Joseph Lawson: Man arrested for Crystal Rogers' murder 8 years after mother-of-five's disappearance
BARDSTOWN, KENTUCKY: In a significant development in the Crystal Rogers case, a man named Joseph Lawson has been arrested eight years after her disappearance.
The 32-year-old man who received a bond set at $500,000 entered a not-guilty plea to his charges on Thursday, September 7, reported People.
What are the charges against Joseph Lawson?
Lawson faces charges of murder and tampering with physical evidence and is currently being held at the Grayson County Detention Center, as per jail records reviewed by the outlet.
Lawson has been charged with a crime in Nelson County committed on July 3 and/or July 4, 2015, when he "agreed to aid one or more persons in the planning or commission of the crime or an attempt or solicitation to commit the crime when he, and/or, a co-conspirator intentionally caused the death of another."
Speaking to LEX 18, Roger's grandfather Till Ballard said that the FBI informed them of Lawson's arrest.
An HLN docu-series named 'Real Life Nightmare' released in 2021 featured Rogers' case as her disappearance garnered national attention.
What happened to Crystal Rogers?
After Rogers was reported missing, her boyfriend Brooks Houck, who is the father to her son, reportedly told investigators that they slept in the same bed, but she went missing the next morning.
He then emerged as a prime suspect in the case. However, no charges were filed against him.
Houck's brother Nick lost his job at the police department after he was accused of interfering with the investigation.
Since October 2015, the Kentucky mother-of-five has been presumed dead, according to ABC 36.
Crystal Rogers' father was fatally shot years after her disappearance
Rogers’ father Tommy Ballard was fatally shot in 2016 while hunting with his son and 12-year-old grandson.
However, no arrests have been made in connection to Ballard's death.
Sherry Ballard, mother of Rogers', spoke to People in 2020 addressing the tragic incidents that befell the family.
"It’s just, it's always a hard time of year for us. I know people say it gets earlier, [but] it doesn't get easier," she said.
"I don't know where people get that idea...it’s still very hard," Ballard stated tearfully.
She further talked about giving presents to her children in her daughter's memory.
"Every year for Christmas, I always get them gifts but this year I'm wrapping their gifts, especially from their mom," she said at the time.
"I don't usually do that but this year, I am. I mean, I don't want to ruin the day for them, but this year I want them to have something a little extra special from their mom," Ballard added.
