Still Missing KY - Crystal Rogers, 35, Bluegrass Parkway, 3 July 2015 #4 *arrest in 2023*

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Dec. 28, 2023
BARDSTOWN, Ky. — Attorneys for Joseph Lawson have filed a motion for reduced bond and home incarceration in the Nelson Circuit Court.
[.....]
According to the motion, Lawson’s bail is set for a $50,000 unsecured bond with the condition of continued cooperation with the Commonwealth on the charge of tampering with physical evidence. On the charge of conspiracy to commit murder, his bail is set as a $500,000 cash bond.

Lawson’s attorneys, Kevin Coleman and Robert Boyd, argue that the bail is "excessive, oppressive and amounts to a denial of bail considering his socio-economic status, his presumption of innocence and his anticipated conduct if released.”

In requesting home incarceration, his lawyers argue Lawson is not a danger to the community or a flight risk as his paraplegia restricts his ability to move independently. They say his movements will be tracked through GPS monitoring.

The motion asks for his bail to be reduced to a $50,000 unsecured bond, or a “meaningful reduction” in his bond that considers his socio-economic position, as well as the home incarceration with GPS monitoring, medical releases and attorney-office visit releases.
 
Thursday, January 4th:
*Bond Reduction Hearing (@ 2:30pm 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). *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. He's currently incarcerated in Harrison County, IN.
Special prosecutor Shane Young. Defense attorney Theodore Lavit.
Court info from 12/7/23 reference post #373 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...y-3-july-2015-4-arrest-in-2023.690447/page-19

12/12/23 Update: Attorney Theodore Lavit for Steve Lawson claims Joseph Lawson drove Crystal Rogers’ car to the Bluegrass Parkway & for a flat tire & his father Steve Lawson picked him up from there. The attorney for Steve Lawson said Lawson was verbally offered immunity by federal investigators. Arraignment hearing on 12/21/23.
12/21/23 Update: The third suspect Steven Lawson appeared in court via zoom from the Nelson County Detention enter & attorney Ted Lavit pleaded not guilty on behalf of his client. Lawson is charged with tampering with physical evidence & conspiracy to commit murder, with court documents alleging the crimes occurred on or around July 3 or 4, 2015 - the same dates Rogers is believed to have disappeared. His bond set at $500K. Lavit requested a bond reduction for his client, which was set on Dec. 20. Lawson’s bond is $500K full-cash. Nelson Circuit Judge Charles Simms III opted to keep the bond the same, but a formal bond hearing is expected to take place 1/4/24. A status hearing on 2/8/24 @ 1pm.
*Brooks William Houck (33 @ time of crime/41) arrested & indicted (9/27/23) with felony murder & tampering with physical evidence. Pretrial hearing on 2/8/24.
*Joseph Stephen Lee Allen Lawson (24 @ time of crime/32) - Pretrial hearing on 1/5/24.
 

From the link above:

Live Updates​

2:51 p.m.
Twenty minutes into the hearing and the judge is taking a five day break to decide if Lawson's bond will be reduced.
2:50 p.m.
Young agrees that Steve Lawson isn't necessarily a flight risk, but again, reiterates that the bond matches the seriousness of the charges and the probable cause that was presented to the grand jury which chose to indict him.
2:48 p.m.
Special Prosecutor Shane Young is now arguing against the bond reduction. He said considering the charges, $500,000 is appropriate.
2:47 p.m.
Lavit is asking for Lawson's $500,000 bond be reduced to $20,000. Alternatively, he offered a $40,000 real estate bond.
2:46 p.m.
"[Police] had their way with my client," Lavit said. "They had their time with my client. And we stayed until the end every time."
2:40 p.m.
Crystal's mother, Sherry, can be heard crying in the courtroom. Crystal's daughter, Tori, is comforting her.
2:38 p.m.
His attorney said Lawson has been a person of interest and "target" in this case since 2015.
"He has had something to say, and he said it," Lavit argued. He also said Lawson should not be, and won't be a flight risk.
2:36 p.m.
Lavit said Lawson has been cooperative with authorities on agreeing to provide testimony on the case.
"Extensive amount of contact," Lavit says, has been made between both parties -- both with and without counsel.
"It's not in the best interest to Mr. Lawson to go before you and testify what's in the discovery," he said, adding that it "could be part of the evidence deduced at this trial."
The defense wants the judge to reduce the bond.
2:32 p.m.
Steve Lawson has been escorted into the courtroom. He's being held on a $500,000 bond. The hearing is about to get underway.
During his arraignment last December, Lavit said he has documents proving Lawson made a deal with the authorities for his cooperation and testimony, promising immunity.
That immunity could be a point of discussion during today's hearing.
2:28 p.m.
Steve Lawson's attorney, Ted Lavit, has arrived
2:15 p.m.
Special Prosecutor Shane Young has entered the courtroom.
The prosecution has all taken their seat. Still waiting on Lawson and his defense.
2:13 p.m.
Sherry Ballard, Tori and other family members sit front row as they wait for the bond reduction hearing to begin.
2:08 p.m.
Media and attendees being let into the courtroom.
2:03 p.m.
One of Crystal's daughters, Tori, is also in attendance alongside her grandmother.
WHAS11 last spoke to Tori in 2022. At the time, her mother had been missing for seven years.
“I feel like she was just here yesterday, but at the same time, it feels like I haven’t seen her in a long time,” she said then. “I feel like a big hole has been left in my heart, where she should be. Not knowing where she's at is really what impacts me the most."
 
Last edited:
attorney Ted.jpg
Attorney Ted Lavit argues to reduce Steve Lawson's $500,000 bond. | Jan. 4, 2024


Steve Lawson with Ted Lavit.jpg
Steve Lawson sits beside his attorney, Ted Lavit, for a bond reduction hearing.

Ballard family.jpg
The Ballard Family sits behind Steve Lawson's attorney, Ted Lavit, during a bond reduction hearing.

Shane Young and his team.jpg
Special Prosecutor Shane Young and the rest of his team wait for Steve Lawson's bond hearing to begin.

Sherry Ballard and family.jpg
Sherry Ballard and members of Crystal's family sit front row for Steve Lawson's bond hearing.

media and attendeers.jpg
Media and attendees enter the Nelson County courtroom for Steve Lawson's bond reduction hearing.

Tori Sherri Ballard.jpg
Crystal's daughter, Tori, stand with Sherry Ballard waiting to be let into the Nelson County courtroom for Steve Lawson's hearing

All of these images are credited to reporter Isaiah Kim Martinez from WHAS11
 
A bit on the long side - will shorten this up a bit. Anyone know what is happening with this Danny Singleton - at the end of my notes?

Friday, January 5th:
*Pretrial Conference Hearing (@ 2pm 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). POI – Brooks Houck (33 @ time of crime/now 41) BF official named suspect Oct. 2015. - *Joseph Stephen Lee Allen Lawson (24 @ time of crime/32) 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). Plead not guilty. Held in Grayson County Kentucky Detention Center.
According to the indictment, on July 3, 2015 or July 4, 2015, "the above-named Defendant Joseph L. Lawson 32, committed the offense of Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Murder, when, with the intention of promoting or facilitating the crime, when he agreed to aid one or more persons in the planning or commission of the crime or an attempt or solicitation to commit the crime, when he, and/or a co-conspirator, intentionally caused the death of another."
Nelson Circuit Court Judge Charles Simms III presiding. Prosecutor AG Shane Young. Defense attorney Kevin Coleman.

Case & Court info from 7/23/20 thru 1/24/23 reference post #158 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...ay-3-july-2015-4-arrest-in-2023.690447/page-8

9/7/23 Update: A Nelson County man has been charged with criminal conspiracy to commit murder & tampering with physical evidence in connection with the death of Crystal Rogers. Joseph L. Lawson plead not guilty in Nelson Circuit Court on Thursday & his bond was set at $500K cash (conspiracy) & $50K cash (tampering). The indictment, which does not mention Rogers by name, says the crime was committed in Nelson County on July 3 and/or July 4, 2015, when Lawson “agreed to aid one or more persons in the planning or commission of the crime or an attempt or solicitation to commit the crime when he, and/or, a co-conspirator intentionally caused the death of another.” Lawson is not charged with Rogers' murder but prosecutors instead charged him with the lesser offense of conspiracy, meaning they believe he was involved in some fashion with whoever killed Rogers. The maximum sentence for the conspiracy charge is 10 to 20 years in prison. In addition, the indictment charges Lawson with tampering with physical evidence when he “destroyed, mutilates, concealed, removed or alters physical evidence." The maximum penalty for that charge is one to five years in prison. Attorney Kevin Coleman, who represents Lawson, acknowledged his client’s case is in relation to the death of Crystal Rogers but declined to comment further. Special Assistant to the Attorney General Shane Young, who is prosecuting the case, declined to comment. Young is the Hardin County Commonwealth's Attorney. Court files show a Kentucky State Police detective & an FBI agent as complaining witnesses in Lawson's case. Lawson is scheduled to be back in court in front of Nelson Circuit Court Judge Charles Simms III on 10/26/23 for arraignment. Rogers' case has gone from the Nelson County Sheriff's Office to Kentucky State Police & ultimately the FBI in 2020.
10/24/23 Update: Arraignment hearing on 10/26/23 has been cancelled. Next pretrial hearing on 1/5/24.
12/8/23 Update: Steve Lawson (father of Joseph) charged with conspiracy to commit murder & tampering with physical evidence.
12/28/23 Update: Attorneys for Joseph Lawson have filed a motion for reduced bond & home incarceration in the Nelson Circuit Court. According to the motion, Lawson’s bail is set for a $50K unsecured bond with the condition of continued cooperation with the Commonwealth on the charge of tampering with physical evidence. On the charge of conspiracy to commit murder, his bail is set as a $500K cash bond. Lawson’s attorneys, Kevin Coleman & Robert Boyd, argue that the bail is "excessive, oppressive & amounts to a denial of bail considering his socio-economic status, his presumption of innocence & his anticipated conduct if released.” In requesting home incarceration, his lawyers argue Lawson is not a danger to the community or a flight risk as his paraplegia restricts his ability to move independently. They say his movements will be tracked through GPS monitoring. The motion asks for his bail to be reduced to a $50K unsecured bond, or a “meaningful reduction” in his bond that considers his socio-economic position, as well as the home incarceration with GPS monitoring, medical releases & attorney-office visit releases.
*Brooks William Houck (33 @ time of crime/41) arrested & indicted (9/27/23) with felony murder & tampering with physical evidence. Pretrial hearing on 2/8/24.
*Steven Eugene Lawson (48 @ time of crime/53) – Bond reduction hearing on 1/4/24 & status hearing on 2/8/24.

Not charged (yet) in Crystal’s case - 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) - *Danny Singleton () indicted (Dec, 2023) & charged (9/12/23) with 38 counts of 1st degree perjury to the grand jury (12/16/15). Plead not guilty. Bond $200K.
9/12/23 Update: Police say Danny Singleton lied to a grand jury when he testified about Rogers' disappearance. Singleton appeared before a judge this morning, where a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. Singleton was given a public defender, who may not be his actual attorney in the long run. The attorney said she may have a conflict of interest, that she plans to disclose to the judge and the Commonwealth's Attorney. Singleton worked for Brooks Houck, Rogers' longtime boyfriend & the only suspect in her disappearance last summer. He was indicted in December on 38 counts of perjury. The public defender asked that Singleton's bond of $200K be lowered, but the Commonwealth objected, saying he is a flight risk. This is the second time someone connected to Houck has come under police fire recently. Houck's brother, a former Bardstown police officer, was fired from the department in October.
 
Any news on Joseph's hearing yesterday?

I put Steve on 2/8/24 until the Judge decides his bond reduction.
This was all I could find handy, looks like all 3 men will be in Court on Feb 8th:

In September, Joseph Lawson was charged with criminal conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection with Rogers' death. He is also in jail on a $500,000 bond.

Houck and both Lawson men will appear in court in Nelson County on Feb. 8.
 
I don’t know about anyone else, but, the toy bat story doesn’t add up to me. So my son has a flat tire on the side of the parkway in the middle of the night or early hours of the morning. If I go pick him up and he is in someone else’s car, I’m not going to get out and go rummage through that person’s car. That bat, I’m sure, had evidence on it which matches his charges of tampering with evidence. My opinion only.
 
This was all I could find handy, looks like all 3 men will be in Court on Feb 8th:

In September, Joseph Lawson was charged with criminal conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection with Rogers' death. He is also in jail on a $500,000 bond.

Houck and both Lawson men will appear in court in Nelson County on Feb. 8.

Thank you! :)

@arielilane - can you see what Joseph's hearing is called & at what time? I have a pretrial for Houck & Steve L a status hearing both at 1pm. TIA!
 Girl Waving Hello Smiley


edited to add - anyone know DOB on Steve? TIA! :D
 
Just got this article in my alerts. I had pretrial hearing - did not know it was a bond hearing for him.


Jan. 5, 2023

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - For the second day in a row, one of the men charged in Crystal Rogers’ murder was scheduled to appear in a Nelson County courtroom on Friday.

However, a bond reduction hearing for Joseph Lawson didn’t happen.

Lawson did not show up in person, which caused a hiccup. Both parties agreed they want to have him in person before settling a few things.
[.....]
Joseph, who appeared via Zoom, was moved to the state reformatory in Oldham County, and lawyers said they didn’t want to address bond or a trial date until he was in prison. So, they pushed the hearing from Friday until February 8. The same day we expect to see the other two suspects in court as well.
 

From the link above:

Live Updates​

2:51 p.m.
Twenty minutes into the hearing and the judge is taking a five day break to decide if Lawson's bond will be reduced.
2:50 p.m.
Young agrees that Steve Lawson isn't necessarily a flight risk, but again, reiterates that the bond matches the seriousness of the charges and the probable cause that was presented to the grand jury which chose to indict him.
2:48 p.m.
Special Prosecutor Shane Young is now arguing against the bond reduction. He said considering the charges, $500,000 is appropriate.
2:47 p.m.
Lavit is asking for Lawson's $500,000 bond be reduced to $20,000. Alternatively, he offered a $40,000 real estate bond.
2:46 p.m.
"[Police] had their way with my client," Lavit said. "They had their time with my client. And we stayed until the end every time."
2:40 p.m.
Crystal's mother, Sherry, can be heard crying in the courtroom. Crystal's daughter, Tori, is comforting her.
2:38 p.m.
His attorney said Lawson has been a person of interest and "target" in this case since 2015.
"He has had something to say, and he said it," Lavit argued. He also said Lawson should not be, and won't be a flight risk.
2:36 p.m.
Lavit said Lawson has been cooperative with authorities on agreeing to provide testimony on the case.
"Extensive amount of contact," Lavit says, has been made between both parties -- both with and without counsel.
"It's not in the best interest to Mr. Lawson to go before you and testify what's in the discovery," he said, adding that it "could be part of the evidence deduced at this trial."
The defense wants the judge to reduce the bond.
2:32 p.m.
Steve Lawson has been escorted into the courtroom. He's being held on a $500,000 bond. The hearing is about to get underway.
During his arraignment last December, Lavit said he has documents proving Lawson made a deal with the authorities for his cooperation and testimony, promising immunity.
That immunity could be a point of discussion during today's hearing.
2:28 p.m.
Steve Lawson's attorney, Ted Lavit, has arrived
2:15 p.m.
Special Prosecutor Shane Young has entered the courtroom.
The prosecution has all taken their seat. Still waiting on Lawson and his defense.
2:13 p.m.
Sherry Ballard, Tori and other family members sit front row as they wait for the bond reduction hearing to begin.
2:08 p.m.
Media and attendees being let into the courtroom.
2:03 p.m.
One of Crystal's daughters, Tori, is also in attendance alongside her grandmother.
WHAS11 last spoke to Tori in 2022. At the time, her mother had been missing for seven years.
“I feel like she was just here yesterday, but at the same time, it feels like I haven’t seen her in a long time,” she said then. “I feel like a big hole has been left in my heart, where she should be. Not knowing where she's at is really what impacts me the most."
I'm trying to catch up on the case. So, one of the Lawsons, probably the one to speak up first, has been offered immunity for his testimony against BH? TIA
 
Looks like the Judge lower Steve's bond...


Jan. 9, 2023
BARDSTOWN, Ky. (LEX 18) — A judge has decided to lower the bond for one of the men charged in connection with Crystal Rogers' death.

Rogers' ex, Brooks Houck, is charged with her murder. Steven and Joseph Lawson are charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

Steven Lawson appeared in court last week to argue his $500,000 bond should be cut to $20,000.

The judge decided Tuesday to lower the bond by half to $250,000.
 
Another article with conditions of bond.

I have been wondering if Steven should be spelled Stephen, as Joseph's middle name (one of them) is spelled Stephen. And this article has it spelled Stephen... ??


Jan. 9, 2023
BARDSTOWN, Ky. — Stephen Lawson, one of three men charged in connection with the murder of Crystal Rogers, had his bond reduced Tuesday.
[.....]
A Nelson County judge granted Lawson’s motion to reduce his bond from $500,000 to $250,000. But there are certain conditions Lawson must follow. He must adhere to a dusk-to-dawn curfew, except for going to work and medical emergencies. He must remain drug and alcohol free and he can have no contact with Crystal Rogers’ family.
 

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