For the week of Monday, July 7th thru Friday, July 11th:
Monday, July 7th:
*Trial continues (Day 8)-CLOSING ARGUMENTS! [for both] (@ 10am ET) - KY –
Crystal Maria 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 43) arrested,
charged & indicted (9/27/23) & arraigned (10/5/23) with felony murder & tampering with physical evidence. Plead not guilty. 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. Transferred on 6/18/25 to Warren County Regional Jail. Nelson County
*Joseph Stephen Lee Allen Lawson (24 @ time of crime/32/now 34) 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. Transferred on 6/18/25 to Warren County Regional Jail. Nelson County
Trial set to begin on 6/24/25 & ended on 6/24/25. Jury: 12 jurors & 3 alternates.
Trial began on 6/25/25 & prosecutors rested their case on 7/1/25. Defense started their case on 7/2/25 & ended 7/3/25. Trial held in Warren County.
Nelson Circuit Court Judge Charles Simms III presiding. Special prosecutor Shane Young. Assistant Prosecutor Jim Lesousky. Houck’s defense attorneys Steven Schroering, Brian Butler, Michael Denbow & Jennifer Henry Jackson & J. Lawson’s defense attorney Kevin Coleman.
Case & Court info from 7/23/20 thru 6/18/25 & Jury Selection (6/24/25) & Trial Day 1-6 (6/25 to 7/2/25) reference post #900 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...y-3-july-2015-4-arrest-in-2023.690447/page-45
7/3/25 Thursday, Trial Day 7: Defense witnesses: Jeffrey Neuschatz, a cognitive psychologist. Denver Butler, a former detective & police expert. The defense rested its case. Prior to court ending Thursday, the defense filed motions again for directed verdict but Judge Charles Simms again denied the motions. Houck's attorney said his closing argument should take around two hours, while Joseph Lawson's attorney said his closing could take around 30 minutes to an hour. {see post #906, page 46].
*Judge Charles Simms said the defense's witness testimony will continue Thursday, with closing arguments on Monday & jury deliberations starting as soon as next Tuesday. Trial continues on Monday, 7/7/25 @ 10am.
*Steven Eugene Lawson (48 @ time of crime/53/now 54) – Trial began on 5/27/25 & ended on 5/30/25. Found GUILTY of conspiracy to commit murder & tampering with physical evidence charges. Sentencing hearing on 8/6/25.
Tuesday, July 8th:
*Sentencing Hearing (@ 9:30am ET) – CT -
Christine Marie Holloway (43) (last seen Nov. 27, 2019, found deceased on Dec. 2, 2019 during a welfare check, Ansonia) &
Vanessa Morales (17 mos.) (last seen Nov. 29, 2019, reported missing Dec. 3, 2019, Amber Alert on Dec. 4, 2019-not found) -
*Jose Luis Morales (43/now 48) (BF) arrested (12/3/19),
charged & arraigned (2/7/20) with felony murder, tampering with physical evidence & 2 counts of criminal possession of firearm (see below). Plead not guilty. Bond $5M. CT Superior Court in Milford Superior Court
Jury selection began 2/24/25. A panel of 12 jurors & 4 alternates will be selected. [as of 3/12/25: 12 jurors selected.] 3/18/25 4 alternates selected. 2 jurors (1 juror & 1 alternate have dropped out as of 3/20/25. Final jury selection on 3/25/25.
Jury: 12 jurors & 4 alternates. 4/7/25: 2 jurors excused – now 12 jurors & 2 alternates. 4/11/25: 1 juror dismissed – now 12 jurors & 1 alternates.
Trial began on 4/7/25. Prosecutors rested their case on 4/16/25. Defense started their case on 4/16/25 & rested their case on 4/17/25.
Closing arguments on 4/21/25 & jury off to deliberate.
Jury deliberations: 4/21/25: ½ hour. 4/22/25 Day 2: 9:30am to ~1pm. Total deliberations: ~4 hours.
Verdict: Guilty on all charges.
Superior Court Judge Shari Murphy presiding. Prosecutor Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Howard Stein & Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Marc Durso & Defense attorney Edward Gavin.
Court info from 12/4/19 thru 2/18/25 & Jury Selection Day 1-19 (2/24-3/25/25) & Trial Day 1-11/Verdict Watch Day 1-2 (4/7-4/22/25) reference post #816 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...d-ansonia-28-nov-2019-arrest-2.490240/page-41
4/22/25 Tuesday, Trial Day 11: Jury deliberations at 9:30am to about 1pm. A verdict was reached in a murder trial at Milford Superior Court. Morales was found guilty of killing Christine Holloway in her apartment in Ansonia in 2019. He was also found guilty of tampering with evidence. Morales’s bond was increased to $2.5 million. His sentencing date was set for 7/8/25.
*Bench Trial set to begin (@ 9am ET) - IA -
Michele "Luna" Jackson (17) missing Sept. 22, 2024 & found Sept. 23, 2024 in Farnhamville.
*Nathaniel Kyven Bevers McGivney (21/now 22) arrested & charged (9/23/24)
with abuse of corpse-failing to disclose known location [Class D felony] [<<charges were dismissed 10/11/24],
charged (10/11/24) & arraigned (10/11/24) with 1st degree murder & abuse of corpse-hide & bury. Plead not guilty. Held without bond. Calhoun County
Bench [Non Jury] Trial set to begin on 7/8/25.
Judge Derek J. Johnson presiding. DA Andrew Breese Prosser or Calhoun County Attorney Ben Smith?? Defense attorney Charles J. Kenville.
Case & court info from 9/22/24 thru 6/5/25 reference post #45 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...ead-in-farnhamville-sep-24-2024.724626/page-3
6/13/25 Docket update: [D0041] Court reporter memorandum & certificate with fee. [D0042] Other Order. Waiver of jury trial. Non jury trial on 7/8/25 @ 9am per Judge Derke J. Johnson. Status hearing on 6/13/25 @ 1:30pm. Non jury trial set to begin on 7/8/25 @ 9am.
6/13/25 Update: Next bench trial set to begin on 7/8/25 @ 9am. 6/23/25 Docket updates: [D0043] State's first Notice of additional witnesses. [D0044] State's notice of (first) additional minutes of testimony [D0045] Additional minutes of testimony all filed by Benjamin Smith.
6/30/25 Docket updates: [D0049] State's exhibit list. [D0052, 52, 55, 58, 48, 60, 61, 56, 63, 50, 59, 53, 62,54, 52, 78, 76, 84, 80, 74, 81, 79, 72, 70, 85, 75, 77, 83, 71, 82, 73, 64, 65, 69,66, 68, 67, 46]. Proposed exhibits: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 25, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44. [D0047[ State's amended exhibit list. All filed by Andrew Breese.
Thursday, July 10th:
*Plea Sentencing Hearing (@ 1:15pm MT) - CO -
Jesus Dominguez, Jr. (5/now ~11) &
Yesenia Dominguez (3/now ~9) missing. Jesus was found (2/6/24) in a suitcase in Minjarez scrapped car. Yesenia was found (1/10/24) encased in concrete container at King’s Storage Center. They were both last seen in the summer of 2018 (6/1/18). -
*Jesus Dominguez (29 @ time of crime/35/now 36)
charged (2/15/24) & arrested (2/17/24), arraigned (1/30/25) & re-arraigned (4/3/25) with 2 counts of 1st degree murder, 2 counts of abuse of corpse & theft of government benefits. Bond $2M. Plead not guilty (4/3/25). Pueblo County
Judge Allison Ernst presiding. Deputy DA Kyle McCarthy. Minjarez' defense attorney Alby Singleton, head of the Colorado State Public Defender's Office in Pueblo & Public Defender Tilyn Bell. Dominguez, defense attorney Becky Briggs.
Case & court info from 1/10/24 thru 1/30/25 reference post #61 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...-2018-pueblo-10-jan-2024-arrest.702899/page-4
4/3/25 Update: No info on hearing. Next setting hearing on 7/2/25 @ 9am.
7/2/25 Update: Must have plead guilty, next plea sentencing hearing on 7/10/25 @ 1:15pm.
*Corena Rose Minjarez (30 @ time of crime/36/now 37) – Setting hearing on 7/10/25 & Pretrial readiness conference hearing on 7/25/25. Trial set to begin on 8/11/25 thru 8/29/25.
*Jury Selection is set to begin (@ 8:30am MT) - CO - *
Angela Dawn Pray Craig (43) poisoned (potassium cyanide) by husband & left her brain dead & taken off life support (arrived at hospital on Mar. 16, 2023) & died Mar. 18, 2023, Aurora.
*James Toliver Craig (45/now 47) arrested (3/19/23), charged (3/23/23), formally charged (7/12/23) & arraigned (10/9/23) with 1st degree premeditated murder after deliberations & tampering with physical evidence.
Amended charges (4/12/24): 1st degree murder (F1) & 2 counts of solicitation to commit with physical evidence [1 for an inmate & 1 for family member].
Added charges [11/21/24] solicitation to commit 1st degree murder [of Aurora Police Detective] & solicitation to commit perjury in the 1st degree. Held without bond. Bond set at $10M on 6/28/23. Plead not guilty (10/9/23 to murder & on 2/14/25 to Solicitation).
Added charges [4/11/25] with Solicitation to commit tampering with physical evidence. Arapahoe County
Jury selection set to begin on 7/10/25 & 7/11/25.
Trial set to begin on 7/14/25 & goes through 8/1/25. All start @ 8:30am.
Defense attorney Lisa Fine Moses & Ashley Witham.
Case & Court info from 3/16/23 thru 6/16/25 reference post #627 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...entist-husband-aurora-mar-2023.670769/page-32
6/25/25 Docket update: From 18th Judicial DA's office. The pretrial readiness conference hearing on 6/27/25 ha been moved to 6/26/25 @ 8:30am.
6/26/25 Update: No info from hearing. Next trial begins with jury selection on 7/10/25 & trial will start on Monday, 7/14/25.
7/3/25 Update: Robert Werking, attorney for Craig withdrew from the case this week after he was arrested on suspicion of arson — first responders found the lawyer sitting on the porch of his Centennial home as it burned behind him Saturday night. Werking withdrew as counsel on Tuesday, just two days after his arrest & just 10 days before Craig’s murder trial was set to start in Arapahoe County District Court. Werking owned the home that burned with his wife, Lisa Fine Moses, who is also an attorney representing Craig. She did not withdraw from the murder case & Craig is now represented by Fine Moses & attorney Ashley Witham, who joined the team on June 18. Judge on 7/2/25 granted motion to withdraw (Werking) as counsel.