After convictions in Crystal Rogers case, where does search for father’s killer stand?
Ten years after her disappearance, there’s been a conviction in the presumed murder of Crystal Rogers, the 35-year-old Bardstown woman whose body has never been found. But her family is still seeking answers, particularly for the killing of her father, Tommy Ballard.
After his daughter’s disappearance, Ballard led a community effort to find her, starting the Facebook page Team Crystal. But in November 2016, during what police have described as a “hunting incident,” the 54-year-old was shot and killed.
Several family members have said they believe Ballard was close to a breakthrough in his daughter’s disappearance just before his death.
Brooks Houck, Rogers’ boyfriend at the time of her 2015 disappearance and the last person to see her alive, was convicted for her murder in July. The 43-year-old has been sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 20 years, but is appealing to the Kentucky Supreme Court, contending there were issues with the trial and judge.
Joseph Lawson, a 34-year-old codefendant, has also been sentenced for 25 years on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and evidence tampering. Lawson’s father, Steven Lawson, 51, was convicted for conspiracy to commit murder and evidence tampering in a separate trial, with a 17-year sentence.
On Sept. 22, 2025, a public affairs officer for the Kentucky State Police, the lead investigative agency in the case, confirmed to the Herald-Leader the search for Ballard’s killer is still open and ongoing. Here’s what we know.
What we know about Tommy Ballard’s killing
On the morning of Nov. 19, 2016, Ballard was preparing for a hunting trip with his then-12-year-old grandson on family property next to the Bluegrass Parkway in Bardstown. An unknown assailant fired one shot that struck Ballard in the chest, instantly killing him, according to Ballard’s FBI victim profile.
Ballard was a constant presence in the search for his daughter, and in the months after his death, his wife Sherry told local media she was convinced it wasn’t an accident. WDRB reported at the time that Ballard told his wife he was being followed. Sherry Ballard also told WHAS she believed her husband was getting close to finding Rogers, and that’s why he was killed.
His case remains unsolved, but another significant update came in October 2023 during Houck’s arraignment.
During the proceedings, prosecutor Shane Young said the state is in possession of the firearm believed to have been used to kill Ballard. Nick Houck, Brooks’ brother, sold the firearm under a different name, Young said.
At the time, Young said prosecutors were waiting for further test results to come back on the rifle, but testing had already matched it to four out of five criteria proving the firearm was used in the shooting.
Nick Houck is a former Bardstown police officer who was fired for interfering with the investigation, the Kentucky Standard previously reported. Houck allegedly called his brother Brooks when he knew he was being questioned in the case.
“Shane made the statement that we just need one more test to prove that it is Nick Houck’s gun,” Till Ballard, the father of Tommy Ballard, said following the hearing. “Tommy was getting too close, and they knew he wasn’t going to give up and he wasn’t going to stop and that is the reason they had to get rid of him.”
According to Kentucky State Police Master Trooper Bryan Washer, as of Sept. 22, 2025, detectives investigating the case do not have any new information to report. Washer confirmed the investigation is open and ongoing.
The body of Crystal Rogers has never been found.
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This story was originally published October 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
