Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced he is asking the Kentucky Supreme Court to uphold the murder conviction for Brooks Houck, 44, of Nelson County.
Houck, one of three men convicted last year for the murder of Crystal Rogers, filed an appeal with the Kentucky Supreme Court in January to have his conviction overturned. In response, Coleman filed a brief, arguing in support of the substantial proof presented against Houck at last year’s murder trial, which was held in Warren County after being moved due to pre-trial publicity in Nelson County.
“A loving mother of five doesn’t just walk away and vanish. But that is what Brooks Houck would have this Court believe happened. That’s because he killed Crystal,” the brief reads.
The Attorney General’s brief underscores other evidence of the crime including Houck’s “distinct indifference” to the disappearance of his girlfriend in the first 36 hours. The brief lays out a detailed timeline of the night Crystal was last seen, putting to rest each of the murderer’s attempts to escape his lawful sentence.
Crystal Rogers was 35 years old when she disappeared on July 3, 2015. A day later, her car was found on the Bluegrass Parkway with a flat tire and her purse, keys and phone inside, but her body has never been found.
“For a decade, Crystal Rogers’ loved ones waited in agony for justice. Now, the man at the center of the crime that stole a mother from her children is once again trying to escape responsibility,” said Coleman. “Along with prosecutors, our partners in law enforcement, and all those who worked so hard to secure this guilty verdict, we are fighting to finally deliver closure to the Rogers and Ballard families.”
Hardin County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shane Young served as the special prosecutor in the trial. Kentucky Solicitor General Matt Kuhn and Deputy Solicitor General Shawn Chapman filed the brief on behalf of the Commonwealth. You can read it here.
Photo of Crystal Rogers courtesy of Kentucky Today
