Family member of Crystal Rogers indicted for threatening Houck trial witness
A relative of Bardstown mother Crystal Rogers has been accused of threatening a witness who testified in the July trial of Brooks Houck, according to court documents.
Ronald Bryan, 67, of Nelson County, was indicted Aug. 6 on a charge of retaliating against a participant in a legal process. Court documents say he threatened to assault the witness at Thompson Food Mart in Bardstown July 21, about two weeks after a jury found Houck guilty of murder — principal or accomplice, and evidence tampering in Rogers’ 2015 disappearance.
Houck was dating Rogers, 35, at the time of her high-profile disappearance. He was the last person to see her alive. She is presumed dead, though her body has never been found.
Bryan is a family member of Rogers, according to WAVE in Louisville.
The witness Bryan allegedly threatened was Thomas “Ritchie” Riggs, a neighbor and coworker of Houck and Rogers. Court documents say Bryan believed Riggs provided false testimony during the trial.
Alcohol was believed to have been involved in the incident, according to court documents.
During court testimony, Riggs accused Houck of cheating on Rogers a few weeks before she was last seen. Riggs also testified Rogers was afraid Houck was going to kick her out of their home.
The jury was instructed by Judge Charles Simms III to disregard the infidelity allegations.
Rogers’ brother, Casey Rogers, posted a statement in the comments section of a Facebook post from the Louisville media outlet. Casey Rogers said the family had nothing to do with the threatening incident and does not support Bryan’s actions.
Bryan was released from custody Sunday after posting a $5,000 bond, according to court records. He is required to have a nightly curfew pending special exceptions, not use drugs or alcohol and stay away from Riggs.
Bryan is scheduled to be arraigned in Nelson Circuit Court Thursday, Aug. 21, the same day as Houck’s sentencing.
Houck faces 20 years to life in prison on the murder charge and up to five years for evidence tampering. Joseph Lawson, 34, was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and evidence tampering during the same trial. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Lawson is also scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 21.
A third suspect, Steven Lawson, 51, the father of Joseph Lawson, was convicted in a previous trial of conspiracy to commit murder and evidence tampering. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison Aug. 6.
This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 12:06 PM.
