Mother of Crystal Rogers 'frustrated' at lack of movement in case
Next week marks seven years since the Bardstown mother of 5 was last seen alive, and still, no arrests.
Next week marks seven years since the Bardstown mother of 5 was last seen alive, and still, no arrests.
Next week marks seven years since the Bardstown mother of 5 was last seen alive, and still, no arrests.
The signs throughout Nelson County are faded. So are the billboards asking for help to bring a missing mother home. But seven years after Crystal Rogers was last seen alive, there are still no answers.
"Who do I look to for help? I'm so disappointed in our justice system, so disappointed," Rogers' mother, Sherry Ballard, told WLKY Thursday.
Ballard reported her daughter missing on July 5, 2015. That same day, her car was found abandoned by the side of the Bluegrass Parkway, her purse, keys and cell phone still inside.
Months later, her boyfriend, Brooks Houck, was named a suspect. Over the years, his house and properties have been searched but he is still a free man.
"Every year, I'm like this is the year it's going to happen because that's what I'm led to believe. And then another year goes by with nothing," Ballard said.
But last year, seemed different. In August, FBI agents spent several days in a Bardstown subdivision where Houck had built several homes. And, they came away with two items of interest.
"The items they found, it was a very uplifting, exciting moment for everyone because we thought this is the answers. And I don't think that's going to work out," Ballard said.
In addition to those law enforcement searches, Ballard says the family has done more than 200. The searches have taken them as far away as Tennessee, but the majority have been in the area- Washington and Marion, and of course Nelson counties, with loved ones and volunteers searching dozens of miles.
"There's not a place I can go that I don't have a memory of looking for my daughter," she said.
This year and anniversary prove especially difficult because legally, she could have her daughter declared dead. And while she's said from the start she knew Crystal was gone she is not ready to put it on paper.
Ballard's focus remains on justice for Crystal and her husband, Tommy, who was murdered 16 months after their daughter's disappearance.
"With what happened with my daughter, it's one of the hardest things I've ever had to go through. But not having him,
I live life every day just to get through, that's all I can say," Ballard said.
A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction. In a statement, the FBI told WLKY:
"As this week marks the seventh anniversary of the disappearance of Crystal Rogers, investigators from the FBI Louisville Field Office continue to work diligently to uncover all the facts of the case. We want nothing more than to bring a sense of closure to Crystal Rogers' family and the community of Bardstown. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all those individuals who submitted tips to our office. This case will not come to its rightful conclusion without the contributions of the community itself."
Those with information can call the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.