NELSON COUNTY, Ky. (Scripps News Lexington) — The man charged with murder in the disappearance of Crystal Rogers more than eight years after she disappeared is asking a judge to lower his bond.
Brooks Houck is charged with murder and tampering with evidence in the disappearance of Crystal Rogers. (Hardin County Detention Center via Scripps News Lexington)
An attorney for Brooks Houck entered a motion on Monday asking that the judge in the case lower his client’s $10 million bond, ahead of his client’s scheduled hearing on Thursday.
Houck is charged with murder and tampering with evidence in the 2015 disappearance of Crystal Rogers and he will be arraigned on Thursday in Nelson County.
In the motion, Houck’s attorney asks that his bond be lowered to $500,000 full cash. The motion also asked that, if released, Houck be put on GPS monitoring with work release.
The motion goes on to say that Houck has cooperated with law enforcement since Rogers’ disappearance, despite being named a suspect early on.
The motion also criticizes the release of police interviews of Houck and other information from the investigation to news organizations.
“Mr. Houck became a pariah to some in his community for this reason, not because he has a lengthy history of criminal convictions. In fact, he has no criminal convictions,” the motion states. “He has been unfairly subjected to character assassination by press conference, podcast, and countless media stories, as a result of local law enforcement’s decision to release the contents of their investigation to the media.”
The motion states Houck has continued to run a successful business despite the “sensationalism” of the case and argues that continued incarceration due to a “punitive” bond will ensure his business fails before his guilt or innocence can be determined.
Crystal Rogers was reported missing in July of 2015. Since then, the family of the 35-year-old mother of five has hoped for answers, and the search has gained national attention.
FILE – Crystal Rogers (NamUs)
Houck was Rogers’ boyfriend and the father of one of her children.
Joseph Lawson, 32, is also charged in the case. He’s charged with conspiracy to commit murder and complicity to tampering with evidence.
Little information has been released about what’s thought to have occurred the night Rogers disappeared or how Lawson and Houck might be connected.
The motion to reduce bond is set to be considered at Houck’s arraignment on Thursday, according to court records.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Lexington, an E.W. Scripps Company.
