22 minutes ago, Jumper_Dad said:

One theory I've thought of was that Crystal was killed because she threatened Brooks that she'd tell what happened to Jason Ellis. I think one of the thoughts at the time Ellis was killed was that it may have been someone trying to stop an investigation that he was involved in. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Brooks brother Nick (also a police officer at the time) wasn't involved in killing Ellis. Crystal may have known that and threatened to tell if Brooks wouldn't leave her alone when she was trying to break up with him.

Just my own theory on it all.

Sort of what I have thought.  There has to be a connection there.

Wowwww! Per WLKY's Lauren Adam's on Twitter:

"The prosecutor has dropped a BOMBSHELL. Young says during ther investigation they purchased a firearm they believe was used to kill Tommy Ballard. He says they bought it from Houck's brother, Nick Houck, who was using a fake name."

7 minutes ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

Wowwww! Per WLKY's Lauren Adam's on Twitter:

"The prosecutor has dropped a BOMBSHELL. Young says during ther investigation they purchased a firearm they believe was used to kill Tommy Ballard. He says they bought it from Houck's brother, Nick Houck, who was using a fake name."

Nick Houck was fired from the Bardstown Police Department in the beginning of the investigation of Crystal's disappearance. As a cop, that seems like an unbelievably stupid move to sell a murder weapon. How does he not think to destroy it instead of selling it??

@Colonels_Wear_Bluebeat me to posting today's news about the rifle and Nick Houck. 

Something else I read was that somehow the Houck's had recorded grand jury proceedings. WHAT? How did that happen?

On 10/5/2023 at 9:47 PM, Jumper_Dad said:

@Colonels_Wear_Bluebeat me to posting today's news about the rifle and Nick Houck. 

Something else I read was that somehow the Houck's had recorded grand jury proceedings. WHAT? How did that happen?

If I'm not mistaken, Brooks Houck sister was on the grand jury?

Allegedly he gave her a recording device and told her to record testimony (which is closed).

These dudes seem like the absolute worst.

https://www.whas11.com/article/news/investigations/bardstown/third-arrest-crystal-rogers-case-steven-lawson-bardstown-kentucky/417-3c8a98a9-13ef-412c-89f0-b88f9e0c6dfe

Steven Lawson has been indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence, according to court documents.

The charges stem from an incident over the Fourth of July weekend in 2015, investigators said, when he - acting alone or with others - mutilated, concealed or destroyed physical evidence and aided a person in the planning or commission of a crime causing the death of another person.

Though not confirmed this guy had the same last name the first man arrested in this case. Speculation is that Steven Lawson may be the father of Joseph Lawson previously arrested in this case.

On 12/9/2023 at 2:21 AM, Jumper_Dad said:

Though not confirmed this guy had the same last name the first man arrested in this case. Speculation is that Steven Lawson may be the father of Joseph Lawson previously arrested in this case.

Steven Lawson has been confirmed to be the father of Joseph Lawson. Steven's attorney gave an interview to the news. They are alleging that Joseph (the son) was asked by Brooks Houck to drive Crystal Rogers' car to an undisclosed location, at which point the car got a flat tire on the Bluegrass Parkway, and then Joseph called his father Steven and asked for a ride home, leaving the car abandoned on the Bluegrass Parkway. It is not clear from the interview whether the younger Lawson is alleged by the elder to have known anything about Rogers' murder or why he was driving her car away.

Steven Lawson's attorney did acknowledge that the elder Lawson did have some type of association with Brooks Houck, “[Steven Lawson] had an association with Houck. Mr. Houck had conversations with [Steven Lawson] about Crystal. And that's the extent of my client's involvement. But he did not hurt Crystal. He did not prepare to hurt Crystal. He would never do anything of that nature to another human.”

He also stated that over the last year, Steven Lawson had met more than a dozen times with Kentucky State Police, with the FBI, and with the special prosecutor in the case. Steven Lawson had been told he would be offered immunity for his cooperation, but now it seems the authorities have reneged on their promises for immunity. 

On 9/27/2023 at 8:59 AM, Jumper_Dad said:

>>>BREAKING NEWS<<<

https://www.wkyt.com/app/2023/09/27/fbi-boyfriend-arrested-disappearance-crystal-rogers/

 

The FBI announced early Wednesday morning that Rogers’ then-boyfriend Brooks Houck has been arrested for charges related to her disappearance.

Not much else released yet.

Houck has been moved from the Hardin County Detention Center to the Kentucky State Reformatory in LaGrange. No reason has been given for relocating him, but being transferred from a county jail to a state prison is not typical.

3 hours ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

Houck has been moved from the Hardin County Detention Center to the Kentucky State Reformatory in LaGrange. No reason has been given for relocating him, but being transferred from a county jail to a state prison is not typical.

It definitely is not. I wonder if it's a protective custody situation, he may have been threatened in jail? Or maybe to better control flow of information to and from him. Keep him from intimidating witnesses. 

3 hours ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

Houck has been moved from the Hardin County Detention Center to the Kentucky State Reformatory in LaGrange. No reason has been given for relocating him, but being transferred from a county jail to a state prison is not typical.

Was the FBI involved in this case at all?   The reason I ask, if there is a federal holder on an inmate, which essentially means they're being held for a federal case/charges. They may get moved to a different facility.  Speaking from my own experience, I've seen it done several times because the local jails are overcrowded. 

3 minutes ago, sportsfan41 said:

Was the FBI involved in this case at all?   The reason I ask, if there is a federal holder on an inmate, which essentially means they're being held for a federal case/charges. They may get moved to a different facility.  Speaking from my own experience, I've seen it done several times because the local jails are overcrowded. 

Yep, the FBI took over the investigation after the local sheriff and KSP investigations got essentially nowhere over the course of a half a decade.

2 hours ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

Yep, the FBI took over the investigation after the local sheriff and KSP investigations got essentially nowhere over the course of a half a decade.

That's the reason for the move I'd say.  Not sure the exact parameters that lead to it but I've only seen it with suspects that are considered to be in federal custody.  

On 12/14/2023 at 4:48 PM, sportsfan41 said:

That's the reason for the move I'd say.  Not sure the exact parameters that lead to it but I've only seen it with suspects that are considered to be in federal custody.  

Federal prisoners are kept in local jails while awaiting trial all across Kentucky every day. I'm sure it's happened before, but I've never seen or heard of a prisoner being moved to a state prison prior to a conviction, like this.

1 hour ago, Jumper_Dad said:

Federal prisoners are kept in local jails while awaiting trial all across Kentucky every day. I'm sure it's happened before, but I've never seen or heard of a prisoner being moved to a state prison prior to a conviction, like this.

I personally know of several instances of this in federal drug cases, including currentcases awaiting trial or pleas. There's just usually not nearly as much public interest in those cases as there is in a murder case so folks don't realize it's happening. Men tend to get moved more than women due to overcrowding in the local jails.  

10 hours ago, sportsfan41 said:

I personally know of several instances of this in federal drug cases, including currentcases awaiting trial or pleas. There's just usually not nearly as much public interest in those cases as there is in a murder case so folks don't realize it's happening. Men tend to get moved more than women due to overcrowding in the local jails.  

I'm not doubting you. Just doesn't make sense to me since state prisons as whole are already over crowded and that's why so many convicted state prisoners are housed in county jails across the state. I know, as we see in this case, that it happens...just doesn't pass the smell test in this case that it's just for over crowding.