In a major development in the long-unsolved Crystal Rogers case, Brooks Houck and were found guilty Tuesday in the high-profile Crystal Rogers murder trial, nearly a decade after the Bardstown mother of five vanished.
After years of mystery, Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson were found guilty in the Crystal Rogers murder trial, despite the victim’s body never being found.
Houck, 43, was convicted of murder and complicity to tampering with physical evidence. Lawson, 34, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with evidence. Despite Crystal Rogers’ body never being recovered, prosecutors successfully argued that Houck led a plot to kill her on or around July 3, 2015, aided by Lawson and others.
Prosecutors painted a picture of a strained relationship between Houck and Rogers, especially due to Rogers’ children and alleged disapproval from Houck’s mother. Testimonies from former employees and digital evidence placed Houck at the center of deception, including lying about his whereabouts on the night Rogers disappeared.
The jury heard claims that Joseph Lawson helped dispose of Rogers’ car, which was later found abandoned on Bluegrass Parkway with her purse, phone, and keys still inside. Though defense attorneys claimed a lack of physical evidence, and attempted to discredit witness testimonies, data from Houck’s Google account and witness statements linked both men to the crime.
The trial was relocated from Nelson County to Warren County due to widespread publicity. Supporters of Crystal Rogers packed the courtroom wearing pink, the color often associated with Rogers’ memory.
This verdict follows the May conviction of Steven Lawson, Joseph’s father, who admitted to picking up his son after abandoning Rogers’ car and calling Houck. His final sentencing is scheduled for August 6.
