The remains are being sent to Quantico, Virginia, for analysis by the FBI. Just 16 months later, while searching for answers, Crystal's father is murdered in cold blood. Crystal's maroon 2007 four-door Chevrolet was . A Dead Cop Was The First Unsolved Murder. - The FBI has found an "item of interest" during a property search for missing Bardstown mother Crystal Rogers. There were a dozen. Samantha Netherland was a sophomore at Bardstown High School. Hill and her brother Michael Unseld have waited and wondered for three years who killed their father and why. In a social media post, FBI Louisville said the items are potentially relevant to the investigation. They recovered two items of interest that were sent for examination. (Family Photo) McAlister, who continues to cover the Rogers' case and would later come to learn, investigate and follow all the unsolved cases in Bardstown, talked with the Times-Tribune about what it's been like trying to uncover the truth and juggling the lines between professional and personal as a journalist. And a little further north, 2. In October 2015, Brooks was named the prime suspect in the case but was never arrested. And Ellis focus on drug users and dealers and domestic violence situations may reveal the kind of person authorities are looking for. Kentucky State Police is still the lead in the investigation. It's unclear if Unseld knew Tate or Lyons. They're reportedly searching three properties owned by Rogers' ex-boyfriend, Brooks Houck, in addition to properties owned by his brother, former Bardstown police officer Nick Houck, and their mother, Rosemary Houck. It was early enough in the morning that it was still dark when Tommy was shot, Ballard said. You can read a timeline of Crystals case from WDRB here. The remains were processed through CODIS, which stands for the Combined DNA Index System. The area also provided good cover, as it was located between rock walls covered in brush. Jason Ellis, a 33-year-old police officer and father of two, was. McAlister and her producers spent weeks in Bardstown working on the podcast. One of the photos is of a smiling Ellis in his uniform, a photo that has been printed onto cards that Medley carries with him and hands out to people who may have information. Read More: How Did Taylor Robinson Die? The Nelson County Sheriffs Office confirmed in a statement Sunday that human remains had been recovered in a rural part of the county. A juror spoke after the verdict was handed down: It was his mistake and their mistake but 80 percent theirs, because the workers, every one of them, has only been there one or 2 months, and that one girl that came up said she lied so she wouldnt have to be a witness on the case, said Peyton Gentry, a juror in the case. And then in August 2020, FBI agents turned up at a storage unit that belonged to Crystal. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules. || Photo contributed. The search has focused on homes built and previously owned by Brooks. There are always flowers at the exit ramp, laminated photos of Ellis on the front doors of the Bardstown Police Department, his uniform lays on a black bourbon barrel, and a long corridor wall was dedicated to him, which includes photos. Im 100 percent, completely innocent in this, he said. Precautionary boil advisory issued for water customers in east Jefferson County, Police: Woman accused of buying nearly $9K in clothes with stolen credit card, WAVE Weather Now Syncbak Channel Embed for PBE Page, Christina Applegate attends last awards show as an actress, 15-year-old shot, killed in Smoketown neighborhood identified, LMPD: Man in hospital after shooting in St. Denis nieghborhood, Man in hospital after shooting in Russell neighborhood. "For those individuals who have information about this incident but who have not yet spoken to law enforcement for whatever reason, please contact us.". Five years and a month after the disappearance of Crystal Rogers,the FBIhas taken overthe investigation and is launching a new search for the35-year-old Kentucky mother of five. It was women from a million different parts of her life who came together and held her up, McAlister said. The search for Crystal still continues. 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. New Details On Unsolved Murder Of Kentucky Police Officer, Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango, who focuses on writing trending news and entertainmentpieces, Who Killed Cordy Simmons? Brooks was questioned early on by Nelson County Sheriffs Office Lead Detective Jon Snow. Brooks trial for the Lowes theft was held in 2019 and a jury found him not guilty. Tommys dad said his son was very charitable. Sherry said they have not seen Eli since Crystal vanished on July 3. A 35 year old woman named Crystal Rogers went missing from Bardstown, Kentucky back in 2015. But when its one of your own, especially for a police force, it can complicate things on a much bigger level. And interestingly, Crystals aunt went missing from the area in 1979.Freda Sharene Sherry Ballard, went missing from Bardstown, according to The Kentucky Standard. emailStay Connected BARDSTOWN, Ky. (WAVE) - In a matter of five days, there were some big development in connection to a 2016 Bardstown murder. See additional information. was burned down inwhat city officials said was arson, Jason Ellis, aBardstown police officerwho wasambushed in 2013, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Its pretty obvious the boyfriend did something to her and his brother used his status as an officer to help him cover everything up. Michael Wayne Unseld was shot and killed above what used to be the Broke Tee Nite Club in Bardstown in 2016. Tommy was a kind of quiet man who built houses for a living, Sherry Ballard said. Kathy Netherland, 48, and her . It was really rough. Police Chief Kim Kraeszig also remembers getting a call that night about the murder. Tommy, a skilled handyman from the age of 15, once put up a dog fence for a woman battling cancer and didnt charge her anything for it, Till Ballard said. Did you make him suffer? Unseld said. Ive never made that a secret, Sherry Ballard said of her suspicion that Houck was involved in Rogers disappearance and Tommys death. She said Brooks has been uncooperative with the investigation. There is a great post on reddit about Crystals case and this information comes from there: You can see Crystal Maupins Facebook here. According to Brooks, he went to bed while she stayed up for a while playing video games. Unseld said he has never heard of the two men charged in the case. Shes spent the night there on several occasions.. I dont need an attorney. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. He helped form Team Crystal, according to the FBI. At that time, he did not have his canine partner with him. But it would help the family to know where she is. Police began their investigation after the vehicle was found. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Season three, "Beyond Bardstown: Unsolved," is coming Monday, Oct. 17. Its mind blowing, Unseld said. He exited the Bluegrass Parkway at Exit 34 and found the ramp blocked with trees. Sherry Ballard hasnt spent any time at the FBIs newest search site, she said. James and Michelle Butler: The Senseless Murder of 21-Year-Navy Veteran and Wife. Kentucky murders 1962 - 2008. The FBI are in charge of her case and they are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for her disappearance. They dont seem to be in NAMUS as far as I can see oversight or have they been identified? Agents were also seen using SONAR equipment. According to Medley, It was a hard time there for about a year, year and a half. It was women like Sherry Ballard," she admitted. I feel discriminated against, she told Oxygen.com. Feb 21, 2023. Since my moms been missing, life has been really hard. The FBI and its law enforcement partners are seeking information about the murder of Kentucky police officer Jason Ellis. The Sheriffs Office had been investigating the remains since at least Friday, and several people reported seeing the FBI vehicle come through Bardstown. The FBI said it would keep searching as long as it takes to find evidence. When she arrived in Louisville in July of 2015, a young woman, also from Bardstown, would go missing -- a huge national news story then and still today. On May252013, Officer Jason Ellis waskilledafter finishing his shift for the Bardstown, Kentucky Police Department. They havent seen him for three months. Someone, perched on top of the stone cliff above him, fired a shotgun. He wouldnt take a dime from her, Ballard said. He pleaded not guilty to a handful of felony theft charges. Just last year, state police hired two retired officers to focus on the case full-time, as well as some other unsolved cases in the area. It cost him his life. In June, Whitesides was served with a subpoena to testify before a Nelson County Grand Jury, but she invoked her Fifth Amendment right not to talk. Her family tried to contact Crystal for two days via text and calling but they were not able to reach her. And authorities have been left without closure for six years now. 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. On July 9, Brooks did an interview with Nancy Grace. Officer Jason Ellis (d: May 25th, 2013) - ambushed and shot to death while returning home from duty. 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. Crystal Rogers' family knows the Bardstown Kentucky missing mother is dead after she disappeared 6 years ago. The FBI is investigating Rogers' disappearance and four unsolved Bardstown murders, including the shooting of Tommy Ballard. When he stopped to pick up debris in the road (that is said to have been intentionally put there,) a gunman shot and killed him. I don't think a lot of people were trying to connect the dots," McAlister said. Police officers held another press conference in October and they stated that they believed Crystal was deceased: She has vanished from Earth, and I think its safe to say shes dead, Sheriff Ed Mattingly announced at a news conference. 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. We dont have anything against the state police or the sheriffs department; theyve been good, too. On April 21, 2014, Kathy Netherland, 48, and her daughter, Samantha Netherland, 16, were brutally murdered in the small Nelson County community of Botland. We are now at 2021 and Crystal will have been missing for 6 years this July. | Photo contributed, Shay and her team recording the Bardstown podcast during one of the many interviews with Sherry Ballard, mother of Crystal Rogers. New Details In The Unsolved Murder Of Texas Woman Who Was Set On Fire And Left On Side Of The Road, Who Killed Lonnie Lard Anthony? what did stefan moon say to amber smith what did stefan moon say to amber smith He drove to the Exit 24 ramp and was one of the first responding officers to see Ellis lying dead in the road. He was usually unwilling to have his picture taken. said Sherry Ballard, Crystal Rogers mother. Sometime in the evening, she was seen with three of her children buying groceries and other items. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Sheriff Ed Mattingly said at that time that Houck was fully cooperating with the investigation. 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Hed do anything for anybody, Till Ballard said. At first, he thought the radio had picked up a signal from a neighboring townbut eventually realized it was closeby. Reporter Shay McAllister spoke to Sherry Ballard once this news broke: Just received this text from Sherry Ballard on news of the human remains: In my heart I truly never felt like this was my daughter. 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. Theres never a minute Im not thinking about them, Ballard said. But Brooks Houck, Rogers boyfriend at the time of her disappearance and a suspect in the case, owns multiple homes in the neighborhood. After Tommy Ballard was killed people started to wonder if the unsolved cases of Jason Ellis, Kathy and Samantha Netherland and Crystal Rogers along with Tommy Ballard were all somehow connected. When that happened to my husband, wife Sherry Ballard told WDRB, it was no accident. Sherry believes Tommy was getting close to finding out what happened to Rogers before he was killed. | Photo contributed, Shay McAlister in front of the camera. They found her car with her purse, cell phone, scattered on the ground around the car but no sign of her. Mother of five, Crystal Rogers has been missing from Bardstown, KY since July 3, 2015. michael lombard actor obituary; justinas duknauskas biography; organic valley grassmilk yogurt discontinued Features. Our website services, content and products are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The Nelson County Sheriffs Office announced that Brooks Houck was the main suspect in Crystals disappearance. Halfway around the ramp, someone had dragged a pile of branches into the roadway. Lucy Letby- Killer Nurse? In Bardstown, the FBI has stepped in to help with the Crystal Rogers case and McAlister would like to think that the attention the murders received from the Bardstown podcast along with the determination of Crystal Rogers' family is to credit. On May 25, 2013, around 2 or 3 AM, Ellis, a police officer in Bardstown, Kentucky, was killed on his way home from work. She was an excellent mother, Ballard said. 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. He later died at the hospital. On Friday August 16, 2019, Bardstown police arrested Robert Tate, 26, and charged him with murder. When I graduated high school, seeing all the kids with their moms and they were like so proud. True Crime Society - True Crime Society Podcast Episode Its always the husband (allegedly! The city is famed for its brilliantly brewed bourbon and hence has earned the nickname "Bourbon Capital of the World." Thats the question weve got.. Sharenes child wouldve been Till and Bettys first grandchild, Betty said. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. BARDSTOWN, Ken. Till and Sherry Ballard said they believe the cases are connected and Tommys death investigation will be solved quickly after Rogers case is solved. The following day, there was no trace of her. I do believe this is where my daughter is. The little things really matter more than the big huge things,. 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. Michael Medley, its a night that continues to haunt him. He said when they got home, he went straight to bed, and Rogers stayed up playing games on her phone. Tears welled up in Crystal Rogers grandfathers eyes as he stood around the corner from a team of FBI agents who searched a property this week for evidence in Rogers disappearance. And a little further north, one journalist is committed to finding the truth in these tragedies and opens up about her journey to the truth. Vanished: Heidi Broussard (33) and Margot Carey (2wks). Bardstown was named after its pioneering founders Davis Bard and William Bard. 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. Shell never get total closure because she doesnt believe shell see her daughter alive again. McAlister said she's learned that everybody has a story and that story is worthy. In 1961, Betty Gail Brown, a Transylvania University student in Kentucky was found in a car on campus, strangled by her own bra. There is a great post on reddit about Crystals case and this information comes from there:In December 2015, Louisvilles WDRB reported the arrest of Danny Singleton on 38 counts of false swearing after he allegedly lied under oath to a grand jury in relation to the investigation of Crystal Rogers disappearance. The boy allegedly asked his father, what did you do to my mommy, and added that everyone wants to know.'. Brooks admitted he and Crystal had a stressed relationship at times, but he emphatically denied having anything to do with her disappearance. On May 25, 2013, Bardstown police officer Jason Ellis was ambushed and killed on his way home after signing off for the night by someone lying in wait for him near Exit 34 at 2 a.m. Brandon Lawson The 911 call that led to a mysterious disappearance. Subscribe He met the love of his life while in Williamsburg, married her and moved back to her hometown in Nelson County where he started a career with the Bardstown Police Department. The agency has set up a website for the case atwww.crystalrogerstaskforce.com. I feel awful for her mother dealing with losing her child, husband and having to fight for custody with that horrible man! 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. At Exit 34 and found the ramp, someone had dragged a pile of branches into the roadway her Ballard. Pile of branches into the roadway when its one of your own, especially a. Tee Nite Club in Bardstown in 2016 25th, 2013 ) - ambushed and shot to death while returning from. Wondered for three years who killed their father and why it can things... 35 year old woman named Crystal Rogers went missing from Bardstown, Kentucky in! Kentucky back in 2015 child he had with Rogers sensitive information only official. 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