Convicted Brooks Houck Files Appeal to Kentucky Supreme Court in Crystal Rogers Murder Case

Brooks Houck, convicted of the 2015 murder of Bardstown mother Crystal Rogers and sentenced to life in prison, has filed an appeal with the Kentucky Supreme Court challenging his conviction. Houck's attorneys argue he was wrongly denied a new trial, that the presiding judge should have recused himself, and that his trial should not have been consolidated with co-defendant Joseph Lawson's. Joseph Lawson, sentenced to 25 years for conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with evidence, has also filed an appeal, while Steve Lawson, previously sentenced to 17 years, is appealing through the Kentucky Court of Appeals. Rogers disappeared after spending time with Houck, her then-boyfriend, with her car later found abandoned and her body never recovered. The prosecution's case was built on extensive testimony and evidence despite the absence of physical evidence such as a body or murder weapon. Rogers' family remains vigilant, pledging to attend every parole hearing and continue seeking justice.