The Crystal Rogers Case Timeline: A Bardstown Mystery
- Cassian Creed
- Jul 24
- 9 min read
This Crystal Rogers case timeline and cast of characters are based on verified sources…
Detailed Crystal Rogers Case Timeline of Main Events
2013
May 25, 2013: Bardstown Police Officer Jason Ellis is ambushed and murdered after clearing debris from an exit ramp on the Bluegrass Parkway. His murder remains unsolved, contributing to the "Bardstown Unsolved" moniker.
2014
April 22, 2014: Kathy and Samantha Netherland are brutally murdered in their Bardstown home. This double homicide also remains unsolved.
2015
July 3, 2015: Crystal Rogers is last seen alive by her boyfriend, Brooks Houck, in the evening. According to Houck, she was playing games on her phone when he went to bed, and by morning, she and her car were gone. The couple reportedly visited the Houck family farm earlier that evening. Daniel Donahue, a raccoon hunter, testifies to seeing Anna Whitesides' white Buick behind the Houck farm on this rainy day.
July 4, 2015: Crystal Rogers' phone, usually a conduit for her check-ins, is silent. Calls and messages go unanswered.
July 5, 2015: Crystal Rogers' mother, Sherry Ballard, files a missing person's report with the Nelson County Sheriff's Office after her daughter's calls and messages go unanswered. On the same day, Rogers' maroon 2007 Chevrolet Impala is found abandoned with a flat tire near mile marker 14 of the Bluegrass Parkway. Her keys, purse, and cellphone are still inside. The family publicly states this behavior is unlike Crystal.
July 6, 2015: Crystal's family posts a reward of $25,000 for information leading to her discovery.
July 8, 2015: Brooks Houck is questioned by the Nelson County Sheriff's Office. During the interview, his brother, Bardstown Police Officer Nick Houck, calls him and allegedly advises him to stop talking to the police, after which Brooks Houck terminates the interview.
July 9, 2015: Nick Houck testifies before a grand jury, leading investigators to suspect his involvement. His police cruiser is confiscated and searched. The lead detective in the missing person case calls Nick Houck for an interview, which he refuses, stating, "I have nothing to tell you."
July 10, 2015: Chief McCubbin speaks with Nick Houck, instructing him to cooperate fully, but Nick again refuses.
July 13, 2015: Crystal Rogers' sister, Brooke Ballard, speaks to WHAS11, stating Brooks Houck's story "doesn't add up" and that he has been uncooperative.
July 15, 2015: Crystal Rogers' parents tell WHAS11 they will do "whatever it takes to find their daughter." Nick Houck is interviewed by Kentucky State Police and discusses taking a polygraph test.
July 20, 2015: The FBI calls Nick Houck for a polygraph test, but he refuses, stating he is off duty.
July 24, 2015: The FBI again asks Nick Houck to take a polygraph test while he is on duty; he agrees. The polygraph examiner expresses "grave concerns" about the results. Crystal's family and the Nelson County community coordinate search efforts.
July 29, 2015: Louisville Metro Police search several area lakes in attempts to find Crystal Rogers, but nothing is found.
August 1, 2015: The community ramps up search efforts and holds vigils and fundraisers for Crystal, raising tens of thousands of dollars for rewards and trust funds for her children.
August 14, 2015: Crystal Rogers' parents fight for grandparent's rights to her youngest son, Eli, whose custody is shared between Crystal and Brooks Houck.
September 9, 2015: Bardstown Police Department suspends Officer Nick Houck without providing a reason.
October 14, 2015: Nick Houck signs an affidavit stating he told Brooks to cooperate fully with detectives.
October 15, 2015: A private hearing is held in the mayor's office regarding Nick Houck's possible termination.
October 16, 2015: Nick Houck is fired from the Bardstown Police Department for interfering with the Crystal Rogers investigation. Nelson County Sheriff Ed Mattingly officially names Brooks Houck the main suspect in Crystal Rogers' presumed murder and disappearance.
2016
May 14, 2016: Investigators speak with Anna Whitesides, Brooks Houck's grandmother, learning her white Buick has been sold. The car is tracked down and processed for evidence. A hair "similar to Rogers' hair" is found in the trunk. Surveillance video shows Whitesides and Nick Houck selling the car to a dealership.
November 19, 2016: Crystal Rogers' father, Tommy Ballard, is fatally shot in his chest by an unseen assailant on his own property in Bardstown while preparing for a hunting trip with his 12-year-old grandson. His murder remains unsolved.
2020
August 6, 2020: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Louisville Field Office, officially takes over as the lead investigative agency in the disappearance of Crystal Rogers. Over 150 state and federal law enforcement officers descend on Bardstown, executing nine federal search warrants and conducting over fifty interviews. Properties linked to the Houck family, including Brooks Houck’s home and the family farm, are searched. The FBI launches a dedicated website and offers a $25,000 reward.
October 2020: Joseph Lawson makes two statements to FBI agents, which prosecutors later stipulate will be the only statements used in his joint trial with Brooks Houck.
2021
August 2021: The FBI conducts a significant search operation at the Woodlawn Springs subdivision in Bardstown, focusing on properties built by Brooks Houck’s company. "Item(s) of interest" are recovered from concrete at one of these houses, but their nature is undisclosed.
2023
May 2023: Steven Lawson is secretly indicted by a grand jury on a tampering with physical evidence charge. This indictment remains sealed.
July 2023: Joseph Lawson is secretly indicted by a Nelson County grand jury on a criminal conspiracy to commit murder charge.
August 2023: Joseph Lawson is arrested by Kentucky State Police on charges of tampering with physical evidence and criminal conspiracy to commit murder. He is reportedly hospitalized due to a motorcycle accident that rendered him paraplegic.
September 20, 2023: The Nelson County Grand Jury charges Brooks W. Houck with murder and tampering with physical evidence.
September 27, 2023: Brooks Houck is arrested by the FBI and Kentucky State Police, charged with the murder of Crystal Rogers and tampering with physical evidence. He is held on a $10 million cash bond.
October 5, 2023: Brooks Houck is arraigned and pleads not guilty. Prosecutors reveal that investigators possess a firearm believed to be the weapon used to murder Tommy Ballard, which was allegedly purchased from Nick Houck, who used an alias during the sale. The caliber matches and it meets four out of five ballistics criteria.
December 8, 2023: Steven Lawson is indicted and arrested for conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence. He is arrested in Indiana and transferred to Kentucky, held on a $500,000 bond. Court documents reveal he had been indicted for tampering in May 2023, and his grand jury testimony (between 2015 and 2023) is characterized as "ever-evolving" and "wildly inconsistent."
2024
February 8, 2024: Nelson County Judge Charles Simms hears arguments in the Crystal Rogers case.
August 22, 2024: Steve Lawson appears in court with his new attorneys, Zach Buckler and Darren Wolff, who request a delay in his trial date.
September 2024: The FBI conducts a three-day search operation on Whitesides Drive near the Nelson County line, formerly owned by Anna Whitesides, based on new information. No additional details about discoveries are released.
2025
January 30, 2025: Ten years mark since Crystal Rogers was first reported missing.
May 27, 2025: Steven Lawson's trial for conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence is scheduled to begin in Warren County. He is later found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence on May 30.
June 24, 2025: Jury selection begins for the joint murder trial of Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Prosecutor Shane Young states it is a "no body homicide" case based on circumstantial evidence.
June 25, 2025: Opening statements begin for Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson. Crystal Rogers' daughter, Kyleigh Fenwick, and friend Christina Holly testify. Nelson County Sheriff lead Detective Jon Snow also testifies.
June 26, 2025: Peggy Parent, James Palmer, Diane Thompson, Marcella Ray, Ashley Nally, Robin Mills, Mary Mattingly, William Gunther, and Heather Snellen testify. Detective Jon Snow continues testifying.
June 27, 2025: Tim O'Daniel, Chad Warner, Charlie Burch, Mary Mattingly, and William Gunther testify.
June 30, 2025: Brooks Houck's ex-girlfriend, Amber Bowman, testifies. Other witnesses include Charlie Girdley, Owen McKinney, Daniel Donohue, Melissa Dover, and Detective Jamie Brooks. The defense questions Det. Brooks about DNA testing on hair found in Whitesides' Buick, which had no DNA profile. Francis Holt, Brooks' aunt, testifies about a missing key and Whitesides' car being missing on July 4, 2015.
July 1, 2025: Joshua Hickman, Barbara Colter (Joseph Lawson's grandmother), Terry Benjamin, Tim O'Daniel, Lon Spalding, Kim Edelen, Detective Jamie Brooks, Stacy Cranmer, and Rebecca Greer (Steve Lawson's ex-wife) testify.
July 2, 2025: Brooks Houck's sister, Rhonda McIlvoy, Porter Hendricks, and Adrian Lauf testify.
July 3, 2025: Jeff Neuschatz and Denver Butler testify.
July 4, 2025: Court is not in session for the holiday.
July 7, 2025: Closing arguments are given by Shane Young (prosecution), Brian Butler (Brooks Houck's defense), and Robert Boyd (Joseph Lawson's defense).
August 6, 2025: Steven Lawson is scheduled for sentencing.
Cast of Characters
Crystal M. Rogers: A 35-year-old mother of five from Bardstown, Kentucky, who went missing over the Fourth of July weekend in 2015. She is presumed dead, and her life was deeply anchored by her maternal responsibilities. She is described as having strong bonds with her family and her primary vulnerability was her intimate relationship with Brooks Houck.
Sherry G. Ballard: Crystal Rogers' mother and administratrix of her estate. She filed the missing person's report for Crystal and has been a relentless advocate for justice for her daughter and husband, Tommy Ballard. She is a plaintiff in the wrongful death lawsuit against Brooks Houck.
Tommy Ballard: Crystal Rogers' father. He tirelessly searched for Crystal after her disappearance, becoming the public face of "Team Crystal." He was fatally shot on his own property in November 2016, and his murder remains unsolved.
Brooks W. Houck: Crystal Rogers' live-in boyfriend and father of her youngest child, Eli. He was the last person to see her alive and was named the prime suspect in her disappearance in October 2015. He was arrested and charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence in September 2023. He is a businessman involved in property development and farming.
Joseph L. Lawson: An associate or employee of Brooks Houck and the son of Steven Lawson. He was secretly indicted in summer 2023 and arrested in August 2023 on charges of criminal conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence in Crystal Rogers' death. He is alleged to have driven Crystal's car to the Bluegrass Parkway.
Steven (Steve) Lawson: Joseph Lawson's father and an employee/associate of Brooks Houck. He was indicted in May 2023 for tampering with physical evidence, and in December 2023 for conspiracy to commit murder in Crystal Rogers' death. His grand jury testimony, given over several years, is described as "ever-evolving" and "wildly inconsistent," implicating himself and his son in moving Crystal's car at Houck's direction. He was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence in May 2025.
Nick Houck: Brooks Houck's brother and a former Bardstown Police Officer. He was fired from the police department in October 2015 for interfering with the Crystal Rogers investigation, including advising Brooks not to talk to police. He reportedly failed a polygraph test. Prosecutors have named him the "primary suspect" in Tommy Ballard's murder, alleging he sold a rifle believed to be the murder weapon under an alias.
Anna Whitesides: Brooks and Nick Houck's grandmother. She owned a white Buick that was seen at the Houck family farm on the night Crystal went missing and was sold shortly after. A hair "similar to Rogers' hair" was reportedly found in the car's trunk. She invoked her Fifth Amendment right and refused to testify before a grand jury. She has since died.
Kyleigh M. Fenwick: Crystal Rogers' daughter. She is a plaintiff in the wrongful death lawsuit against Brooks Houck and testified in the murder trial.
Ashley M. Miller: Crystal Rogers' daughter. She is a plaintiff in the wrongful death lawsuit against Brooks Houck.
Thomas T. Rogers: Crystal Rogers' son. He is a plaintiff in the wrongful death lawsuit against Brooks Houck.
Victoria J. Rogers: Crystal Rogers' daughter. She is a plaintiff in the wrongful death lawsuit against Brooks Houck.
Eli: Crystal Rogers' youngest son, whom she shared with Brooks Houck. He was two years old when his mother disappeared.
Judge Charles C. Simms III: The presiding judge in the Crystal Rogers case, overseeing the trials of the Lawsons and Brooks Houck. He ordered the change of venue to Warren County and has characterized Steven Lawson's testimony as "ever-evolving" and "wildly inconsistent."
Shane Young: The Special Prosecutor in the Crystal Rogers case, leading the prosecution against Brooks Houck and the Lawsons. He also has been appointed prosecutor for the Tommy Ballard and Jason Ellis cases.
Det. Jon Snow: Former lead detective for the Nelson County Sheriff's Office in the Crystal Rogers investigation.
Det. Jamie Brooks: Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Detective who worked with the IRS and assisted Det. Jon Snow in the Crystal Rogers investigation in 2016, focusing on potential financial motives. He also testified about audio recordings found by IRS agents.
Danny Singleton: An employee of Brooks Houck who was arrested and charged with perjury (later amended to false swearing) in December 2015 for statements made to a grand jury regarding his whereabouts when Crystal went missing.
Francis Holt: Brooks Houck's aunt, who testified about Anna Whitesides' close relationship with Nick Houck and the missing white Buick on July 4, 2015.
Charlie Girdley: A raccoon hunter who used to work for Brooks Houck. He testified about seeing the white Buick behind the Houck farm on July 3, 2015, and claimed Joseph Lawson called him to help move the car (though phone records dispute this).
Amber Bowman: Nick Houck's former girlfriend, who testified in the Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson murder trial.
Brian Butler: A defense attorney for Brooks Houck.
Robert Boyd: A defense attorney for Joseph Lawson.
Kevin Coleman: Another defense attorney for Joseph Lawson.
Darren Wolff: One of Steve Lawson's appointed attorneys.
Zach Buckler: One of Steve Lawson's appointed attorneys.
Ted Lavitt: Steven Lawson's previous attorney, who was fired.
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