New evidence made public in Crystal Rogers’ KY murder case. Prosecutors request testing
Prosecutors handling the death investigation of missing Bardstown mother Crystal Rogers are asking the court to order testing be done on two hairs found inside Rogers’ vehicle in 2016.
Rogers, a 35-year-old mother from Bardstown, went missing in July 2015. Her body has never been found, but she is presumed dead.
Shortly after she was reported missing, Rogers’ white Buick was found on the side of the Bluegrass Parkway with her phone and wallet inside.
Brooks Houck, Rogers’ former boyfriend, was indicted late last year on charges of murder and evidence tampering, while Steven and Joseph Lawson, a father and son, were indicted on charges of criminal conspiracy to commit murder and complicity to tampering with physical evidence.
All three have pleaded not guilty.
A motion filed Wednesday by prosecutor Shane Young revealed that two hairs found in the driver’s seat and floor of Rogers’ vehicle had not been tested. This was the first time the hair evidence was mentioned publicly.
According to court documents, Kentucky State Police have had the hair evidence since 2016 — years before any suspects were charged.
State police determined the hairs were not similar in characteristics to Rogers’ hair, according to court documents. The hair was sent to the FBI for testing back in 2016, but a court never ordered that testing be allowed.
Young’s motion states Houck and Joseph Lawson have consented to the hair testing. Steven Lawson did not agree to testing, according to court documents.
Prosecutors have arranged for testing to be conducted by BODE Technologies within the next four weeks. The state will pay for the testing, according to Young’s motion.
If a judge agrees the hair should be tested, Young has also requested the court order Steven Lawson to perform a cheek swab to compare DNA.
A judge has already ruled Steven Lawson will have a separate trial from his son and Houck.
Steven Lawson was severed from the joint trial because of statements he made that are inadmissible in court. Nelson County Circuit Judge Charles Simms III said Steven Lawson’s testimony throughout the investigation is best described as “ever-evolving,” and Houck and Joseph Lawson would want to provide explanations for Steven Lawson’s testimony in a joint trial.
Steven Lawson’s trial is scheduled for May 27. Joseph Lawson and Brooks Houck’s trial is scheduled for June 24.
A hearing is scheduled for hear Young’s motion on April 3 at 1:30 p.m.
This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 11:10 AM.
