Sherry Ballard said her daughter's children are now 22, 21, 19, 17 and 9. On May 25, 2013, Ellis, a husband and father of two young boys, clocked out of his shift at 2 a.m. and started his normal, 15-mile drive home on the Bluegrass Parkway. As the years have come and gone, there's been a yearning for justice. In March 2018, the Kentucky House of Representatives and State Senate passed a resolution honoring them, as well as the victims of other unsolved Bardstown murders, and urging witnesses to come forward. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The disappearance of Crystal Rogers has been a mystery since 2015. He was shot from in front, by someone he knew; a fellow police officer, Nick Houck. Crystal Rogers disappeared on July 3, 2015. . Houcks grandmother, Anna Whitesides, was also implicated when she invoked her Fifth Amendment right when called to testify in court; the station reported that whoever was responsible for her disappearance used Whitesides car to move Rogers body. Now is the time to come forward.. Rogers' mother, Sherry. }; The FBI announced Friday that it had uncovered an item of interest on the fourth day of digging in a nelson county subdivision. A few months after Crystal Rogers disappeared, Brooks Houck took up with Crystal Dawn Maupin (above), a 41-year-old mother of three, and on July 8, 2016, Maupin announced on her Facebook page that the two were an item. 6940 Man O' War Blvd. Crystal's family also announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to her. Tommy was killed by Nick Houck, in retaliation for trespassing onto a property that was most likely used to hide Crystal's body, or evidence of her murder, before it could be destroyed. Someone, perched on top of the stone cliff above him, fired a shotgun. Her car was found two days later on the side of the Bluegrass Parkway with a flat. Crystal Maria Rogers is an American woman from Bardstown, Kentucky who went . Then in August came the most intensive search of the Houck family farm. Where Crystal's body, or remains, are is still unknown except to those who murdered her. Copyright 2020 WDRB Media. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Rogers was dating Brooks Houck, an initial suspect, who is the father of one of her sons . The property was built by suspect Brooks Houck around the time of his then-girlfriends 2015 disappearance. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Weird. As part of the agreement she must write a letter of apology to Crystal Roger's mother, Sherry Ballard. To watch the 2018 series, visitOxygen's site. Last year a new detective, Joedy Gilliland, took over Crystal's case after Detective John Snow retired. Id be afraid to live in that area, This is so frightening. The Daily Beast alleged that Houck refused to be interviewed by the detectives searching for Rogers, failed an FBI polygraph test and tried to warn his brother when police were going to interview him. No arrests have been announced in the case as of midday Monday. WHAS in Louisville said a team from FBI Louisville is searching the neighborhood with cadaver dogs. submission: { Until the body is found, Nick and Brooks Houck will likely never be charged with her murder, or any others they've committed. I've been very quiet for a reason, so Im very satisfied.. Like she's just right over my shoulder talking back and reading what I'm writing.. In July of 2017, Brooks Houck's current girlfriend, Crystal Maupin, was arrested after she was allegedly caught on camera ripping up signs connected to the investigation. I cant say for sure though. In late-July, Brooks Houck's new girlfriend, Crystal Maupin, was arrested. Nick later told the Kentucky State Police that he only contacted his brother to tell him that "they might be trying to trip him up" and "he should protect himself.". The land, which sits on 30 acres, is owned by the mother of Brooks Houck, who was named a suspect in the case in. "We've searched the rivers, we've searched farms, houses, sinkholes, wells, any place she might be," family member Sammy Johnson said. In October, three months after Rogers disappeared, she was presumed dead by law enforcement. Regarding the thought of finally finding out what happened to her daughter, Ballard said, "I want it, but its going to be so hard for me. "And I just. There was a problem saving your notification. More than a year after Rogers disappeared, her father, 54-year-old Tommy Ballard, was fatally shot in November 2016 while huntingon family property in a rural area outside Bardstown. went missing over Fourth of July weekend in 2015. On October 16, 2015, Brooks' brother Nick Houck was fired from the Bardstown Police Department for allegedly interfering with the investigation of Crystal Rogers disappearance. According to FBI Louisville, the discovery was made during day four of the search at the Woodlawn Springs subdivision. "That's what I've done, and it's worked out great this far.". number: 3, I don't need an attorney. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Agentsreportedlywere using a cadaver dog to search the subdivision and a Courier Journal photographer saw investigatorsusing a jackhammer on the driveway of a home. The FBI reportedly said the residents of the property that investigators and construction equipment focused on had no connection to the case, and the federal agency said it will pay for any repairs to the property. In July of 2017, Brooks Houcks current girlfriend, Crystal Maupin, was arrested after she was allegedly caught on camera ripping up signs connected to the investigation. Rogers' car was found with a flat tire on the side of the Bluegrass Parkway in Bardstown with her phone, purse, and keys still inside. Its so obvious the murders/disappearance are all connected. Wonder how they missed evidence of Crystals remains Im kind of surprised you were out there searching where Tommy Ballard was killed since its on private property that belongs to their family. He escaped on foot, which is why the roadblocks didn't stop him. Features. Houck runs Houck Rentals, a business involving real estate holdings of more than 130 parcels in 2018, the Kentucky Standard reported. It's been a long road, and it may be even longer, but I think we're getting close.". The couple, who have one child together, had been living together in Bardstown, a small town in the heart of Kentucky bourbon country, when Rogers vanished. On July 5, police find Rogers' maroon Chevy Impala abandoned with a flat tire on the shoulder of the Bluegrass Parkway. Sheriff Ed Mattingly said at that time that Houck was fully cooperating with the investigation. Her estranged husband, Edsel Eddie Barnes, and another man, George Weir, were eventually convicted and. Rogers' body has also never been found. I personally went and searched the area where Tommy was shot and found the tree Nick used to stabilize his shot and saw the marks left behind by the gunpowder and recoil. I do remember during one of the searches, the Houcks had to leave the property and they only allowed Brooks on with a police escort to feed the cattle. FBI Louisville provided the following statement: Based on information gathered by the federal investigation over the last year, FBI Louisville is now conducting several searches in the Woodlawn Springs subdivision. A year later, Tommy Ballard, Crystal's father, who had been at the forefront of the search for Crystal and the investigation into her disappearance, was shot and killed near his son's house, while hunting with his grandson. Halfway around the ramp, someone had dragged a pile of branches into the roadway. That poor, poor town. , Brooks did not report her missing for two days, and ultimately it was her own family that went to police. (Story continues. Nick then failed a polygraph test conducted by an examiner from the FBI when questioned about the case. Despite Rogers' family's criticisms, he claimed he was helping search efforts behind the scenes and said that his polygraph test was determined to be "inconclusive.". FBI agents were searching a farm Monday morning connected to the man Rogers was in a relationship with at the time of her disappearance. Warren County Jail Rogers first disappeared back in 2015her boyfriend Brooks Hauck was the only suspect named in the case at that time. Rogers wasnot known to go anywhere without her kids, according to the FBI. PREVIOUS STORIES ON WAVE3.COM+KSP search Brooks Houck's grandmother's home in Bardstown+Father of Crystal Rogers shot and killed in hunting incident+Lead suspect in Crystal Rogers disappearance appears in court+Nelson Co. sheriff: One Houck brother a suspect in Crystal Rogers' disappearance, likely death. Press J to jump to the feed. Rogers family, however, was immediately concerned. "She could have just said 'I'm sorry. Danny L. Singleton, reportedly a close friend and longtime employee of Crystal's boyfriend Brooks Houck, is charged with 38 counts of perjury for lying to investigators under oath. However, Nick Houcks behaviorled to his dismissal. Officers were authorized to search Brooks' home at 113 Glenview Drive, Nick's home at 730 Pulliam Ave., and a farm owned by the Houck family at 345 Paschal Ballard Lane, Beam said. The sheriff's office has been the lead investigating agency in Rogers' disappearance. Rogers, a 35-year-old mother of five, was the girlfriend of Houck's brother, Brooks Houck, 34, who on Friday was named a suspect in her disappearance. Rogers was 35 when she was last seen on July 3, 2015, at the home she shared with her boyfriend, Brooks Houck. When Rogers went missing, Brooks said he wasnt initially worried about her absence since she often went out with friends and stayed out late, sometimes not coming home until the next morning. "But instead, it's like she was trying to defend herself.". Brooks was Crystal's boyfriend and was named as the prime suspect in her disappearance back in 2015. According to WKLY, one of Houcks employees, Danny Singleton, pleaded guilty to false swearing after he initially faced 38 counts of perjury for lying to detectives. (WDRB Photo). @WDRBNews pic.twitter.com/od79fazgyo, Travis Ragsdale (@TravisRagsdale) August 6, 2020, Grass has to get cut, federal investigation be damned! one person tweeted, while another tweeted, Gotta get it done before he heads off to jail and has to sell it! It's not the family farm that is located just off the Bluegrass Parkway exit where Ellis was killed, it was the family home. Nobody could get a hold of her.. var field59 = field59 || {}; virtual: false, I hope the FBI truly is investigating this. Until justice is served, they have one simple request. Not at all!!!! It is suspected That his brother Nick Houck, a local police officer was. I knew my mom was proud, but like just wanting her to be there physically, it was very hard to see other moms there, Fenwick said. During the summer of 2020, the FBI took over from Kentucky State Police and the Nelson County Sheriff's Office as the lead investigator inthe case, with over 150 federal agentsservingsearch warrants in August 2020 atthree sites owned by Houck and his family members. For the first time, one of Crystals five children sits down with WDRB and talks about what life has been like without their mom. "I think we're moving in the right direction. Though still considered a missing person case, police are working under the assumption Rogers is dead. According to the FBI, several items of interest have been sent to the FBI laboratory in Quantico, VA. Rogers, who was reported missing by her mother on July 5, 2015, was last seen two days earlier. "I think eventually she will be found, yes," Snow said. Rogers has been missing since July 3. FBI agents have conducted multiple searches in and near Bardstown since Rogers went missing. By KATELYN NORRIS knorris@kystandard.com. #26. When I graduated high school, seeing all the kids with their moms and they were like so proud. With the case garnering national attention, so many in Bardstown and across the country have been left wondering what happened to the mother of five. According to her boyfriend Brooks Houck, Crystal Rogers was last seen on the night of July 3, 2015. , he said she stayed up late playing games on her phone and was gone the next morning from the house where they lived with their 2-year-old son, Eli, and other children. Officer Ellis was shot and killed at the exit off the Bluegrass Parkway near Bardstown. The boyfriend of a missing Kentucky woman owns multiple rental properties at a subdivision that is the site of an FBI search Tuesday. Chief among them is the case of Crystal Rogers, a 35-year-old mother of five, who hasnt been seen since July 3, 2015, and is presumed dead by police. People say it gets easier. Brooks Houck is the father of the child and primary guardian - he is also the main suspect in Rogers' disappearance though no charges have been filed against him.