One of the most high-profile murder cases in recent history is on track to be held in Christian County.
WHAS-TV in Louisville reported on Thursday the case of the three men charged with the disappearance of Crystal Rogers in Bardstown nearly 10 years ago will likely tried in Hopkinsville.
Brooks Houck, Steve Lawson, and Joseph Lawson are charged in connection to Rogers’ death, who disappeared in 2015. 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.
Attorneys are preparing a court document to submit Christian County as the location, which could have a ruling as early as next week.
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.
A hearing is scheduled for June to decide whether the three men will be tried together or separately.
The trial is set to begin in February 2025.
