Wednesday, May 1st:
*Status Hearing (@ 1pm ET) - KY –
Crystal M. Rogers (35) (reported missing July 3, 2015; car (with flat tire) was found July 5, 2015 on Bluegrass Parkway near mile marker 14 with keys in ignition & her belongings (phone & purse) in car, Bardstown). – *
Brooks William Houck (33 @ time of crime/41/now 42) arrested,
charged & indicted (9/27/23) & arraigned (10/5/23) with felony murder & tampering with physical evidence. Bond $10M
CASH Only! Reduction of bond (to $500K)
denied (10/9/23). KY Supreme Court
denied (3/12/24) review of bond reduction. Was transferred (9/27/23) from Nelson County jail to Hardin County Detention Center. Was transferred (12/13/23) to Oldham County Detention Center.
*Steven Eugene Lawson (48 @ time of crime/53) indicted, arrested &
charged (12/7/23) & arraigned (12/21/23) with conspiracy to commit murder & tampering with physical evidence. $500K Cash only bond. Bond reduced to $250K (1/9/24). He's currently incarcerated in Harrison County, IN.
*Joseph Stephen Lee Allen Lawson (24 @ time of crime/32/now 33) arrested, indicted &
charged (7/24/23) with criminal conspiracy to commit murder &
charged (6/21/23) with complicity in tampering with physical evidence. Bond $50K unsecured bond (tampering) & $550K
Cash bond (conspiracy). Bond reduced (2/12/24) to $250K Cash bond. Plead not guilty. Held in Grayson County Kentucky Detention Center.
Trial set to begin on 2/10/25.
Nelson Circuit Court Judge Charles Simms III presiding. Special prosecutor Shane Young. Houck’s defense attorneys Brian Butler, Michael Denbow & Jennifer Henry Jackson. S. Lawson’s defense attorney Theodore Lavit & J. Lawson’s defense attorney Kevin Coleman.
Case & Court info from 12/7/23 (S. Lawson), from 7/23/20 (Houck & J. Lawson) thru 3/14/24 reference post #473 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...y-3-july-2015-4-arrest-in-2023.690447/page-24
3/15/24 Update: Defendant Gouck's response in objection to Commonwealth's Motion to Consolidate filed by Brian Butler, Michael M. Denbow & Jennifer Henry Jackson. Link see post #467, page 24, Thread #4). Houck's attorney claim the prosecution has little hard evidence including "no crime scene, murder weapon or realistic motive." They are fighting back against the prosecutor's request to combine all three trials, claiming that would result in prejudice against Houck. The documents claim both Joseph & Steve Lawson were subject to a “biased investigation” using “coercive interrogation tactics", with the goal of building a case against Brooks Houck. Status hearing & motions hearing to consolidate the trials & defense’s motion for change of venue (to Boyd or Deviess County) on 3/21/24.
3/21/24 Update: Discovery has been completed by prosecutors. Prosecutor Young clarifies there was 276GB of remaining evidence turned over, not a terabyte as he mentioned during the last hearing. Two interviews are missing, however, which will be turned over in the next two to three months, he said. He also agrees with the defense that the trial should be moved out of Nelson County. Young said attorneys should have a location chosen within a month. The ruling of combining trials will come later as Young plans to respond to Butler's motion not to combine the trial 7 each suspect plans to file a response to that. Prosecutor asked for time to response to motion for immunity from Steve Lawson's defense attorney Theo Lavit. Lavit said they will need to being in witnesses & play audio & there "may" be the need for another hearing to discuss evidence about promised immunity in Steven Lawson's motion to dismiss charges. Hearing set on 6/13/24 @ 9am on pending motions. While Prosecutor Shane Young has pushed for all three defendants to be tried together, arguing that the charges rely on many of the same key details, all three defense attorneys have requested separate trials. Both sides will be given additional time to lay out their arguments in writing before a 6/13/24 motions hearing scheduled to address the issue. Another hearing has been scheduled for 5/1/24 @ 1pm to review if attorneys have chosen the new venue for trial. If not, the Judge will decide where to change it to.
4/19/24 Update: An attorney for Joseph Lawson filed a motion to sever on Friday. But in this new severance motion filed, Joseph Lawson’s attorney is saying they don’t want these trials lumped together. They want Lawson to be tried independently. The main reason Lawson’s attorney is pushing for this is because they’re worried that the other two defendants may try to point the finger at Joseph Lawson for certain aspects of this crime in out-of-court confessions. “A joint trial would prejudice Mr. Lawson because his codefendant’s out-of-court statement against him would deny him his right to cross-examination & would deny him his fight to present a defense,” the motion reads. It goes on to say that a joint trial “risks that the jury will be unable to make an individualized determination as to culpability for each defendant.” What this argument boils down to is Joseph Lawson wants to be able to defend himself in court, and if the government lumps these trials together, it might be difficult to do that.
4/25/24 Update: The attorneys & prosecutor on the case met this week ^ agreed to move the trial to Christian County, KY- about two hours from Bardstown. They will now give this suggestion to the judge, who will make the final decision.