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Post by Kate on Dec 10, 2023 19:51:48 GMT -5
Even if it is what the commonwealth is trying to prove, it doesn't make any sense. What reason did Houck have to kill her? |
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Post by Graveyardbride on Dec 11, 2023 18:43:10 GMT -5
Steve Lawson’s Attorney Reveals Additional InformationTheodore Lavit (above), Steve Lawson’s loquacious attorney, is still claiming his client had nothing whatsoever to do with the disappearance of Crystal Rogers. “‘I did not hurt Crystal and was not involved in hurting Crystal. I didn’t plan to hurt Crystal. I didn’t conspire to hurt Crystal.’ Those are his statements,” the lawyer told reporters.
Lawson, who, like his son, Joseph Lawson, has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence in the disappearance, and presumed death, of Crystal Rogers, worked part-time for Brooks Houck in 2015 when the mother of five went missing. “He had an association with Houck,” Lavit said. “Mr. Houck had conversations with him about Crystal. And that’s the extent of my client’s involvement. But he did not hurt Crystal. He did not prepare to hurt Crystal. He would never do anything of that nature to another human.”
Lavit admitted he hasn’t seen the transcript of the conversation recorded by Detective John Snow of the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office, but is aware of other information revealing his client met with the FBI, Kentucky State Police and Shane Young, the special prosecutor, “more than a dozen times” during the past year. The information provided by Steve Lawson was supposed to be shared under a shield of immunity, Lavit claimed, nonetheless, last week, his client was indicted. “They chose to indict him rather than give him the immunity he was promised,” the defense attorney charged.
According to Lavit, the information provided by his client dates to the weekend Ms. Rogers disappeared. The woman’s car “was driven out there by Joey, Joey Lawson,” the lawyer insisted. “He had a flat tire at that mile marker and my client received a phone call, went out and got him, brought him back.” the attorney explained. He emphasized his client did not know where the car was headed or why his son was driving it, but he [Lavit] has reason to believe law enforcement officers have built a case around solicitation.
When asked by a WHAS reporter if he believed Brooks Houck paid Joseph Lawson to assist in the murder of Crystal Rogers, Lavit replied, “I think the commonwealth has been trying to establish that a payment was made. As to who that payment was made to, and when it was made, I’m not privy to that information yet. As we move on, the commonwealth is ready to move on after all these 8½ years, I’d say we’re going to hear some things in court we haven't heard before,” he added.Sources: Shay McAlister, WHAS, December 8, 2023, and Anonymous Bardstown resident.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Dec 14, 2023 14:21:46 GMT -5
Steven Lawson’s Wife Charged with Perjury, Houck Moved to Oldham County
On May 24, the same day Steven Lawson was indicted for tampering with evidence, his wife, Rebecca Greer, who lives at the same address, was indicted on a charge of first-degree perjury. The indictment indicates she was accused of making a “material false statement, which she did not believe in an official proceeding, while under oath required or authorized by law,” and a $50,000 cash bond was set. However, in October, the commonwealth attorney dismissed the charge.
In other news concerning the Crystal Rogers case, Brooks Houck, the prime suspect, who was being held at the Hardin County Detention Center in Elizabethtown, has been moved to the Oldham County Detention Center in La Grange. Authorities have declined to reveal the reason for the move.
Attorneys for Houck, who is being held on a $10 million dollar cash bond, appealed the excessively high bail and filed a motion to remove the presiding judge, Charles Simms III, who set the bail. The Kentucky Court of Appeals denied both motions.
Sources: Joseph Garcia, WHAS, December 13, 2023; Leigh Searcy and Morgan Eads, WLEX, December 13, 2023, and Ward Jolles, WLEX, November 28, 2023.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Dec 21, 2023 15:39:31 GMT -5
Steve Lawson Pleads Not Guilty in Crystal Rogers Case
Today (December 21), Steve Lawson, the third man charged in the 2015 disappearance of Crystal Rogers, entered a plea of not guilty at his arraignment before Circuit Court Judge Charles Simms III.
During the hearing, defense attorney Theodore Lavit also asked the judge to lower his client’s $500,000 cash bond. However, Shane Young, special prosecutor, argued the bond is “appropriately set.” A hearing on the bond issue was scheduled for January 4, 2024.
Following today’s hearing, Tim Ballard, the grandfather of Crystal Rogers and father of Tommy Ballard, who was shot and killed in November 2016, was present for the proceedings and commented afterward: “If I can get close to him [Lawson], better be law to hold me back because the son-of-a-bitch doesn’t need to be on this earth if he had anything to do with Crystal. And I know he did and his son did and Brooks Houck, they don’t need to be on this earth. They need to be done away with. I don’t want to face him to be honest with you.”
Sources: Jason Riley, WDRB, December 21, 2023, and The Courier-Journal, December 21, 2023.
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Post by serena on Dec 25, 2023 12:10:19 GMT -5
I must have read the original article in this post a half a dozen times and I just now noticed that this man's twin sons were both shot around New Year's Eve. I've read about things happening to twins at the same time. Many even die at the same time.
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Post by catherine on Dec 26, 2023 4:41:00 GMT -5
I must have read the original article in this post a half a dozen times and I just now noticed that this man's twin sons were both shot around New Year's Eve. I've read about things happening to twins at the same time. Many even die at the same time. |
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Post by Graveyardbride on Jan 6, 2024 17:46:03 GMT -5
Joseph and Steve Lawson Appear Before Judge
Joseph Lawson, the first of three men to be charged and arrested in the disappearance of Crystal Rogers, appeared via Zoom for a status hearing on Thursday, January 4. The Defendant sat in a wheelchair at the Kentucky State Reformatory in Oldham County, where he is confined for criminal mischief in an unrelated case, during the proceedings.
His attorney, Kevin Coleman, was expected to request his client’s bond be reduced to $50,000, citing the fact he is partially paralyzed, negating any danger he might pose if released. However, this issue was tabled until February 8, the same day Brooks Houck, the prime suspect, is scheduled to appear before the judge.
Coleman asked that the commonwealth comply with discovery requests and special prosecutor Shane Young assured the judge and defense that the remainder of the evidence would be provided later this month. “It’s going to consist of FBI reports and the state police reports – supplements – from over the last year-and-a-half or so,” he said. “That’ll be the lion’s share of discovery.”
Steve Lawson, father of Joseph Lawson, appeared in person before Judge Charles Simms III the same day, and his attorney, Ted Lavit, requested his client’s bond be reduced to a $20,000 to $40,000 real estate bond, arguing that his client has cooperated, is not a flight risk and wants to “extricate himself of any guilt” associated with the indictments. Simms indicated he would make a decision within the next five days.
Following the hearing, Lavit spoke with reporters. “My client said he would never harm that girl and never knew that she was going to be harmed,” and he “doesn’t know what happened to Crystal,” the lawyer said.
On the day in question, Lavit continued, his client picked up his son (Joseph Lawson) and removed a toy baseball bat – which he handed to his son – from the vehicle. “My client was never asked to move that car, and never volunteered to move it,” he insisted. “My client had nothing to do with removing the car from the Bluegrass. The only thing he took out of that car was a Louisville Slugger toy bat that seemed like a childhood toy that Joey kept with him and that was in the backseat. He moved that seat in order to get that bat.”
Sources: Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Joseph L. Lawson, Case No. 23-CR0239; Jason Riley, WDRB, January 5, 2023, and Arianna Sergio, Isaiah Kim-Martinez. WHAS, January 5, 2023.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Feb 9, 2024 15:22:36 GMT -5
Trial Set in Crystal Rogers CaseBrooks Houck (above) and Joseph and Steve Lawson all appeared before Judge Charles Simms yesterday (February 8) before a packed courtroom.
Thirty-two-year-old Joseph Lawson, who was rendered a paraplegic following a 2021 motorcycle accident, was wheeled into the courtroom first, followed by his father, Steve Lawson. Brooks Houck, though pasty-faced, shackled and wearing black-and-white prison stripes, smiled as he took a seat between his attorneys.
Then, as the three Defendants sat silently, the judge and respective attorneys discussed a prospective trial date, agreeing on February 10, 2025.
There’s a possibility, however, that the men will not be tried together, and the trial may be moved out of Nelson County. Brian Butler, one of Houck’s lawyers, plans to file motions to sever, i.e., to have his client tried separately, and for a change of venue.
Special Prosecutor Shane Young wants to have the three men tried together in Nelson County.
During the hearing, Kevin Coleman, attorney for Joseph Lawson, requested that his client’s $500,000 bond be reduced to a reasonable $50,000. Prosecutor Jim Lesousky opposed the motion, saying, “He [Lawson] called around, texted around to associates of his to cover for him, to get him an alibi for that night of July 3rd when she’s missing.”
Discovery in the case involves three law enforcement agencies, the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office, Kentucky State Police and FBI, and will include thousands of documents, hours of police interviews and possible evidence from various searches. Discovery also will consist of evidence in the Jason Ellis and Tommy Ballard death investigations, even though the Defendants have not been charged in those cases.
Of note, Joseph Lawson has a long history of violence against women. Since 2009, five women, including two with whom he has children, have accused him of assaulting and/or threatening them. He’s also a dead-beat dad who refused to support his children, and some Bardstown gossips attribute his paraplegia to his sinful ways.
Sources: Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Brooks William Houck, Case No. 23-CR-00309; Shay McAlister and Joseph Garcia, WHAS, February 8, 2024; Alex Suckow, WLKY, February 8, 2024, and Jason Riley, WDRB, September 23, 2023.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Mar 9, 2024 0:44:13 GMT -5
Court Documents Link Nick Houck to Murder of Tommy Ballard
A motion filed by attorneys for Brooks Houck has generated “intense public scorn” following his brother’s link to the shooting of Tommy Ballard in November 2016. According to court documents, “the commonwealth argued in Brooks’ bond hearing that his brother Nick Houck was the primary suspect in the alleged murder of Mister Ballard.” Before the filing of this document, no one had labeled Nick Houck the primary suspect in Ballard’s death.
During an October 2023 hearing, Special Prosecutor Shane Young informed the court his team was also investigating Ballard’s death and had reason to believe they had obtained the gun used in his murder. He said the caliber of the rifle purchased from Nick Houck, “who was using a fake name when he sold the rifle,” matched the one that killed Tommy. “There are five criteria that we are looking at and so far it matched four out of the five criteria,” he added.
Nick Houck was employed by the Bardstown Police Department until October 2015, when he was fired for interfering in the investigation of the disappearance of Crystal Rogers. Both he and his brother failed polygraph examinations.
Attorneys for both Brooks Hauck and Steve Lawson have filed motions requesting a change of venue in the trial scheduled for 2025.
The next court date for all three defendants – Brooks Houck and Steve and Joseph Lawson – is March 21.
Sources: Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Brooks William Houck, Case No. 23-CR-00309; Shay McAlister, WHAS, March 8, 2024, and Peter W. Zubaty, Paxton Media Group, March 8, 2024.
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Post by serena on Mar 9, 2024 1:13:56 GMT -5
I don't know a whole lot about police investigations, but if they have the murder weapon and the bullet that killed him, wouldn't they be able to match it?
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Post by catherine on Mar 9, 2024 12:00:40 GMT -5
I don't know a whole lot about police investigations, but if they have the murder weapon and the bullet that killed him, wouldn't they be able to match it? |
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Post by Graveyardbride on Mar 17, 2024 1:14:24 GMT -5
Prosecution Files Motions to Consolidate TrialsOn Thursday (March 13), Prosecutor Shane Young filed motions to consolidate the upcoming trials of Brooks Houck and Joseph and Steven Lawson, arguing the facts and evidence in the three cases are “identical, overlapping, and would be admissible” if the men were tried separately. “A joint trial will ensure” the jury will receive “a complete picture of what occurred [on July 3 or July 4 of 2015] and the involvement of each defendant,” he wrote in his motions.
He also noted all three Defendants have filed separate motions for a change of venue, i.e., that the trials be moved to another county. The men and their respective attorneys are convinced that because the disappearance of Crystal Rogers has been in the public eye since 2015, it would be impossible for the Defendants to receive a fair trial in Nelson County. The trial of Brooks Houck is scheduled to begin next year and by that time, Crystal Rogers will have been missing 10 years. Sources: Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Brooks William Houck, Case No. 23-CR-00309; Joseph Garcia, WHAS, March 14, 2024, and WLKY, March 14, 2024.
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Post by JoannaL on Mar 22, 2024 8:48:28 GMT -5
Prosecution Does Not Oppose Change of Venue
During a hearing yesterday (March 21), Special Prosecutor Shane Young agreed with the three Defendants and their attorneys that the trial should be held in a county other than Nelson.
Brooks Houch and Steve Lawson were present in the courtroom; Joseph Lawson attended via Zoom from the correctional facility where he is serving time for a conviction in an unrelated case.
Source: WHAS, March 21, 2024.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Apr 26, 2024 14:53:24 GMT -5
Trial Moved to Hopkinsville
On Tuesday (April 23), Judge Charles Simms ordered the trial of the three Defendants in the Crystal Rogers case be moved to Christian County. Accordingly, the February 2025 proceedings will take place in Hopkinsville, the site of the 1955 extraterrestrial encounter – which some local wags deem appropriate.
Following the hearing, Ted Lavit, the lawyer representing Defendant Steve Lawson, addressed reporters outside the courthouse. “We considered various locations and it was thought that the location at Christian County would be suitable,” he said. “It’s not that far away from Bardstown – couple hours. It has good protection for jurors and witnesses, and counsel and court personnel. And it was thought that this all being considered, this would be a proper place to recommend to Judge Simms.”
Local media coverage of the case and others some believe are related was the principal reason for the change of venue. “That was the primary object of our discussion,” the attorney continued. “It was thought that it met the criteria of eliminating any media bias. I wanted to go a little further out and considered Paducah, but on the other hand, convenience for Judge Simms, personnel and witnesses all had a bearing on the decision.”
Sources: Shay McAlister, WHAS, April 25, 2024, and Rachel Smith, The Louisville Courier-Journal, April 24, 2024.
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Post by Graveyardbride on May 20, 2024 20:24:14 GMT -5
Brooks Houck Claims Bias, Prosecutor Says Lawsons Involved in CoverupIn his response to recent requests by the three Defendants that their cases be tried separately, Special Prosecutor Shane Young (above) wrote: “The jury in this case deserves a complete picture of the conspiracy to murder Crystal Rogers and to cover up that murder by tampering with evidence.”
He then disputed Brooks Houck’s claim that prosecutors and detectives conducted the investigation with a “get Brooks” mentality. “All of the information gathered has repeatedly led investigators back to Brooks Houck,” Young insisted.
According to Young, Houck’s legal team quotes small snippets of more than 20 hours of interviews to “put the best spin he can on witnesses who disclosed information about Houck’s involvement in the crime. Yet by doing so, Houck leaves the court with an incomplete picture,” the prosecutor argued. “In fact, Houck’s entire response is premised upon doing just that, leaving jurors with an incomplete picture.”
Young also indicated Joseph and Steve Lawson were more involved in the subsequent coverup than they claimed. The Lawsons, he asserted, “told investigators all about Houck’s desire to get rid of Crystal, that Houck recruited his family for help, that Houck got [the Lawsons] to move her vehicle the night she disappeared, and that the explanation offered by [Steve Lawson] for the July 4, 2015 phone call between [him] and Houck was a lie.”
The subject phone call was discussed during a 2015 police interview, and during said interview, Houck called Steve Lawson and asked if he knew why he [Lawson] called him in the middle of the night Crystal Rogers disappeared. “I just want to tell you I’m sorry for everything you’re going through, I’ve got you in my prayers,” Lawson said when he answered the call.
However, court documents tell a different story: Steve Lawson told detectives he called Houck early on the morning of July 4, 2015, to tell him “the job is done,” a reference to the moving of the maroon Chevrolet Impala belonging to Crystal Rogers. According to Steve Lawson, his son Joseph asked him to call Houck after picking him [Joseph] up on the side of the Bluegrass Parkway, where the car was left.
Documents filed with the court indicate Steve Lawson “could not explain why when he was called by Houck on July 8, 2015, while Houck was in an interview with Det. [Jonathan] Snow, he made up a story about the July 4 phone call.”
Other documents filed last week address Defendant Steve Lawson’s motion that the charges against him be dismissed, or in the alternative, excluded in accordance with his claim of immunity. Young indicated Lawson had been denied immunity because of his “inability to tell a consistent narrative of what occurred on July 3, 2015 into July 4, 2015.” The prosecutor further alleged large amounts of time during the crucial period were unaccounted for, and Steve Lawson’s story consistently changed. “It became apparent that Lawson had a larger involvement in Crystal Rogers’s murder than he was willing to admit,” Young said.
Lawson’s responsibility to prove the truthfulness of his comments would have entitled him to immunity, the prosecutor explained. Such would be accomplished during an evidentiary hearing, which, Young added, has not been requested.
The next hearing, during which Judge Charles Simms III is expected to hear the foregoing arguments in person, is set for June 13 at 9 a.m. Sources: Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Brooks William Houck, Case No. 23-CR-00309; Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Joseph L. Lawson, Case No. 23-CR-0239; Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Steven Eugene Lawson, Case No. 23-CR-00371, and Shay McAlister, WHAS, May 17, 2024.
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