A high-profile murder case that was discussed for Christian County will instead be held in Warren County following a Monday court ruling.
Brooks Houck, Steve Lawson, and Joseph Lawson are charged in connection to the death of Crystal Rogers, who disappeared in 2015 in Nelson County. Her car was found on the Bluegrass Parkway west of Bardstown. While Rogers’ body has never been found, she is presumed dead by investigators.
The report said the decision to choose Christian County was based on factors such as courthouse capacity, juror safety, convenience for court staff and witnesses, and the need to eliminate media bias from the Bardstown area.
In March, the prosecutor in the case agreed with a motion filed by defense attorneys to move the trial out of Nelson County due to pretrial publicity.
Christian County was reported to be the choice along with Warren County because they are similar in size and demographics to Nelson County. Christian County judicial officials were notified last week that the trial would likely not be held in Christian County and Monday’s ruling confirmed that.
Houck, Rogers’ ex-boyfriend, and Steve and Joseph Lawson, a father, and son, were arrested late last year after investigations by the Kentucky State Police, the FBI, and attention from national news media reports. Houck was Rogers’ boyfriend at the time of her disappearance and is the father of her youngest child.
Both Joseph and Steve Lawson are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence.
Houck is charged with wanton murder and tampering with physical evidence.
It’s not known if they will be tried together or separately with the trial scheduled for February.
