
TRIAL DAY 3: Thursday, June 26
In the courtroom on Thursday morning, the jury listened to Brooks Houck's police interview just days after Crystal Rogers vanished on July 3, 2015. Prosecutors pointed out inconsistencies in his story.
Jurors learned that when Houck first walked into the room during the police interview, he was caught on camera pressing a recorder in his pocket.
In the courtroom, the detective on the stand said that no one does that, and he didn't know Houck was secretly recording the interrogation until later.
Houck spent over an hour writing a statement on his whereabouts on July 3 and July 4, when Rogers disappeared.
During the police interview, the jury watched Houck "reading his written statements out loud" while the detective was out of the room.
Prosecutors believe he recorded his statements to share with his family so they could keep their stories straight.
The state believes Houck took Rogers to the farm under the guise that they had a romantic date night, but says it was really part of his plan to "get rid of Rogers."
They say Rogers was there that night, but how she died and what happened to her is still a mystery.
Just days after Rogers disappeared, Houck was already talking as if she were gone for good.
TRIAL DAY 2: Wednesday, June 25
UPDATE:
Prosecutors and defense attorneys presented starkly different narratives during opening statements in the trial connected to the disappearance of Crystal Rogers, who vanished in 2015.
The prosecution urged jurors to "use your God given common sense" as they laid out allegations against Brooks Houck and his mother, Rosemary Lawson.
Prosecutors claimed Houck's mother asked someone to help her find someone to "get rid of Crystal" and told others that "Crystal wouldn't be around anymore."
The family's involvement was central to the prosecution's opening, which alleged that Houck's brother Nick turned off his cell phone for 24 hours between July 3 and 4, 2015 – the period when Rogers disappeared.
"Crystal's cousin said Crystal was excited about a 'surprise date' Houck had planned for them July 3," the prosecutor told jurors.
Additional allegations included claims that Houck tinted the windows of his truck leading up to Rogers' disappearance and that family members recorded their grand jury testimony so they could "keep their stories straight."
Defense attorneys countered that there is no evidence to convict Houck or Lawson.
"Police couldn't find the answers they were looking for so they focused on Houck," the defense attorney said.
The defense characterized the case as being based on pressure – arguing that publicity pressure to solve the case caused "facts and truths to be replaced with suspicions, assumptions, guesses, and theories."
Defense attorneys further alleged that police "manipulated and bullied witnesses," leading to Houck and Lawson being "charged with horrific crimes they did not commit."
The defense emphasized that Houck cooperated with police, allowing searches and interviews despite knowing he was their target.
"No evidence, no body, no weapon, no evidence showing how Crystal may have died," the defense attorney told jurors.
The trial continues with witness testimony expected to begin Thursday.
Original Story:
Nearly 10 years after Crystal Rogers disappeared, the trial of her ex-boyfriend, Brooks Houck and another man charged, Joseph Lawson, is underway.
LEX 18 in the courtroom reported that prosecutors revealed new information during their opening statement in the trial. Wednesday morning, prosecutors told the jury that before Crystal disappeared, Houck's mother, Rosemary, had asked one of Houck's workers if he could find someone to "get rid of Crystal."
Prosecutors went on to ask the jury to use common sense and said that Crystal died at the hands of a "cruel murderer." They believe that the 35-year-old mother of five died at the Houck family farm the night of July 3, 2015.
Covering Kentucky
After jury is sworn in, Crystal Rogers murder trial set to begin Wednesday
According to LEX 18 reporting, the state said that Houck took her to the farm under the appearance of a romantic date night, but instead was killed on that night.
The defense stated to the jury that there is no evidence on cause of death or where Crystal may have been killed.
Notably, Houck has been charged with complicity to commit murder and complicity to tampering with physical evidence in connection to the case. Joseph Lawson is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence.
LEX 18 will have up-to-date information daily as the trial continues.
