July 13, 2025 • 28 mins
There has been an update in the story of Crystal Rogers (episode #8 from 2016 as well as episode #88 from 2019). In July 2025, ten years after she went missing, three men were convicted of conspiring to kill Crystal Rogers. One of the men convicted was none other than Brooks Houck, Crystal's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance and father of her youngest child...
Researched, written, hosted, and produced by Micheal Whelan
Additional research and writing by Amelia White
If you would like to support this podcast and others, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or Producer
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.
Researched, written, hosted, and produced by Micheal Whelan
Additional research and writing by Amelia White
If you would like to support this podcast and others, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or Producer
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, y'all, it's Michael. We're taking a brief break from
our Butcher Baker series this week in order to catch
up on some stories that have seen some major breakthroughs.
But fretnt. We'll be back next week with another new
episode in that series. Until then, though, enjoy what should
be the first of two major case updates. Crystal Rogers,
(00:23):
a thirty five year old mother of five from Bardstown, Kentucky,
vanished over the Fourth of July weekend in twenty fifteen.
She was last seen on the evening of July third,
twenty fifteen, at the farm owned by her boyfriend Brooks
Hawke's family. Two days later, Rogers maroon Chevy was discovered
abandoned along the Bluegrass Parkway with a flat tire, her keys, purse,
(00:45):
and cell phone still inside. The disappearance immediately struck Cristel's
family as suspicious. She would never willingly leave her children behind,
and the circumstances pointed two foul play. Her mother, Sherry Ballard,
reported Cristel missing on July fifth. After Cristel failed to
show up for a Fourth of July gathering, early investigative
(01:05):
efforts quickly honed in on Brooks Houck, Cristel's live in
boyfriend and father of her youngest child. Just days after
Cristel went missing, Nelson County Sheriff's detectives brought Brooks Howck
in for questioning. During that interview, which took place on
July eighth, an extraordinary event occurred. Brooks's brother, Nick Hawk,
who was then an officer with the Bardstown Police, called
(01:28):
him in the middle of the interrogation to warn him
not to cooperate with investigators. Investigators later revealed that Nick
Hawk also failed a polygraph test when questioned about Crystal
rodgers disappearance. Suspicions deepened as law enforcement searched the Hawk
family farm multiple times in twenty fifteen and sixteen. By
October of that first year, Krystel Rogers was presumed dead
(01:50):
by authorities, and Brooks Houck was publicly named the main
suspect in her disappearance. However, despite mounting circumstantial evidence and
community suspicion, no arrest were made at that time. The
case went cold for several years, leaving Cristel's family in
agonizing limbo. Tragically, the saga only grew more haunting. On
(02:11):
November nineteenth, twenty sixteen, Cristel's father, Tommy Ballard, who had
been relentlessly searching for his daughter and pushing for answers,
was shot and killed while hunting. His death remains unsolved
to this day. The dual tragedies, both Cristel's disappearance and
her father's murder, garnered national attention and cast a spotlight
(02:31):
on a string of unsolved cases in this small town.
Over the next several years, Cristel's case was featured on
true crime TV programs and podcasts, including this one, and
the community rallied around the Ballard family with vigils, billboards,
and eighteen Crystal movement to keep her story alive. It
wasn't until twenty twenty that the investigation seemed to gain
(02:53):
some new momentum. The FBI's Louisville Field Office took over
the case in August of that year, launching Operation and
Justice Rising to finally crack the mystery. Federal agents, along
with state and local police, executed numerous search warrants at
properties tied to the Hawk family. In twenty twenty one,
a search of a subdivision built by Hawke's company uncovered
(03:14):
unidentified items of interest. Another extensive search of the Hawk
family farm in twenty twenty two brought additional evidence to light,
though authorities kept specifics under wraps. By early twenty twenty three,
the Kentucky Attorney General appointed a special prosecutor, Shane Young,
to lead the Rogers case, as well as investigations into
the murder of Tommy Ballard and the other Bardstown cases
(03:37):
that I've also covered on this podcast. After years of frustration,
there were finally signs of a breakthrough. The stage was
being set for long awaited arrest. Behind the scenes, a
Nelson County grand jury had been hearing evidence in Crystal
(03:59):
Rogers case. On June twenty first, twenty twenty three, the
grand jury issued a sealed indictment charging a local man
named Joseph L. Lawson with conspiracy to commit murder and
tampering with physical evidence in connection to Cristel's killing. Lawson's
name was not widely known to the public at the time,
but he would soon be revealed as a key accomplice.
(04:20):
On August fifteenth, Kentucky State Police arrested the thirty two
year old Joseph Lawson on those charges. It was the
first concrete move toward justice in Cristel's case in eight years,
and it hinted that investigators believed multiple people were involved
in a conspiracy of sorts. Less than two months later,
the long awaited arrest of Cristel's former boyfriend finally happened.
(04:43):
On September twenty seventh, twenty twenty three, FBI agents swarmed
brooks House's home and took him into custody, charging the
forty one year old with murder via complicity and tampering
with evidence. The arrest was a bombshell moment for the
Bardstown community. Howg had lived under a cloud of suspicion
since twenty fifteen, but had adamantly maintained his innocence in
(05:04):
media interviews and to law enforcement. Now he was in jail,
accused of orchestrating the murder of the mother of his child.
The charges of complicity indicated prosecutors believed how did not
act alone in carrying out the crime, a fact underscored
by Lawson's indictment and hints of other co conspirators, and
soon another arrest followed. On December eighth of twenty twenty three,
(05:28):
Lawson's father, Stephen or Steve Lawson, aged seventy, was arrested
and charged with the same counts of conspiracy to murder
and evidence tampering the elder. Lawson's role, as would later
emerge in court, was allegedly to help cover up the crime.
In fact, during Steve Lawson's subsequent trial, he admitted that
on the night Cristel disappeared back in twenty fifteen, he
(05:49):
picked up his son Joseph along the Bluegrass Parkway while
Joseph was in the process of moving Crystel's car after
it had been left with a flat tire. This stunning
admission confirmed a long held theory Cristel's red Chevrolet hadn't
mysteriously broken down on the roadside by chance. It was
deliberately staged there by the conspirators, and an unfortunately timed
(06:10):
flat tire foiled their perfect cover up plan, forcing Steve
Lawson to retrieve his son and inadvertently leave a trail.
As Commonwealth Attorney Shane Young later remarked in court, they
planned it. It was almost perfect until the tire went
flat and Steve Lawson made a call with the arrest
of Brooks. How and the Lawsons prosecutors were now outlining
(06:32):
a murderous plot born of both greed and personal motive.
Brooks how they alleged wanted Cristel gone to avoid a
breakup and a custody battle over their young son Eli.
He enlisted help to eliminate Cristel, even allegedly offering a
sum of fifty thousand dollars for the deed. In the
words of Shane Young, the prosecutor, fifty thousand dollars, that's
(06:53):
what she was worth. That's it. A chilling indication of
how little Cristel's life meant to the conspirators, who treated
her as nothing more than an obstacle to be removed.
By paying others to help and involving his own family,
Houck sentenced Cristel's kids to life without a mother. Young
told the jurors emphasizing the devastating impact on her children.
(07:15):
All three defendants pleaded not guilty, setting the stage four trials.
Given the intense pre trial publicity in Nelson County, defense
attorneys successfully motioned for a change of venue, moving the
proceedings ninety miles away to Bowling Green, Kentucky. They also
sought to sever the trials. The elder Steve Lawson, who
had made incriminating statements, was tried separately to avoid prejudicing
(07:38):
the case against Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson. By late
spring twenty twenty five, nearly a decade after Cristel's disappearance,
the cases were finally before jury's. Steve Lawson would go first,
followed by the main event Kentucky Versus Brooks Houck and
Joseph Lawson. In May twenty twenty five, Steve Lawson faced
(08:01):
a jury on the conspiracy and tampering charges. Over four
days of testimony, jurors heard how Lawson had participated in
disposing of Cristel's car and later led to investigators for
years about his involvement. The prosecution portrayed him as a
willing participant in covering up the murder of a young mother.
While Lawson took the stand to insist he never knew
of a plan to kill Cristel and was not present
(08:23):
at her death. He did, however, concede that he did
not want to man up and admit his actions in
moving the car, expressing regret for not coming forward sooner.
It took the jury less than three hours to convict
him on May thirtieth, twenty twenty five. They recommended seventeen
years in prison for the seventy year old Lawson the
maximum for the charges. This verdict marked the first conviction
(08:46):
in the Rogers case and set the stage for the
much anticipated trial of the alleged mastermind and his younger accomplice.
On June twenty fourth, twenty twenty five, the joint trial
of Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson began in Warren County.
Over the next two weeks, prosecutors methodically presented the puzzle
pieces of a circumstantial case that had taken about a
(09:06):
decade to assemble. More than forty witnesses testified and over
seventy exhibits were introduced into evidence. It was a trial
with significant challenges. Cristel's body had never been found, and
there was no confirmed crime scene or DNA evidence linking
Brooks House to the murder. The defense latched onto these points,
arguing that you can't really prove a murder without a
(09:28):
body or forensic proof of a crime taking place. But
the prosecution countered with a trove of circumstantial evidence, especially
focusing on cell phone data and inconsistencies in Howke's alibi.
Investigators testified that Brooks Houke's timeline of his whereabouts on
July third, twenty fifteen, the day Crystal vanished, simply did
not hold up under scrutiny. Houck had told police he
(09:51):
spent that day running errands and visiting family, but cell
phone tower pings and interviews with the people he claimed
to see blew his shoddy timeline out of the water.
Phone records placed brooks Howke's cell phone at or near
the family farm at key times, rather than where he
said it was. Meanwhile, other witnesses refuted Brooks's claims of
routine activity, undermining his credibility. The implication was that Brooks
(10:15):
was at the scene of the crime, the family farm
when Cristel was likely killed, and that he lied about
his actions to cover up his tracks. Prosecutors painted a
picture of a premeditated murder plot driven by Brooks Houck,
who did not want to lose Eli, the toddler's son
that he shared with Cristel. They alleged that Brooks Houke
was desperate to avoid a break up in which Cristel
(10:36):
might take their son or force him into a custody fight,
and possibly to avoid financial obligations to her. In this narrative,
Hawk recruited Joseph Lawson, and prosecutors suggested even more of
his own family to help eliminate Cristel and dispose of evidence.
The jury heard about the staging of Cristel's car on
the Parkway, and although jurors in this trial did not
(10:57):
hear directly from Steve Lawson, who again tried separately, evidence
was introduced to show that Joseph Lawson was indeed involved
in moving Cristel's vehicle the night that she vanished. The
prosecution acknowledged their lack of smoking gun physical evidence, but
urged the jury to see the totality of the circumstantial
proof as compelling and cohesive. Special Prosecutor Shane Young delivered
(11:19):
passionate arguments, characterizing the crime as coldly calculated, stating, to me,
the highest level of murder you can commit is premeditated.
That's what happened here. Young emphasized that Cristel Roger's death
was not an accident or spur of the moment act.
He argued that Brooks, Howck and as co conspirators, thought
they had committed the perfect crime, but small mistakes like
(11:42):
the flat tire unraveled their scheme, and while no body
had ever been found. Young reminded jurors that Cristel's children
had effectively lost their mother forever due to nothing more
than Brooks Howke's actions. He later said of how he
took the most precious thing in the world away from them.
She meant nothing to him. Those kids meant nothing to him.
(12:05):
The defense, for its part, attempted to sow reasonable doubt.
Hawke's attorneys stressed that investigators had scoured the Hawk family
farm and other properties multiple times without finding Crystal's remains.
They noted that despite dozens of searches over the past decade,
authorities recovered no forensic evidence like blood or DNA linking
Howk directly to the murder or simply a murder. The
(12:28):
defense suggested that if Crystal truly wore killed at the
farm or by Hawke's hand, some trace would have turned up.
They also pointed out that Roger's cause of death was
unknown without a body, implying uncertainty about what really happened.
In the defense's case. Hawk's sister, Rnda macklvoy, took the
stand to insist that neither she nor her brother had
(12:48):
any part in harming Crystal, and a key nine search
expert was called in an effort to downplay any cadaver
DOOG alerts from prior searches. These moves aimed to undercut
the prosecution's theory and reinforce them the notion that Cristel
might not even be deceased, though few in the courtroom
likely gave that possibility much credence. After all, the testimony,
Joseph Lawson's defense strategy aligned with brooks House on the
(13:11):
core question of guilt. Both men denied any involvement, but
also diverged in painting Joseph as a minor participant if
the jury did believe a conspiracy occurred. Joseph's attorney highlighted
that Lawson struggled in life, coming from an abusive alcoholic father,
Steve Lawson, and that Joseph is now paraplegic and wheelchair
bound due to an unrelated accident that took place after
(13:34):
Cristel's disappearance. This detail was not offered to excuse a crime,
but perhaps to elicit juror sympathy, suggesting that Joseph posed
no future threat and had already suffered in life. It
was a prelude to the sentencing phase, but it also
subtly underscored that physically, Joseph could not have directly harmed
anyone in his current condition, though of course his injury
(13:56):
occurred years after twenty fifteen. After roughly ten days of testimony,
the case went to the jury. Twelve jurors, six men
and six women, deliberated for about four hours on July eighth,
twenty twenty five before reaching a verdict. Despite the defense's efforts,
the circumstantial web woven by prosecutors clearly convinced the panel.
(14:18):
They found Brooks Howke guilty of murder and guilty of
tampering with physical evidence, exactly what prosecutors had charged. Co
defendant Joseph Lawson was also found guilty of conspiracy to
commit murder and of evidence tampering as well. All charges
resulted in guilty verdicts, a clean sweep for the prosecution,
and a resounding validation of the case built up over
(14:41):
so many years. When Judge Charles Simms announced the verdicts
in the Warren County courtroom, an audible gasp rippled through
those in attendance for Cristel's family, who had filled up
the gallery every day. The moment was overwhelming Cristel's mother,
Sherry Ballard, and her other children hugged one another, sobbing
with relief that justice had finally been served. In contrast,
(15:04):
brooks House showed no visible emotion, staring straight ahead as
he had throughout most of the trial. The now forty
three year old, who had arrogantly proclaimed his innocence for
a decade, now stood as a convicted murderer. Joseph Lawson,
thirty four, sat impassively in his wheelchair, similarly stone faced
as his fate was declared. The trial moved immediately into
(15:26):
a brief penalty phase so that jurors could recommend sentences
for the two men. Prosecutors called two witnesses to testify
to the impact of Cristel's loss. One was Cristel's twenty
eight year old daughter, Kylie Fenwick, who had been just
eighteen when her mother disappeared, and was in fact the
last family member to see Cristel alive back in twenty fifteen.
(15:46):
Taking the stand, Kylie spoke through tears about growing up
without her mom. I have waited a long time for this.
I just want you all to be fair and go
with what's in your heart. Kylie described how her baby brother,
Cristel's son with Brook's Houck had been taken from the
Ballard family orbit after Crystal vanished, with Brooks retaining custody
of little Eli, and how she herself had to navigate
(16:08):
adulthood without a mother's guidance. On the other side, the
defense presented mitigating factors in hopes of mercy. Brooks Howke's
attorney noted that Houck had no prior criminal record and
had been a productive citizen a property developer before these events.
He was a college graduate, and the attorney argued a
devoted father to his young son. The irony of that
(16:29):
claim was not lost on observers, given what how did
the child's mother. Joseph Lawson's lawyer, Kevin Coleman, focused on
Lawson's troubled background, an upbringing with a terrible role model
in his father, Steve, some early drug abuse, and now
life in a wheelchair as reasons to show leniency. The
defense asked jurors to consider recommending the minimum or something
(16:51):
close to it, about twenty years for Brooks Howck, the
minimum for murder before parole eligibility, and significantly less for
Joseph Loae. Special prosecutor Shane Young, however, urged the jury
to give no quarter to either man, emphasizing the heinousness
of a calculated killing. Young's voice rose in righteous indignation
(17:11):
as he described how how could sentenced these kids to
life without their mother by murdering Crystal. He reminded the
jurors that Crystal Rogers mattered to her family, to her community,
even if she meant nothing to the defendants. Young argued
that the appropriate punishment for a premeditated, cold blooded crime
was the maximum aloud in a fiery closing, he implored,
(17:34):
don't take pity on him, don't take mercy on him.
For how Kentucky law provided a sentencing range of twenty
years to life for murder, and Young firmly pressed for
life in prison. For Joseph Lawson, facing a Class B
felony for conspiracy to murder, The cap was twenty years,
and Young wanted the full twenty plus the maximum five
(17:54):
years for the tampering count, totaling twenty five. Anything less,
he suggested, would diminish the justice that Christel Rogers deserved.
It did not take long for the jury to decide,
after a mere seven minutes of deliberation in the penalty phase,
jurors returned to the courtroom. Their recommendation was life in
prison for brooks Houck and a combined twenty five years
(18:15):
for Joseph Lawson. The twenty for conspiracy in the five
for evidence tampering were to run consecutively. These were the
maximum sentences under the law and exactly what the prosecution sought.
As that pronouncement was read, an audible sigh of relief
swept through Cristel's supporters. Even members of the jury who
had been stonefaced throughout appeared to be moved. They had
(18:37):
given Cristel's family everything they asked for. Under Kentucky law,
a life term means that brooks Houck will not be
eligible for parole until he has served at least twenty
years behind bars, or eighty five percent of a life sentence.
For Joseph Lawson, twenty five years means that he'll serve
at least about twenty one before any possibility of release.
In effect, brooks Howke, now forty three, will be in
(18:59):
his sixties at the very earliest possible parole date, and
Joseph Lawson, thirty four, will be in his fifties. But
given the gravity of the crime and the publicity. It's
quite possible that neither man will ever walk free again.
As the courtroom emptied out, reporters noted an interesting detail.
Two people conspicuously absent from the defensive side were Rosemary Hauk,
(19:20):
Brook's mother, and Nick Hawk, his brother, the very family
members that prosecutors had named during the trial as unindicted
co conspirators who helped plan or cover up Cristel's fate.
Neither Rosemary nor Nick has ever been charged in the case,
but their names were invoked as complicit actors. Both did
attend parts of the trial. Rosemary Hauke even took the
(19:41):
stand briefly for the defense, and she abruptly left the
courtroom once the sentencing verdict was delivered. The insinuation hung
in the air that more people bore responsibility for Cristel's
death than those who were convicted. Nevertheless, for the Ballard family,
seeing Brooks, Houck, and Shackles definitively branded a murderer was
a hard won triumph. Outside the courthouse in Bowling Green,
(20:03):
Cristel's family thanked the jurors and investigators. Kentucky's Attorney General,
Russell Coleman, whose office oversaw. The prosecution lauded the verdict,
attributing it to the dedication of justice by law enforcement
and the tenacity of the Rogers family to never give up.
The FBI's Louisville office also issued a statement highlighting the
countless hours conducting interviews and searches, analyzing evidence, and collaborating
(20:28):
among agencies since twenty twenty to crack this case. The
FBI's statement read, we hope this outcome brings some semblance
of peace to Cristel's family and the larger Bardstown community.
Back in Bardstown, on the evening of the verdict, a
sense of vindication and unity swept through the small town.
(20:52):
Words spread quickly that the jury returned guilty verdicts on
all counts. As Cristel's mother, Sherry Ballard, and other relatives
drove home from Bulllid Green, they were greeted by an
impromptu roadside gathering of supporters. Dozens of locals donned pink shirts,
Crystal's favorite color, and line the sidewalks along Bardstown's main
street to welcome the family back. Various signs bore messages
(21:15):
like truth winds and justice for Crystal. In The crowd
was Cristel's friend Pam Kurtzinger, who had helped organize community
searches over the years. She later said, smiling through tears,
I feel wonderful right now justice has prevailed. It's a
wonderful day. After ten long years, the community finally saw
an outcome that they had desperately hoped and prayed for.
(21:38):
Many in Bardstown had followed the case from day one,
often referring to Cristel by her first name as if
she were a family member. The trials and verdicts were
deeply personal to them. Pam Kurtzinger noted how many Bardstown
residents banded together to support the Ballards through each agonizing development, adding,
it's been hard for everybody. Everybody's been following this case,
(21:59):
and I'm s so proud of our community. As I've
covered on this podcast prior, this small Kentucky town has
been living under the shadow of Cristel's disappearance for a decade,
and this case, along with others, had become a part
of Bardstown's strange identity. Now, with a small measure of
justice finally achieved, there was a collective sense of relief
(22:19):
and closure. I'm sure some of those in the town
felt like they could finally take a breath, but at
the same time, those closest to Cristel know that the
story is not truly over. Kathy Fenwick, the maternal grandmother
of Cristel's daughter Kylie, described the moment as both happy
and sad. Happy because the perpetrators were held accountable, but
sad because Crystel is still gone. The convictions answered the
(22:43):
who done it and why to an extent, but the
question of where Crystal's remains are still haunts everyone. As
balloons were released and pink ribbons fluttered in Bardstown, supporters
reminded each other that their mission continues. They still want
to bring Crystal home for a proper gooday. Some have
also pointed out that full justice won't be complete until
(23:04):
Tommy Ballard's killer is found. Sherry Ballard lost not only
her daughter but her husband to violence, and the person
who gunned down Tommy in twenty sixteen has never been identified.
Theories continue to linger that Tommy's murder was a calculated
act to silence or punish him for digging into Crystal's case.
With Brooks. Howck and the Lawsons convicted, attention may turn
(23:26):
to resolving Tommy's case, which the Kentucky State Police and
FBI have kept open. The state's Special prosecutor has indicated
that Tommy Ballard's case, as well as the murder of
Bardstown officer Jason Ellis in twenty thirteen, remain under active investigation.
The Bardstown community, while grateful for this week's verdict, continues
to seek answers to those lingering mysteries. While the jury's
(23:56):
recommendations were clear, final sentencing in the Kentucky man murder
case is performed by the judge. Judge Simms formally set
a sentencing hearing for August twenty first, twenty twenty five,
in Nelson County, the original venue, to impose the court's
sentence in line with the jury's decision. At that hearing,
it is expected that brooks How will be officially ordered
(24:17):
to serve life in prison and Joseph Lawson will receive
a twenty five year prison term plus any additional stipulations. Typically,
judges uphold the jury's recommendations in such cases, and there
is little doubt these sentences will stand. As for the elder,
Stephen Lawson, sentencing is scheduled for August six, twenty twenty five,
(24:37):
and he is expected to receive seventeen years as recommended
by his jury. All three men will be remanded to
the Kentucky Department of Corrections to serve their time. How
and Joseph Lawson will likely be eligible for parole considerations
far into the future. Kentucky requires at least eighty five
percent of a sentence to be served for violent crimes,
but the nature of their offenses and the high profile
(24:59):
aspect of the case suggest that any parole board will
be extremely scrutinous if and when that day comes. If Ever,
the defense teams for Brooks, how and Joseph Lawson have
indicated that they will appeal the convictions, something that is
standard in any serious felony case. Likely appellate issues could
include challenges to the venue, though the defense itself asked
for Bowling Green, the admissibility of certain evidence, or the
(25:23):
sufficiency of evidence given the absence of a body. However,
appellate courts historically have upheld convictions in no body homicide
cases when the circumstantial evidence is strong. Shane Young and
his team expressed confidence that the verdicts will withstand appeal,
noting that the jury's swift decision reflected the compelling case
presented for Cristel's family. The coming weeks offer a chance
(25:45):
to finally speak directly to the court and the killers
at the sentencing hearings. Victim impacts statements will allow them
to tell the judge and Brooks how exactly what Cristel
meant to them and how her loss has devastated their lives.
It will no doubt be an emotional clement nation of
a ten year struggle for answers. Even after sentencing, One
crucial piece of the puzzle remains finding Cristal's body. Authorities
(26:10):
have never stopped looking. In September twenty twenty four, for instance,
the FBI conducted a three day search of a local
creek and woods in Nelson County based on new leads.
That search, like others before, it did not publicly report
significant findings. With the trial over. However, there is hope
that someone with knowledge of the disposal of Crystal's remains
(26:30):
might finally come forward. Investigators have hinted that certain individuals
no more than they've ever admitted, a likely reference to
uncharged co conspirators or witnesses who were afraid to speak up.
While hawk remained powerful in the community. Now that he
is a convicted murderer sitting behind bars, the balance of
fear may shift. The Ballard family has expressed that the
(26:51):
final piece they seek is to be able to lay
Crystal to rest. They have vowed to continue working with
law enforcement until that goal is achieved. As Bardstown marches on,
the convictions of Brooks Howk and his accomplices mark a
turning point. A town that was once defined by unanswered
questions and dark suspicions can now begin to heal, at
least a little bit. Still, as one family friend said,
(27:13):
it's definitely not over yet. We will get justice. Hopefully
in the weeks or months to come, Cristel's remains will
be found and she could finally be put to rest,
and hopefully if anyone else is still out there that
played a part in her disappearance or death, they will
be held accountable for Cristel Rogers loved ones. The next part,
(27:34):
be it the sentencing, the ongoing search for her body,
or the pursuit of answers in her father's murder, will
continue to be fought with the same resilience in faith
that carry them through the last decade. But for now,
at long last, they know the truth of what happened
to Cristel, and they have seen at least some semblance
of justice served. While final sentencing awaits, it seems, at
(27:54):
long last that at least one of the Bardstown mysteries
has finally been resolved,
Hey, y'all, it's Michael. We're taking a brief break from
our Butcher Baker series this week in order to catch
up on some stories that have seen some major breakthroughs.
But fretnt. We'll be back next week with another new
episode in that series. Until then, though, enjoy what should
be the first of two major case updates. Crystal Rogers,
(00:23):
a thirty five year old mother of five from Bardstown, Kentucky,
vanished over the Fourth of July weekend in twenty fifteen.
She was last seen on the evening of July third,
twenty fifteen, at the farm owned by her boyfriend Brooks
Hawke's family. Two days later, Rogers maroon Chevy was discovered
abandoned along the Bluegrass Parkway with a flat tire, her keys, purse,
(00:45):
and cell phone still inside. The disappearance immediately struck Cristel's
family as suspicious. She would never willingly leave her children behind,
and the circumstances pointed two foul play. Her mother, Sherry Ballard,
reported Cristel missing on July fifth. After Cristel failed to
show up for a Fourth of July gathering, early investigative
(01:05):
efforts quickly honed in on Brooks Houck, Cristel's live in
boyfriend and father of her youngest child. Just days after
Cristel went missing, Nelson County Sheriff's detectives brought Brooks Howck
in for questioning. During that interview, which took place on
July eighth, an extraordinary event occurred. Brooks's brother, Nick Hawk,
who was then an officer with the Bardstown Police, called
(01:28):
him in the middle of the interrogation to warn him
not to cooperate with investigators. Investigators later revealed that Nick
Hawk also failed a polygraph test when questioned about Crystal
rodgers disappearance. Suspicions deepened as law enforcement searched the Hawk
family farm multiple times in twenty fifteen and sixteen. By
October of that first year, Krystel Rogers was presumed dead
(01:50):
by authorities, and Brooks Houck was publicly named the main
suspect in her disappearance. However, despite mounting circumstantial evidence and
community suspicion, no arrest were made at that time. The
case went cold for several years, leaving Cristel's family in
agonizing limbo. Tragically, the saga only grew more haunting. On
(02:11):
November nineteenth, twenty sixteen, Cristel's father, Tommy Ballard, who had
been relentlessly searching for his daughter and pushing for answers,
was shot and killed while hunting. His death remains unsolved
to this day. The dual tragedies, both Cristel's disappearance and
her father's murder, garnered national attention and cast a spotlight
(02:31):
on a string of unsolved cases in this small town.
Over the next several years, Cristel's case was featured on
true crime TV programs and podcasts, including this one, and
the community rallied around the Ballard family with vigils, billboards,
and eighteen Crystal movement to keep her story alive. It
wasn't until twenty twenty that the investigation seemed to gain
(02:53):
some new momentum. The FBI's Louisville Field Office took over
the case in August of that year, launching Operation and
Justice Rising to finally crack the mystery. Federal agents, along
with state and local police, executed numerous search warrants at
properties tied to the Hawk family. In twenty twenty one,
a search of a subdivision built by Hawke's company uncovered
(03:14):
unidentified items of interest. Another extensive search of the Hawk
family farm in twenty twenty two brought additional evidence to light,
though authorities kept specifics under wraps. By early twenty twenty three,
the Kentucky Attorney General appointed a special prosecutor, Shane Young,
to lead the Rogers case, as well as investigations into
the murder of Tommy Ballard and the other Bardstown cases
(03:37):
that I've also covered on this podcast. After years of frustration,
there were finally signs of a breakthrough. The stage was
being set for long awaited arrest. Behind the scenes, a
Nelson County grand jury had been hearing evidence in Crystal
(03:59):
Rogers case. On June twenty first, twenty twenty three, the
grand jury issued a sealed indictment charging a local man
named Joseph L. Lawson with conspiracy to commit murder and
tampering with physical evidence in connection to Cristel's killing. Lawson's
name was not widely known to the public at the time,
but he would soon be revealed as a key accomplice.
(04:20):
On August fifteenth, Kentucky State Police arrested the thirty two
year old Joseph Lawson on those charges. It was the
first concrete move toward justice in Cristel's case in eight years,
and it hinted that investigators believed multiple people were involved
in a conspiracy of sorts. Less than two months later,
the long awaited arrest of Cristel's former boyfriend finally happened.
(04:43):
On September twenty seventh, twenty twenty three, FBI agents swarmed
brooks House's home and took him into custody, charging the
forty one year old with murder via complicity and tampering
with evidence. The arrest was a bombshell moment for the
Bardstown community. Howg had lived under a cloud of suspicion
since twenty fifteen, but had adamantly maintained his innocence in
(05:04):
media interviews and to law enforcement. Now he was in jail,
accused of orchestrating the murder of the mother of his child.
The charges of complicity indicated prosecutors believed how did not
act alone in carrying out the crime, a fact underscored
by Lawson's indictment and hints of other co conspirators, and
soon another arrest followed. On December eighth of twenty twenty three,
(05:28):
Lawson's father, Stephen or Steve Lawson, aged seventy, was arrested
and charged with the same counts of conspiracy to murder
and evidence tampering the elder. Lawson's role, as would later
emerge in court, was allegedly to help cover up the crime.
In fact, during Steve Lawson's subsequent trial, he admitted that
on the night Cristel disappeared back in twenty fifteen, he
(05:49):
picked up his son Joseph along the Bluegrass Parkway while
Joseph was in the process of moving Crystel's car after
it had been left with a flat tire. This stunning
admission confirmed a long held theory Cristel's red Chevrolet hadn't
mysteriously broken down on the roadside by chance. It was
deliberately staged there by the conspirators, and an unfortunately timed
(06:10):
flat tire foiled their perfect cover up plan, forcing Steve
Lawson to retrieve his son and inadvertently leave a trail.
As Commonwealth Attorney Shane Young later remarked in court, they
planned it. It was almost perfect until the tire went
flat and Steve Lawson made a call with the arrest
of Brooks. How and the Lawsons prosecutors were now outlining
(06:32):
a murderous plot born of both greed and personal motive.
Brooks how they alleged wanted Cristel gone to avoid a
breakup and a custody battle over their young son Eli.
He enlisted help to eliminate Cristel, even allegedly offering a
sum of fifty thousand dollars for the deed. In the
words of Shane Young, the prosecutor, fifty thousand dollars, that's
(06:53):
what she was worth. That's it. A chilling indication of
how little Cristel's life meant to the conspirators, who treated
her as nothing more than an obstacle to be removed.
By paying others to help and involving his own family,
Houck sentenced Cristel's kids to life without a mother. Young
told the jurors emphasizing the devastating impact on her children.
(07:15):
All three defendants pleaded not guilty, setting the stage four trials.
Given the intense pre trial publicity in Nelson County, defense
attorneys successfully motioned for a change of venue, moving the
proceedings ninety miles away to Bowling Green, Kentucky. They also
sought to sever the trials. The elder Steve Lawson, who
had made incriminating statements, was tried separately to avoid prejudicing
(07:38):
the case against Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson. By late
spring twenty twenty five, nearly a decade after Cristel's disappearance,
the cases were finally before jury's. Steve Lawson would go first,
followed by the main event Kentucky Versus Brooks Houck and
Joseph Lawson. In May twenty twenty five, Steve Lawson faced
(08:01):
a jury on the conspiracy and tampering charges. Over four
days of testimony, jurors heard how Lawson had participated in
disposing of Cristel's car and later led to investigators for
years about his involvement. The prosecution portrayed him as a
willing participant in covering up the murder of a young mother.
While Lawson took the stand to insist he never knew
of a plan to kill Cristel and was not present
(08:23):
at her death. He did, however, concede that he did
not want to man up and admit his actions in
moving the car, expressing regret for not coming forward sooner.
It took the jury less than three hours to convict
him on May thirtieth, twenty twenty five. They recommended seventeen
years in prison for the seventy year old Lawson the
maximum for the charges. This verdict marked the first conviction
(08:46):
in the Rogers case and set the stage for the
much anticipated trial of the alleged mastermind and his younger accomplice.
On June twenty fourth, twenty twenty five, the joint trial
of Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson began in Warren County.
Over the next two weeks, prosecutors methodically presented the puzzle
pieces of a circumstantial case that had taken about a
(09:06):
decade to assemble. More than forty witnesses testified and over
seventy exhibits were introduced into evidence. It was a trial
with significant challenges. Cristel's body had never been found, and
there was no confirmed crime scene or DNA evidence linking
Brooks House to the murder. The defense latched onto these points,
arguing that you can't really prove a murder without a
(09:28):
body or forensic proof of a crime taking place. But
the prosecution countered with a trove of circumstantial evidence, especially
focusing on cell phone data and inconsistencies in Howke's alibi.
Investigators testified that Brooks Houke's timeline of his whereabouts on
July third, twenty fifteen, the day Crystal vanished, simply did
not hold up under scrutiny. Houck had told police he
(09:51):
spent that day running errands and visiting family, but cell
phone tower pings and interviews with the people he claimed
to see blew his shoddy timeline out of the water.
Phone records placed brooks Howke's cell phone at or near
the family farm at key times, rather than where he
said it was. Meanwhile, other witnesses refuted Brooks's claims of
routine activity, undermining his credibility. The implication was that Brooks
(10:15):
was at the scene of the crime, the family farm
when Cristel was likely killed, and that he lied about
his actions to cover up his tracks. Prosecutors painted a
picture of a premeditated murder plot driven by Brooks Houck,
who did not want to lose Eli, the toddler's son
that he shared with Cristel. They alleged that Brooks Houke
was desperate to avoid a break up in which Cristel
(10:36):
might take their son or force him into a custody fight,
and possibly to avoid financial obligations to her. In this narrative,
Hawk recruited Joseph Lawson, and prosecutors suggested even more of
his own family to help eliminate Cristel and dispose of evidence.
The jury heard about the staging of Cristel's car on
the Parkway, and although jurors in this trial did not
(10:57):
hear directly from Steve Lawson, who again tried separately, evidence
was introduced to show that Joseph Lawson was indeed involved
in moving Cristel's vehicle the night that she vanished. The
prosecution acknowledged their lack of smoking gun physical evidence, but
urged the jury to see the totality of the circumstantial
proof as compelling and cohesive. Special Prosecutor Shane Young delivered
(11:19):
passionate arguments, characterizing the crime as coldly calculated, stating, to me,
the highest level of murder you can commit is premeditated.
That's what happened here. Young emphasized that Cristel Roger's death
was not an accident or spur of the moment act.
He argued that Brooks, Howck and as co conspirators, thought
they had committed the perfect crime, but small mistakes like
(11:42):
the flat tire unraveled their scheme, and while no body
had ever been found. Young reminded jurors that Cristel's children
had effectively lost their mother forever due to nothing more
than Brooks Howke's actions. He later said of how he
took the most precious thing in the world away from them.
She meant nothing to him. Those kids meant nothing to him.
(12:05):
The defense, for its part, attempted to sow reasonable doubt.
Hawke's attorneys stressed that investigators had scoured the Hawk family
farm and other properties multiple times without finding Crystal's remains.
They noted that despite dozens of searches over the past decade,
authorities recovered no forensic evidence like blood or DNA linking
Howk directly to the murder or simply a murder. The
(12:28):
defense suggested that if Crystal truly wore killed at the
farm or by Hawke's hand, some trace would have turned up.
They also pointed out that Roger's cause of death was
unknown without a body, implying uncertainty about what really happened.
In the defense's case. Hawk's sister, Rnda macklvoy, took the
stand to insist that neither she nor her brother had
(12:48):
any part in harming Crystal, and a key nine search
expert was called in an effort to downplay any cadaver
DOOG alerts from prior searches. These moves aimed to undercut
the prosecution's theory and reinforce them the notion that Cristel
might not even be deceased, though few in the courtroom
likely gave that possibility much credence. After all, the testimony,
Joseph Lawson's defense strategy aligned with brooks House on the
(13:11):
core question of guilt. Both men denied any involvement, but
also diverged in painting Joseph as a minor participant if
the jury did believe a conspiracy occurred. Joseph's attorney highlighted
that Lawson struggled in life, coming from an abusive alcoholic father,
Steve Lawson, and that Joseph is now paraplegic and wheelchair
bound due to an unrelated accident that took place after
(13:34):
Cristel's disappearance. This detail was not offered to excuse a crime,
but perhaps to elicit juror sympathy, suggesting that Joseph posed
no future threat and had already suffered in life. It
was a prelude to the sentencing phase, but it also
subtly underscored that physically, Joseph could not have directly harmed
anyone in his current condition, though of course his injury
(13:56):
occurred years after twenty fifteen. After roughly ten days of testimony,
the case went to the jury. Twelve jurors, six men
and six women, deliberated for about four hours on July eighth,
twenty twenty five before reaching a verdict. Despite the defense's efforts,
the circumstantial web woven by prosecutors clearly convinced the panel.
(14:18):
They found Brooks Howke guilty of murder and guilty of
tampering with physical evidence, exactly what prosecutors had charged. Co
defendant Joseph Lawson was also found guilty of conspiracy to
commit murder and of evidence tampering as well. All charges
resulted in guilty verdicts, a clean sweep for the prosecution,
and a resounding validation of the case built up over
(14:41):
so many years. When Judge Charles Simms announced the verdicts
in the Warren County courtroom, an audible gasp rippled through
those in attendance for Cristel's family, who had filled up
the gallery every day. The moment was overwhelming Cristel's mother,
Sherry Ballard, and her other children hugged one another, sobbing
with relief that justice had finally been served. In contrast,
(15:04):
brooks House showed no visible emotion, staring straight ahead as
he had throughout most of the trial. The now forty
three year old, who had arrogantly proclaimed his innocence for
a decade, now stood as a convicted murderer. Joseph Lawson,
thirty four, sat impassively in his wheelchair, similarly stone faced
as his fate was declared. The trial moved immediately into
(15:26):
a brief penalty phase so that jurors could recommend sentences
for the two men. Prosecutors called two witnesses to testify
to the impact of Cristel's loss. One was Cristel's twenty
eight year old daughter, Kylie Fenwick, who had been just
eighteen when her mother disappeared, and was in fact the
last family member to see Cristel alive back in twenty fifteen.
(15:46):
Taking the stand, Kylie spoke through tears about growing up
without her mom. I have waited a long time for this.
I just want you all to be fair and go
with what's in your heart. Kylie described how her baby brother,
Cristel's son with Brook's Houck had been taken from the
Ballard family orbit after Crystal vanished, with Brooks retaining custody
of little Eli, and how she herself had to navigate
(16:08):
adulthood without a mother's guidance. On the other side, the
defense presented mitigating factors in hopes of mercy. Brooks Howke's
attorney noted that Houck had no prior criminal record and
had been a productive citizen a property developer before these events.
He was a college graduate, and the attorney argued a
devoted father to his young son. The irony of that
(16:29):
claim was not lost on observers, given what how did
the child's mother. Joseph Lawson's lawyer, Kevin Coleman, focused on
Lawson's troubled background, an upbringing with a terrible role model
in his father, Steve, some early drug abuse, and now
life in a wheelchair as reasons to show leniency. The
defense asked jurors to consider recommending the minimum or something
(16:51):
close to it, about twenty years for Brooks Howck, the
minimum for murder before parole eligibility, and significantly less for
Joseph Loae. Special prosecutor Shane Young, however, urged the jury
to give no quarter to either man, emphasizing the heinousness
of a calculated killing. Young's voice rose in righteous indignation
(17:11):
as he described how how could sentenced these kids to
life without their mother by murdering Crystal. He reminded the
jurors that Crystal Rogers mattered to her family, to her community,
even if she meant nothing to the defendants. Young argued
that the appropriate punishment for a premeditated, cold blooded crime
was the maximum aloud in a fiery closing, he implored,
(17:34):
don't take pity on him, don't take mercy on him.
For how Kentucky law provided a sentencing range of twenty
years to life for murder, and Young firmly pressed for
life in prison. For Joseph Lawson, facing a Class B
felony for conspiracy to murder, The cap was twenty years,
and Young wanted the full twenty plus the maximum five
(17:54):
years for the tampering count, totaling twenty five. Anything less,
he suggested, would diminish the justice that Christel Rogers deserved.
It did not take long for the jury to decide,
after a mere seven minutes of deliberation in the penalty phase,
jurors returned to the courtroom. Their recommendation was life in
prison for brooks Houck and a combined twenty five years
(18:15):
for Joseph Lawson. The twenty for conspiracy in the five
for evidence tampering were to run consecutively. These were the
maximum sentences under the law and exactly what the prosecution sought.
As that pronouncement was read, an audible sigh of relief
swept through Cristel's supporters. Even members of the jury who
had been stonefaced throughout appeared to be moved. They had
(18:37):
given Cristel's family everything they asked for. Under Kentucky law,
a life term means that brooks Houck will not be
eligible for parole until he has served at least twenty
years behind bars, or eighty five percent of a life sentence.
For Joseph Lawson, twenty five years means that he'll serve
at least about twenty one before any possibility of release.
In effect, brooks Howke, now forty three, will be in
(18:59):
his sixties at the very earliest possible parole date, and
Joseph Lawson, thirty four, will be in his fifties. But
given the gravity of the crime and the publicity. It's
quite possible that neither man will ever walk free again.
As the courtroom emptied out, reporters noted an interesting detail.
Two people conspicuously absent from the defensive side were Rosemary Hauk,
(19:20):
Brook's mother, and Nick Hawk, his brother, the very family
members that prosecutors had named during the trial as unindicted
co conspirators who helped plan or cover up Cristel's fate.
Neither Rosemary nor Nick has ever been charged in the case,
but their names were invoked as complicit actors. Both did
attend parts of the trial. Rosemary Hauke even took the
(19:41):
stand briefly for the defense, and she abruptly left the
courtroom once the sentencing verdict was delivered. The insinuation hung
in the air that more people bore responsibility for Cristel's
death than those who were convicted. Nevertheless, for the Ballard family,
seeing Brooks, Houck, and Shackles definitively branded a murderer was
a hard won triumph. Outside the courthouse in Bowling Green,
(20:03):
Cristel's family thanked the jurors and investigators. Kentucky's Attorney General,
Russell Coleman, whose office oversaw. The prosecution lauded the verdict,
attributing it to the dedication of justice by law enforcement
and the tenacity of the Rogers family to never give up.
The FBI's Louisville office also issued a statement highlighting the
countless hours conducting interviews and searches, analyzing evidence, and collaborating
(20:28):
among agencies since twenty twenty to crack this case. The
FBI's statement read, we hope this outcome brings some semblance
of peace to Cristel's family and the larger Bardstown community.
Back in Bardstown, on the evening of the verdict, a
sense of vindication and unity swept through the small town.
(20:52):
Words spread quickly that the jury returned guilty verdicts on
all counts. As Cristel's mother, Sherry Ballard, and other relatives
drove home from Bulllid Green, they were greeted by an
impromptu roadside gathering of supporters. Dozens of locals donned pink shirts,
Crystal's favorite color, and line the sidewalks along Bardstown's main
street to welcome the family back. Various signs bore messages
(21:15):
like truth winds and justice for Crystal. In The crowd
was Cristel's friend Pam Kurtzinger, who had helped organize community
searches over the years. She later said, smiling through tears,
I feel wonderful right now justice has prevailed. It's a
wonderful day. After ten long years, the community finally saw
an outcome that they had desperately hoped and prayed for.
(21:38):
Many in Bardstown had followed the case from day one,
often referring to Cristel by her first name as if
she were a family member. The trials and verdicts were
deeply personal to them. Pam Kurtzinger noted how many Bardstown
residents banded together to support the Ballards through each agonizing development, adding,
it's been hard for everybody. Everybody's been following this case,
(21:59):
and I'm s so proud of our community. As I've
covered on this podcast prior, this small Kentucky town has
been living under the shadow of Cristel's disappearance for a decade,
and this case, along with others, had become a part
of Bardstown's strange identity. Now, with a small measure of
justice finally achieved, there was a collective sense of relief
(22:19):
and closure. I'm sure some of those in the town
felt like they could finally take a breath, but at
the same time, those closest to Cristel know that the
story is not truly over. Kathy Fenwick, the maternal grandmother
of Cristel's daughter Kylie, described the moment as both happy
and sad. Happy because the perpetrators were held accountable, but
sad because Crystel is still gone. The convictions answered the
(22:43):
who done it and why to an extent, but the
question of where Crystal's remains are still haunts everyone. As
balloons were released and pink ribbons fluttered in Bardstown, supporters
reminded each other that their mission continues. They still want
to bring Crystal home for a proper gooday. Some have
also pointed out that full justice won't be complete until
(23:04):
Tommy Ballard's killer is found. Sherry Ballard lost not only
her daughter but her husband to violence, and the person
who gunned down Tommy in twenty sixteen has never been identified.
Theories continue to linger that Tommy's murder was a calculated
act to silence or punish him for digging into Crystal's case.
With Brooks. Howck and the Lawsons convicted, attention may turn
(23:26):
to resolving Tommy's case, which the Kentucky State Police and
FBI have kept open. The state's Special prosecutor has indicated
that Tommy Ballard's case, as well as the murder of
Bardstown officer Jason Ellis in twenty thirteen, remain under active investigation.
The Bardstown community, while grateful for this week's verdict, continues
to seek answers to those lingering mysteries. While the jury's
(23:56):
recommendations were clear, final sentencing in the Kentucky man murder
case is performed by the judge. Judge Simms formally set
a sentencing hearing for August twenty first, twenty twenty five,
in Nelson County, the original venue, to impose the court's
sentence in line with the jury's decision. At that hearing,
it is expected that brooks How will be officially ordered
(24:17):
to serve life in prison and Joseph Lawson will receive
a twenty five year prison term plus any additional stipulations. Typically,
judges uphold the jury's recommendations in such cases, and there
is little doubt these sentences will stand. As for the elder,
Stephen Lawson, sentencing is scheduled for August six, twenty twenty five,
(24:37):
and he is expected to receive seventeen years as recommended
by his jury. All three men will be remanded to
the Kentucky Department of Corrections to serve their time. How
and Joseph Lawson will likely be eligible for parole considerations
far into the future. Kentucky requires at least eighty five
percent of a sentence to be served for violent crimes,
but the nature of their offenses and the high profile
(24:59):
aspect of the case suggest that any parole board will
be extremely scrutinous if and when that day comes. If Ever,
the defense teams for Brooks, how and Joseph Lawson have
indicated that they will appeal the convictions, something that is
standard in any serious felony case. Likely appellate issues could
include challenges to the venue, though the defense itself asked
for Bowling Green, the admissibility of certain evidence, or the
(25:23):
sufficiency of evidence given the absence of a body. However,
appellate courts historically have upheld convictions in no body homicide
cases when the circumstantial evidence is strong. Shane Young and
his team expressed confidence that the verdicts will withstand appeal,
noting that the jury's swift decision reflected the compelling case
presented for Cristel's family. The coming weeks offer a chance
(25:45):
to finally speak directly to the court and the killers
at the sentencing hearings. Victim impacts statements will allow them
to tell the judge and Brooks how exactly what Cristel
meant to them and how her loss has devastated their lives.
It will no doubt be an emotional clement nation of
a ten year struggle for answers. Even after sentencing, One
crucial piece of the puzzle remains finding Cristal's body. Authorities
(26:10):
have never stopped looking. In September twenty twenty four, for instance,
the FBI conducted a three day search of a local
creek and woods in Nelson County based on new leads.
That search, like others before, it did not publicly report
significant findings. With the trial over. However, there is hope
that someone with knowledge of the disposal of Crystal's remains
(26:30):
might finally come forward. Investigators have hinted that certain individuals
no more than they've ever admitted, a likely reference to
uncharged co conspirators or witnesses who were afraid to speak up.
While hawk remained powerful in the community. Now that he
is a convicted murderer sitting behind bars, the balance of
fear may shift. The Ballard family has expressed that the
(26:51):
final piece they seek is to be able to lay
Crystal to rest. They have vowed to continue working with
law enforcement until that goal is achieved. As Bardstown marches on,
the convictions of Brooks Howk and his accomplices mark a
turning point. A town that was once defined by unanswered
questions and dark suspicions can now begin to heal, at
least a little bit. Still, as one family friend said,
(27:13):
it's definitely not over yet. We will get justice. Hopefully
in the weeks or months to come, Cristel's remains will
be found and she could finally be put to rest,
and hopefully if anyone else is still out there that
played a part in her disappearance or death, they will
be held accountable for Cristel Rogers loved ones. The next part,
(27:34):
be it the sentencing, the ongoing search for her body,
or the pursuit of answers in her father's murder, will
continue to be fought with the same resilience in faith
that carry them through the last decade. But for now,
at long last, they know the truth of what happened
to Cristel, and they have seen at least some semblance
of justice served. While final sentencing awaits, it seems, at
(27:54):
long last that at least one of the Bardstown mysteries
has finally been resolved,
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