Who is Brooks Houck, charged with murder of Crystal Rogers?

Over eight years since Bardstown mother Crystal Rogers disappeared, her former boyfriend Brooks Houck has been charged with her murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection with the case.

While Houck was named a suspect by investigators as early as 2015, criminal charges were not filed against him in the case until September 2023. Houck has denied involvement in Rogers' disappearance.

With his recent arrest, here's what to know about Houck and his connection to the Rogers investigation.

Who is Brooks Houck?

Brooks Houck was Rogers' boyfriend at the time she went missing on July 3, 2015, from Bardstown. Houck had told officers he'd last seen Rogers alive when they visited his family's farm the night before she disappeared.

After Rogers was reported missing, her car was soon found abandoned on the Bluegrass Parkway with her keys, phone and purse still inside.

Rogers, 35, is a mother to five children, with her youngest child being shared with Houck.

Houck is involved in the real estate business. He is listed as the registered agent for Houck Rentals, according to the Kentucky Secretary of State's office.

What is Houck charged with in Crystal Rogers' case?

According to court records, Houck is charged with murder "by intentionally or under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life wantonly causing the death of Crystal Rogers." Rogers' body has never been recovered, but she is presumed dead.

Houck also has been charged with tampering with physical evidence.

Houck was arrested "without incident" this month, according to a statement released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In the release, the FBI office said its officers have "been laser-focused on our commitment to hold accountable those that were responsible for the disappearance of Crystal Rogers. Today, we take a significant step in making good on that promise."

What has Rogers' family said about Houck's arrest?

Shortly after charges were filed against Houck, Team Crystal released a statement from Rogers' family via social media. The family thanked lead investigators for their work and requested privacy at this time.

The family continues to "pray that justice is served and we bring Crystal home."

Houck has been ordered not to contact Rogers' family, according to his indictment.

How long has Houck been a suspect in Rogers' disappearance?

In October 2015, then-Nelson County Sheriff Ed Mattingly named Houck as "the sole suspect in her disappearance," as reported by the Nelson County Gazette.

The investigation was initially handled by the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office and Kentucky State Police before the FBI took over the lead investigative role in 2020.

Did the Houck family interfere with the Rogers' investigation?

Houck's brother, Nick, was a police officer with Bardstown Police at the time of Rogers' disappearance and was fired after interfering in the investigation.

The mayor of Bardstown said Nick Houck phoned his brother when he knew Brooks was being interviewed by detectives, warning that his brother "should protect himself," and that investigators "might be trying to trip him up," the Kentucky Standard reported in 2015.

City officials held an administrative hearing on Nick Houck's actions and fired him a day later.

Which properties owned by Houck have been searched by the FBI? What evidence was found?

In August 2020, more than 150 federal agents served search warrants at three sites owned by Houck and his family members. An FBI spokesman said all three had been searched "to various degrees" over the years.

In August 2021, agents searched a subdivision where Houck owns properties. Agents reportedly were using a cadaver dog to search the subdivision and a Courier Journal photographer saw investigators using a jackhammer on the driveway of a home. The driveway was dug up, and large chunks of it were hauled out of the neighborhood in construction trucks.

On Sept. 7, 2021, the FBI announced that the search in Bardstown had ended, with several "items of interest" sent to a lab in Virginia for testing.

Over the past eight years, the Bardstown farm where Rogers was last seen has been a focal point of the investigation, with the most recent search being conducted in late 2022. The land, which sits on 30 acres, is owned by Brooks Houck's mouther.

"We hope that the evidence collected will move our investigation one step closer to holding accountable the individual(s) responsible for Crystal Rogers’ disappearance," the agency wrote in an October 2022 tweet. "FBI Louisville, and all of our law enforcement partners, are committed to successfully resolving this case and giving Crystal’s family peace, and more importantly justice."

No further information has been released on the evidence collected from these searches.

Does Houck know Joseph Lawson?

Weeks before charges were filed against Houck, a man named Joseph Lawson was arrested in Nelson County and charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence, in connection with the Rogers' disappearance Lawson's attorney, Kevin Coleman, declined to offer any further comment when contacted by The Courier Journal.

Lawson, 32, was the first person arrested in connection with Rogers' disappearance.

Lawson's name had not surfaced publicly in the investigation before his arrest. But WHAS reported that Houck referred to an employee named Steve Lawson previously when interrogated by the Nelson County Sheriff's Office. The Courier Journal has not been able to confirm any relation between the two Lawsons.

When will Brooks Houck appear in court?

Houck's arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 5, 2023, in Nelson Circuit Court. His bond is set at $10 million.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Brooks Houck arrested: How he connects to Rogers' investigation