A judge set a February 10, 2025, trial date for three men accused of killing Kentucky mom Crystal Rogers in 2015, although an attorney for Rogers’s ex-boyfriend said he objects to trying the three men together.
Brian Butler, attorney for Brooks Houck, also said he’s discussing whether to ask for a change of venue for the trial of his client, who was the last person to see Rogers before her disappearance on July 3, 2015, WAVE reported.
Houck and his co-defendants, father and son Steven and Joseph Lawson, were all in the Nelson County courtroom for Thursday’s hearing. Joseph Lawson’s attorney, Kevin Coleman, argued to lower his client’s $500,000 bond to $50,000, saying that because he is paraplegic he’s unlikely to flee.
Prosecutor Shane Young however, noted the seriousness of the charges against him and his prior criminal history — and said that he called his co-defendants to work up an alibi when he learned he was the “subject of an investigation” into Rogers’ disappearance, WHAS reported.
Judge Charles Simms said he’d make a ruling by the end of the day Monday.
Simms previously lowered Steven Lawson’s bond from $500,000 to $250,000, far higher than the $20,000 his attorney sought, as CrimeOnline reported.
The well-connected and wealthy Houck remains jailed on a $10 million bail.
Rogers was last seen at a party on the property owned by Houck’s family. Days later, her car was found abandoned on the Bluegrass Parkway with her keys, phone, and purse still inside. Rogers’ body has not been found.
Houck has been the prime suspect almost since the beginning, but he wasn’t arrested until October 2023, just weeks after Joseph Lawson’s arrest. Steven Lawson was arrested in December.
His attorney, Ted Lavitt, said after court on Thursday that he had “mixed feelings” about the three defendants being tried together, WAVE reported.
The Lawsons are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with evidence. Houck is charged with murder and tampering with evidence.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Featured image: Crystal Rogers/handout]
