It’s been over seven years since the disappearance of Crystal Rogers.
The 35-year-old Bardstown mother of five was last seen at the home of her longtime boyfriend Brook Houck on July 3, 2015.
There is still no definitive answer as to what happened to her. The Crystal Rogers case has since captured the attention of the entire country.
Clues left behind – keys, cell phone and purse were found inside her abandoned Chevrolet Impala on the Bluegrass Parkway two days after her disappearance. Investigators also noticed a flat tire which, according to Sherry Ballard, Crystal’s mother, was staged to distract the police. In addition, Nick Houck, Brook Houck’s brother, was fired as a Bardstown police officer on Oct. 16, 2015, leading to speculation that Nick interfered with the investigation, which he later denied.
Among all the haze, there have been two flares that persist, namely Nick Brouck’s eerie display of lack of concern about the victim’s welfare. Thus, making him the main suspect of the Nelson County Sheriff’s Department and still not being charged with a crime. The most astounding one yet, was a statement from the victim’s mother where she believes that this has a connection with her husband Tommy’s untimely passing. With the latter being shot by an unknown subject in the chest while hunting on family property sixteen months after their daughter went MIA.
Without a clear end in sight, and despite the Louisville FBI concluding their searches in November 2021 after Tweeting “multiple items of interest” being found. The search for justice and closure for both Crystal and Tommy Rogers are still going strong thanks to multiple agencies taking over. With LEX18 on the trail since day one and FBI Louisville returning back at the helm. This has led to the Louisville FBI announcement made October 17th, 2022, via Twitter that they will be conducting judicially authorized activity at 345 Paschal Lane, Bardstown KY in connection with Crystal’s case.
Having been searched once before, the Louisville FBI together with LEX18 are returning to a familiar spot – the farm belonging to Brooks Houck, ex-boyfriend of the victim. Armed with barricades abound the almost 200 acres of land and an FBI command center on location, hopefully this around they can find a breakthrough.
With the agency choosing to stay silent as the investigation process takes place, the Rogers family, the entire state of Kentucky and the rest of America lay in wait again.
This is still a developing story, so stay tuned to LEX18 and The Asbury Collegian for further details as the situation progresses.