Could the Crystal Rogers breakthrough spark momentum in these Bardstown cold cases?

BARDSTOWN, Ky. (FOX 56) — A decade after Crystal Rogers’ disappearance, three men were held responsible for their roles in her death.

Rogers was last seen on July 3, 2015, and hasn’t been heard from since. Her body has never been recovered.

After four hours of deliberation on Tuesday, a Warren County jury delivered a guilty verdict in the trial of Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson. Steven Lawson was convicted of his role in the Bardstown mother’s disappearance in May.

The men and women of FBI Louisville officially began Operation Justice Rising in the fall of 2020. Five years later, after countless hours spent conducting numerous interviews and searches, analyzing evidence, collaborating with various FBI Headquarters entities, and coordinating with our federal, state, and local partners, we are proud of the pivotal role we played in seeking justice for Crystal Rogers and her family. We recognize today’s guilty verdicts would not have been possible without the exceptional efforts of our law enforcement partners at the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General, United States Attorney’s Office-Western District of Kentucky, Kentucky State Police, Internal Revenue Service, Nelson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bardstown Police Department. We hope this outcome brings some semblance of peace to Crystal’s family and the larger Bardstown community. The FBI will always stand with its partners to pursue justice no matter how long it takes.
FBI Louisville

Rogers’ family is the first to find answers, as three other cold cases remain unsolved. After the FBI took over Rogers’ case in 2022, the community has remained hopeful that the progress won’t stop there.

Who killed Jason Ellis?

Jason Ellis, 33, was traveling home just before 3 a.m. on the night of May 25, 2013, when he came across branches obstructing the road at exit 34 of the Bluegrass Parkway in Bardstown. Authorities believe Ellis got out of his vehicle to clear the roadway and then was shot several times.

The following day, Kentucky State Police announced in a press conference that it’s believed Ellis’ killing was premeditated.

KSP said it’s likely debris was planted in the road to lure him to his death. The gunman was likely on a hill, per police, and it’s unknown if Ellis was targeted or the victim of a random shooting. His service weapon was still holstered, and Ellis had no radio communications with dispatch in the minutes before his death.

On May 17, the Bardstown Police Department again turned to the public for answers, announcing that the reward for any information that leads to an arrest in the killing of Jason Ellis had been increased to $217,000.

Prosecutors hinted that evidence related to the Ellis investigation could be introduced in the Rogers trial, but never was.

After learning of the guilty verdicts returned in the Rogers trial, one of Ellis’ family members said they pray that the “dominoes continue to fall.”

Who killed Kathy and Samantha Netherland?

Kathy Netherland, 48, a special-education teacher, and her daughter Samantha, 16, were found dead in their home by a relative on April 14, 2014, when they did not show up for school.

It’s believed that Kathy and Samantha were tied up, tortured, and brutally murdered, suffering both knife and bullet wounds, according to the Crystal Rogers Task Force. Surveillance footage near the Netherland home showed a black Chevy Impala that’s believed to be connected to their deaths.

To date, there have been no arrests, and no suspects have ever been named.

In January 2023, a special prosecutor was assigned to the other three Nelson County investigations but was asked not to interfere with the Netherland investigation.

RELATED:

• 8 years of no answers: Where is Crystal Rogers?
• Nelson County man charged in Crystal Rogers case
• The Bardstown community feels hopeful again with the Crystal Rogers case

What happened to Tommy Ballard?

Rogers’ father, Tommy Ballard, was shot and killed on family property near Bluegrass Parkway just 18 months after his daughter’s disappearance; his unsolved case remains on the FBI’s most wanted list.

Just 16 months after Crystal’s disappearance, Ballard was preparing for a hunting trip with his 12-year-old grandson when an unknown person fired one shot, hit Ballard in the chest, and instantly killed him.

“We get one shot at this, and it has to be done right, so, I want them to make sure they have all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed before this goes to trial,” said Sherry Ballard. “I’ve always thought things were connected from Day One because of the people involved.”

During the arraignment, WDRB reported that special prosecutor Shane Young claimed that the investigation into the death of Crystal Rogers is also an investigation into the death of her father, Tommy Ballard.

“We are investigating the murder of Tommy Ballard, that could potentially be related,” he said during the hearing. “We are waiting for testing to come back on the gun that we believe was used to murder Tommy Ballard.”

Young told Judge Charles Simms III that, during the state’s investigation, a rifle was purchased from Nick Houck, Brooks’ brother, by someone using a fake name. Young said it’s the same caliber as the gun used in Ballard’s death and matches four of the five criteria they were looking at in comparison.

In October 2023, the FBI was still awaiting test results in its investigation of Ballard’s death.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the individual(s) responsible.

While searching for leads in the Crystal Rogers case, FBI agents urged the community that it’s never too late to come forward with details. If you know something, the FBI urges you to contact (502) 263-6000, or you can submit a tip here.