BARDSTOWN, Ky. — Three agencies have been investigating the disappearance of Crystal Rogers for years..
From much of the last decade the only names we knew as persons of interest in the case were Brooks Houck and his brother Nick Houck. But that changed in 2023 when father and son Steve and Joseph Lawson were arrested and charged in the Bardstown mother’s death.
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Court documents filed by Houck’s attorney, Brian Butler, claim the prosecution lacks evidence needed for a conviction.
Former Prosecutor for the Jefferson County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office Nick Mudd seems to agree there is a lack of strong evidence presented so far.
“I kept thinking, there’s got to be some sort of DNA evidence or even cell phone forensics,” he said. “I don’t have a copy of that discovery, I’m not an attorney on the case, but I’ve not seen any of that come out, which is surprising.”
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All Eyes On Them
Butler argues prosecutors are relying on the testimony of the Lawsons to “desperately solve” Rogers’ case. Mudd said it appears that testimony is a crucial piece of evidence.
“It does lead one to believe that that testimony is critical to the prosecution of Mr. Houck based on the timing of everything, and the fact that we’re six months in, and none of us have heard any specific physical evidence against Mr. Houck in this case,” he added.
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Another major discussion in Rogers’ case is whether Steve Lawson was promised immunity from Special Prosecutor Shane Young during police interviews. It’s something his attorney, Ted Lavit, has argued since Lawson’s arrest.
“Generally, if you’re offered immunity to talk, and then you give a statement,” Mudd said. “That’s it. You have immunity from the state.”
Mudd said there are some exceptions to that rule, for instance if a federal prosecutor picks up the case, but that's unlikely.
“That being said, for state court, you know, if Mr. Lawson was guaranteed immunity, I don’t see how they’re going to go forward on them at some point,” he said, adding that ultimately it will be up to Judge Charles Simms to decide whether immunity was promised.
Since the arrests, many in the community have questioned whether investigators are eyeing more suspects in Rogers’ case – particularly former Bardstown Police Officer Nick Houck.
“I think they could be,” he explained. “But certainly, it would be surprising at this point for them to go forward on somebody else, unless, again, there was a break – some sort of physical evidence.”
Mudd also examines the moment during Brooks Houck’s arraignment where Young alleged members of the Houck family recorded several hours of grand jury hearings in secret.
“I think the issue is not dead, for sure,” he said. “[We’ll] hear more about it at least.”
When it comes to motive, evidence, when, where and how Crystal Rogers died, we will likely have to wait until next year’s trial to learn more. But there are some questions we will learn answers to as soon as this summer, including where the high-profile trial will be held, what testimony will or won't be allowed, and if charges against all three defendants will stick.
For now though, like the rest of the Bardstown community has done for years, we’ll be watching closely, waiting for the next shoe to drop.
This is the final episode of season four of the “Bardstown” podcast, “Back to Bardstown.” Additional episodes will be released as new information comes forward in the Crystal Rogers investigation.
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