Suspect in Crystal Rogers Murder Might Have Also Killed Missing Ky. Woman’s Father: Prosecutors
Crystal Rogers was last seen on July 3, 2015, by her boyfriend, Brooks Houck, who is one of two people charged in the case
In the latest update in the Crystal Rogers murder case, prosecutors are looking into a possible connection between the deaths of the missing Kentucky mother of five and her father, who was shot and killed one year after she disappeared.
Rogers, 35, vanished on July 3, 2015, when she was last seen by her boyfriend, Brooks Houck, at his family farm, PEOPLE previously reported. Houck told police at the time that the couple — who share one son — had gone to bed together, but when he awoke, she was gone. Rogers, who is presumed dead, had four other children.
While the woman’s remains have yet to be found, Houck was arrested last month on “charges stemming from the Crystal Rogers investigation,” the FBI Louisville office wrote in a Sept. 27 post on X (formerly Twitter.)
Related: Crystal Rogers Went Missing 8 Years Ago — and Boyfriend Was Just Charged with Murder
According to court documents obtained by local stations WHAS-TV, WLKY, and WKYT, Houck, 41, faces charges of murder and tampering with physical evidence. He is reportedly being held in the Nelson County Jail on $10 million cash bond. Houck has since pleaded not guilty.
Now, eight years after Rogers disappeared, prosecutors believe Houck may be tied to the murder of her father, Tommy Ballard, whose 2016 murder remains unsolved.
At Houck’s arraignment last week, Hardin County Prosecutor Shane Young said his team recovered a gun reportedly sold by Houck’s brother, Nick, that may have been the same weapon used to kill Ballard, according to the Louisville Courier Journal, WKRC-TV, and WLKY. Those test results are reportedly still pending and a motion to reduce Houck’s bond was denied.
Nick was fired from the local police department after being accused of interfering with the investigation, the Kentucky Standard reported.
On Nov. 19, 2016, Ballard was shot and killed by a single bullet that struck his chest while preparing for a hunting trip with his son and 12-year-old grandson in Bardstown, K.Y., according to the FBI.
Ballard had never stopped looking for his daughter, his wife, Sherry Ballard, told PEOPLE in 2020. No arrests have been made in connection with his death.
Related: Ky. Mom Crystal Rogers Vanished in 2015, and Her Mother Plans to Honor Her on Christmas
Houck was identified as a primary suspect in Rogers' disappearance at the start of the investigation, per the Kentucky Standard, but no charges were filed against him until recently.
Weeks before Houck’s arrest, authorities charged Joseph Lawson, 32, with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence, according to court records cited by WDRB, WLKY and WYKT. Lawson entered a not guilty plea to the charges and received a bond set at $500,000, the outlets reported.
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It’s unclear how Houck and Lawson are allegedly connected.
Following the announcement of Houck’s arrest, Rogers’ family released a statement thanking local and federal authorities for their efforts in the investigation.
"At this time we ask for privacy as this is another step forward for justice for Crystal,” the statement read, in part, per WLKY. “Continue to pray that justice is served and we bring Crystal home."
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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