BARDSTOWN, Ky. (Court TV) — The brother of a man convicted of killing a missing mother of five appeared in court to face his own charges, but did so without an attorney by his side.
Nick Houck appeared without an attorney at his arraignment on June 18, 2026. (WHAS)
Nick Houck, a former police officer in Bardstown, Kentucky, pleaded not guilty to a single charge of perjury at a brief hearing on Thursday. Nick Houck appeared without an attorney, telling the judge that his counsel “told me to just go ahead and proceed on without him.”
The judge was clearly confused by the statement; an attorney for the Commonwealth said they had personally reached out to the attorney Nick Houck had named, but that attorney said he had not been retained and thus would not be entering an appearance.
Judge: “OK, Mr. Houck. How long is it going to take for you to retain an attorney?
Nick Houck: “He’s going to be my attorney. This is something I can deal with without him here. He wants to figure out what you guys are getting at before you make a decision.”
The judge continued to question Houck, who then claimed, “I’ve been charged with perjury and I have no idea why you guys are charging me with that.” The judge explained that he didn’t file charges — that’s the prosecutor’s job — but that the defendant would need an attorney.
Judge: “Is he your attorney, or not?”
Nick Houck: “He isn’t today. But he’s going to be. We’ve talked several times and he wants some information on the case to be able to make a decision.”
The judge asked a member of the public defender’s office to stand in and enter a plea of “not guilty” on Nick Houck’s behalf.
The indictment charging Nick Houck with first-degree perjury alleges that he lied under oath between July 15, 2015, and April 2023, WLEX reported. While the details of the defendant’s alleged lies weren’t stated in court, the July 15 date aligns with when investigators first spoke to him about the disappearance of Crystal Rogers.
Nick Houck’s brother, Brooks Houck, was sentenced to life in prison plus five years in 2025 after a jury convicted him of murder and complicity to tampering with physical evidence in Rogers’ death. Brooks Houck was in a relationship with Rogers, a mother of five, at the time of her disappearance on July 3, 2015. Rogers’ body has never been found, despite extensive searches.
Nick Houck became a prominent figure in his brother’s murder trial, as prosecutors alleged that he disappeared for more than 24 hours when Rogers disappeared; investigators also said that Nick Houck helped his brother by disposing of their grandmother’s car after the victim’s disappearance.
Nick Houck is due back in court on July 2; the judge told him he should return with his attorney, and at that point, a trial date will be set.
