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The Complete Timeline Of Crystal Rogers' Disappearance
The 35-year-old mother of five went missing Fourth of July weekend 2015.
Since her disappearance on July 3, 2015, the case of Crystal Rogers has filled her hometown of Bardstown, Kentucky, with emotion and intrigue. The 35-year-old mother of five went missing from the home she shared with her boyfriend, Brooks Houck, and children, and her car was found abandoned two days later on the side of the highway.
When Rogers' father was fatally shot two years later, it seemed like another plot twist straight out of a Southern Gothic mystery novel. It's been more than five years since Rogers' disappearance, and police are still desperately searching for answers.
Get up to speed on the case with the timeline below:
July 3, 2015
According to live-in boyfriend Brooks Houck, who has never been charged or arrested in connection with Roger's disappearance, Crystal Rogers is last seen on the night of the 3rd, playing games on her phone until late at night at the home she shares with him, their 2-year-old son Eli and other children. The following morning she is gone, but he later says he didn’t think it was odd since she often spent the night at the homes of her girlfriends.
July 5, 2015
After learning of her disappearance, Rogers' mother, Sherry Ballard, reports her missing. Later that day, Rogers' maroon Chevrolet Impala is found off the Bluegrass Parkway with a flat tire and the keys still in it. Inside police find her purse and cellphone.
July 8, 2015
Brooks Houck is interviewed by detectives with the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office. During the interview, Brooks receives a phone call from his brother Nick Houck, an officer with the Bardstown Police Department, who was concerned that investigators may be trying to “trip him up.”
July 9, 2015
Accused by Rogers’ family of not taking her disappearance seriously enough, Brooks Houck agrees to an interview with Nancy Grace. While admitting that his and Rogers' relationship was “stressed,” he denies having anything to do with her disappearance.
July 24, 2015
Nick Houck takes a polygraph test, administered by the FBI, which he fails, according to The Huffington Post.
October 16, 2015
Following a month-long suspension, Nick Houck is fired from the Bardstown Police Department, after being accused of interfering with the investigation into Crystal Rogers’ disappearance. On the same day, Nelson County Sheriff Ed Mattingly tells NBC affiliate WLEX, "I would label Brooks Houck a suspect, yes," and that he believes Rogers is dead.
December 16, 2015
Danny Singleton is arrested and charged with 38 counts of false swearing for lying under oath in the investigation of Rogers’ disappearance. WLKY describes Singleton as “Brooks Houck's employee and right-hand man.” He will later plead guilty and be released from jail after being in custody for six months.
June 1, 2016
The Houck brothers' 82-year-old grandmother, Anna Whitesides, invokes The Fifth Amendment after being subpoenaed to testify. According to WDRB, police wanted to ask her about a car she owned, which they theorized could have been used to dispose of Crystal Rogers’ body.
July 6, 2016
Crystal Rogers’ parents file against Brooks Houck for custody of their grandson Eli.
August 30, 2016
Police search a farm belonging to Rosemary Houck, mother of Brooks and Nick Houck. This follows searches of the homes of Nick Houck and Anna Whitesides earlier in the month. According to WLKY, police remove several pieces of farm equipment.
November 19, 2016
Tommy Ballard, Rogers' father, is fatally shot in the chest by an unknown person. According to The Kentucky Standard, he was about to go out hunting with his 12-year-old grandson on family property when he was shot.
July 25, 2017
The Courier-Journal reports Kentucky State Police again search the home of Anna Whitesides, “looking for bullets and a reloader.”
July 28, 2017
Police arrest Brooks Houck’s current girlfriend, Crystal Maupin, after she is caught on camera ripping up signs that say “Standing With The Ballards,” which were posted around Bardstown. She is charged with theft by unlawful taking and released the same day.
November 19, 2017
Signs showed up around Bardstown on the one-year anniversary of Tommy Ballard’s death, speculating about Brooks’ involvement in Rogers’ disappearance. According to WDRB, Rogers' family deny knowing who’s responsible.
March 21, 2018
The Kentucky House of Representatives and State Senate pass a resolution honoring the murdered and missing people of Bardstown, including Crystal Rogers and Tommy Ballard, and urge anyone with information on the crimes to come forward.
June 27, 2018
Brooks denies having any connection to Rogers’ disappearance with WDBR, saying, “I don't have anything to say. I really don't have anything to say. I really don't have anything to say because I don't know anything so I really don't have anything to say.”
August 6, 2020
FBI Louisville announces it's taking over as the lead investigative agency on the case and is receiving assistance from multiple agencies, including the Kentucky State Police and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky. More than 150 state and federal law enforcement officers begin executing nine federal search warrants on multiple properties, including homes belonging to Brooks and Nick Houck, according to local newspaper the Courier-Journal.
"The FBI has been working on this investigation for a while, and our hope is we bring a fresh perspective to the case. More importantly, we also bring a significant amount of resources to this investigation," FBI Louisville spokesman Tim Beam told Oxygen.com.
Additionally, the FBI launches a website — Crystal Rogers Task Force — dedicated to Rogers' case that will "share developing information, photos, and maps with the community," according to an FBI press release.
