Approximately 150 miles away in a small town similar to many in the Tri-County, five murders are unsolved, one with a connection to the Tri-County. If he is so innocent, like he says he is. We should just be giving it out because it's so true, you have no idea what someone is facing.". Plus, we had a contractor on the jury with us, and he said when they get it, they load it and take it to a site. Im 100 percent, completely innocent in this, he said. In the summer of 2018, Brooks Houck was arrested for stealing more than 200 bundles of shingles from Lowes during four separate visits during an 11-day period. Nov 2, 2018 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A three-judge panel of the Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled Friday that the 6-year-old son of Crystal Rogers, the Bardstown woman who disappeared in. The Nelson County Sheriffs Office will continue to be the lead agency on the human remains case. But one thing is for sure: the person who killed Ellis seemed to know the route he took home and when hed be traveling on it. This was my hope though of finally bringing my daughter home and now i am back to square one. 4. Its pretty obvious the boyfriend did something to her and his brother used his status as an officer to help him cover everything up. On the 5 year anniversary of Crystals disappearance, one of her children spoke to the media. Bardstown today has more than doubled in population, and the shadows have grown deeper. We are now at 2021 and Crystal will have been missing for 6 years this July. She had no idea what would be ahead of her during those first couple weeks in Louisville at WHAS 11, where she continues to work today, or the path it would forge ahead of her. The Nelson County Sheriffs Office confirmed in a statement Sunday that human remains had been recovered in a rural part of the county. Kathy Netherland, 48, and her . His name is also carved into a black column next to the building, along with the names of other fallen officers, and a memorial was held last May. Just four days after Tates arrest, on Tuesday Aug. 20, Bardstown police arrested Evan Lyons, 25, for conspiracy to murder in the case. The motive and the person behind his murder remain a mystery to this day. A graduate of the University of Missouri she was ready to get to work telling stories. To this day, Her disappearance remains under investigation even though the family has already settled a lawsuit with Disney back in 2016 . He took Exit 34, a narrow ramp bounded on either side by steep stone walls. My whole familys name is trashed for something completely not even tied to me. The results on the human remains does not change their investigation or drive to bring closure and justice for the Ballard family and the citizens of Nelson County. Although detectives considered Houck a suspect, he was never charged in connection with Crystal's disappearance. Nelson County Sheriff Ramon Pineiroa said the remains were located in an area he characterized as difficult to discover.He said his office was not going to speculate on whose remains they might be. She had a huge heart, Sherry Ballard said. She was born and raised in Bardstown and was a very shy little girl when she was younger, Sherry said. Mostly cloudy. In 1961, Betty Gail Brown, a Transylvania University student in Kentucky was found in a car on campus, strangled by her own bra. It wasnt uncommon for someone to stop by during the day with sandwiches, Gatorade and other offerings for Nelson County sheriffs deputies and FBI investigators. 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Her boyfriend, Brooks Houck, who lived with her, claimed innocence and said he had no clue what happened to Crystal. The relationship with these friends and family members has evolved over time to one where McAlister said she used to just keep in touch to get updates on the case, to one where now she's keeping in touch, making sure they are ok. "As a human it's difficult to draw a boundary and keep a boundary especially in a case like this where we've known each other for five years," McAlister said. Ive never made that a secret, Sherry Ballard said of her suspicion that Houck was involved in Rogers disappearance and Tommys death. He told me, he said, Dad, Ill spend my last dollar to find her.. His family, our two sons, his wonderful friends and I cannot heal without knowing who and why he was taken from us by this senseless murder, she said. Sometime in the evening, she was seen with three of her children buying groceries and other items. "You hope it gets solved," Bardstown resident Paul Monin told the station of the six-year missing-person probe. It's unclear if Unseld knew Tate or Lyons. "My mom is a very special woman," Rogers' daughter, K., wrote on a new website dedicated to the investigation. They held vigils and fundraisers and raised tens of thousands of dollars for rewards and to assist Crystals children. On the day after Easter 2014, 48-year-old Kathy Netherland and her 16-year-old daughter, Samantha, were brutally murdered inside their home in Botland, just outside the Bardstown city limits.. In 2017, Kentucky State Police hired former troopers to investigate the cases of both Rogers and Jason Ellis, a Bardstown police officer who was ambushed in 2013 and killed by at least two. It never gets easier, she said. emailStay Connected He walked a million miles, looking and searching, Till Ballard said. Sherry Ballard said she and Tommy knew they could ask anything of Team Crystal. But the Ballards repeatedly said he was the last person to see Rogers alive, and the Nelson County sheriffs office identified him as a suspect. The FBI announced that they had uncovered multiple items of interest. He didnt mind doing that. The person or persons who killed them is still on the loose. But he never reported her missing. Around July 5 or 6 (again, this varies depending on which article you read), police held a press conference about the case. If he liked you, hed give you the shirt off his back.. "It's definitely put me in a different position to cover tragedy - I think in a way with more empathy and compassion.". I know remains were found near to were Crystal went missing, but they were found not to be hers. who owns 10711 strait lane dallas, tx; thames valley police firearms department kidlington Season 2 brings us to a bayou community in Louisiana Lacombe where the wife of a local fire chief is missing the day a mysterious fire rips through her house. | Photo contributed, Shay and her team recording the Bardstown podcast during one of the many interviews with Sherry Ballard, mother of Crystal Rogers. All previous homicides of Kentucky law enforcement officers in the decade before Ellis' killing were solved within 24 hours, according to a Courier-Journal review of cases. On June 3, 2016, someone shot Unseld above what used to be the Broken Tee Nite Club on West Stephen Foster Avenue in Bardstown. "As long as you never cross the line to where you're turning your story into bias reporting" said McAlister. Ive been there before, and its hard. Nearly a year later, in April 2014, 48-year-old teacher Kathy Netherland and her 16-year-old daughter, Samantha, were found dead inside their home. We dont have anything against the state police or the sheriffs department; theyve been good, too. The FBI has used them to generate seeking information posters and large billboards featured prominently along the Bluegrass Parkway. If you have any information on this case, call Kentucky State Police. A team of investigative journalists are sharing interviews and evidence related to unsolved cases in Bardstown, Kentucky. . Back then, Sherry. She had previously been seeing him every other weekend. 3. FBI representatives wouldnt comment on why investigators targeted one specific property. "A hallmark of the FBI is we never give up," FBI Louisville Special Agent in Charge Robert Brown said in the release. They filed for grandparents right and partial custody. Were glad the FBI finally has took over the case, Ballard said. Crystal's maroon 2007 four-door Chevrolet was . ), Lindsay Clancy strangled her three children with exercise bands, The mysterious vanishing of Nicola Bulley, Murder by Neglect - the deaths of Lacey Fletcher and Valerie Wallach, Missing men - Bryce Borca, Dr Bolek Payan, George Musser and Teddy Egge, The Missing, Murdered and Reunited of Runaway Train, Jennifer Fairgate and her briefcase of bullets, An Instagram murder - Brandon Clark and Bianca Devins. But one set of family photos featuring both Tommy and Rogers has been key. An official website of the United States government. He wasnt going to give up on Crystal, Till Ballard said, standing outside the FBIs search site on Monday. If you have information related to the disappearance of Crystal Rogers, you can visit the website, call the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or contact your local FBI office, or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. The case remains open as the human remains are unidentified at time. McAlister knew the podcast would do well in Kentucky because listeners here are hungry for answers but she had no idea that it would get national recognition. Their bodies were discovered by a family member. He was also operating a pool car, which did not have a dash camera to record the incident. Buy HD $2.99 More purchase options 3. His murder would be the first. More than 200,000 unsolved cases have gone cold since 1980, and murder clearance rates continue to drop. While the family maintained that Brooks didnt help with the search efforts, he claimed his efforts were carried out behind the scenes. During Brooks interview with the police, his brother Nick, a police officer, allegedly called Brooks and asked him not to talk to the authorities. Ellis spent years in Williamsburg as a star baseball player for Cumberland College, now University of the Cumberlands. We would always get the chicken strip basket with the toast and gravy to go with it. When murders go unsolved for long periods of time months, years, sometimes even decades it leaves communities in shambles, particularly investigators and the family of the victim. When I graduated high school, seeing all the kids with their moms and they were like so proud. Then we got the unexpected call that they had arrested someone. BARDSTOWN, Ky. - This week marks six months since a mother and her teenage daughter were murdered in their Kentucky home and still, police are no closer to solving the case than they were on. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Rogers was the first of Sherry and Tommy Ballards children. Though his case remains unsolved, his community continues to carry on his memory. was burned down inwhat city officials said was arson, Jason Ellis, aBardstown police officerwho wasambushed in 2013, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The second search took place in the Woodlawn Springs subdivision, where Brooks Houck's construction company built several houses shortly after the disappearance of Crystal Rogers. They dont seem to be in NAMUS as far as I can see oversight or have they been identified? Scotty Sharp, a spokesman for the police, said they continue to receive tips, but Our main focus is Officer Ellis family. 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The Nelson County Sheriff released this statement: Today, we received word from the FBI that the human remains, which were located at the Washington County/Nelson County line were not those of Crystal Rogers. It is thought to be cyanobacteria, which is a gelatin-like substance. Nelson County Sheriffs detectives arrested Crystal Maupin on Friday. "I've covered the absolute most horrible things that have ever happened to them. Kathy Netherland, 48, and her daughter, Samantha, 16, were killed inside their home on April 21, 2014. Who Killed Jason Ellis? Crystals family also announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to her. Its mind blowing, Unseld said. While the highest-profile missing person in the area is Crystal Rogers, who went missing in July 2015 and is presumed dead, there are other lesser-known cases of missing persons. Weve searched the rivers, weve searched farms, houses, sinkholes, wells, any place she might be, family member Sammy Johnson said. The FBI took over both cases last summer and has since executed several search warrants and questioned people in Bardstown. Investigators showed up in the Woodlawn Springs subdivision in Bardstown on Aug. 24 and began looking for any evidence they could find. That included searches for Rogers body and any evidence they could find. Both are serving life sentences in prison, Till said. In November 2018, a court ruled Sherry Ballard could no longer see her grandson, Eli. Team; Services. Pineiroa declined to speculate when those results might come back. He was pronounced dead at the scene on a farm located on Ed Brent Lane. Chance of rain 100%. True Crime Society - True Crime Society Podcast Episode Its always the husband (allegedly! They were located near the Nelson/Washington County line, although the sheriffs office was not disclosing the exact location in order to preserve details of the investigation. "I don't think people should have to earn that. Features. Houck has full custody of the child he had with Rogers. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Whitesides lawyer said, There are lots of things, particularly in a high-profile case, where there is as frenzied an investigation as there is here that could ensnare an 82-year-old woman. Annas home was searched again in August 2016. He later died at the hospital. At that time, he did not have his canine partner with him. Ellis was hit multiple times, and died on the side of the road. Bardstown Police Department Officer Jason Ellis was headed home to Bloomfield around 2 a.m. after his shift on May 25, 2013. Family members hoped they would get answers when the FBI started a new search for evidence in her case. Ive never denied the animosity but I know people who go through a divorce and they still get to see their children. Please add name and any info that you. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. (Family Photo) || Photo contributed. The Nelson County Coroner's Office said he was shot once in the chest, with the bullet entering his chest and exiting his back,according to WHAS-11. It was Crystals mother, Sherry, who went to the authorities. Her father Tommy Ballard was shot in the chest and killed. Compartilhar isto . While her remains have not been found, authorities stated a few months later that they believed Crystal was likely dead. The Bardstown people continued their attempts to help. Over the past five years, McAlister has spent dozens of hours investigating these cases and part of that includes getting to know friends and families of the victims. Stephanie and Dwayne follow a search of a lake where cadaver dogs pick up a scent. A few days later on July 15, Brooke Ballard, Crystals sister, spoke to WHAS11 saying boyfriend Brooks Houcks story doesnt add up. I feel discriminated against, she told Oxygen.com. All of my efforts in searching for her have been done behind the scenes with the Nelson County sheriffs office, Houck said on Nancy Graces show. The FBI said it would keep searching as long as it takes to find evidence. And Ellis focus on drug users and dealers and domestic violence situations may reveal the kind of person authorities are looking for. I know crystals mother cannot see the grandson that lives with his father. The remains are being sent to Quantico, Virginia, for analysis by the FBI. She went missing over Fourth of July weekend in 2015. Beast Files Police officer Jason Ellis was gunned down in cold blood on a lonely stretch of highway. In 2020, more than 150 state and federal law enforcement officers were deployed to Bardstown and on the first day, they executed at least nine federal search warrants and conducted more than 50. On July 23, 2020, Nelson County Sheriffs Office investigators became aware of the existence of human remains in a remote area near the Washington County line. "It makes you listen and explain in a different way," said McAlister through tears. A massive search for her turned up more questions than answers, frustrating the authorities and loved ones alike. Now, McAlister is returning t During Police Week, the FBI is intensifying its efforts to identify and arrest fugitives believed to be involved in the assault or murder of law enforcement officers. He was a K-9 handler (narcotics dog) for the police department in addition to his patrol duties. Tommy didnt like being in photos, Ballard said. Hed do anything for anybody, Till Ballard said. Brooks trial for the Lowes theft was held in 2019 and a jury found him not guilty. They recovered two items of interest that were sent for examination. McAlister interviewed FBI Special Agent in Charge Brian Jones who said the remains have been sent to Virginia and that they are working to identify them as quickly as possible. Her estranged husband, Edsel Eddie Barnes, and another man, George Weir, were eventually convicted and sentenced to life in prison for her murder. was fired after interfering in the investigation. That's what's hard.". Houck's brother, Nick, was a police officer with the Bardstown Police Department at the time and was fired after interfering in the investigation. But Tommy never said what type of vehicle it was that had been tailing him. On May 25, 2013, after a late arrest and having put a prisoner in the Bardstown jail, Ellis called off his shift and headed home. Its something that they dont get over. Recovered in a statement Sunday that human remains are unidentified at time partner with him Rogers... Gets solved, & quot ; you hope it gets solved, & quot ; Bardstown resident Paul Monin the! 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