Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTangowho focuses on writing trending news and entertainmentpieces. We want to thank the FBI for their assistance and teamwork over the last 18 plus months. We should just be giving it out because it's so true, you have no idea what someone is facing.". More than a year after Rogers disappeared, her father, Tommy Ballard, 54, was fatally shot while hunting on family property in a rural area outside Bardstown. We will continue to work with the FBI and assist with anything that is needed. He also volunteered to finish contracting work for a woman whose workers failed to finish the job after she already paid them. And it kind of gave us hope that okay they hadn't forgotten and we're heading in the right direction now.. In 2019, we brought you the story of five unsolved murders in and around the small, tight-knit town of Bardstown, Kentucky. Someone, perched on top of the stone cliff above him, fired a shotgun. He wasnt going to give up on Crystal, Till Ballard said, standing outside the FBIs search site on Monday. Waking up every day and not being able to wake up and be like Hey mom and What are you going to do today? Just like normal little things. They were discovered on a farm close to where Rogers car was found. (Story continues below video) The FBI's. Starting in August 2021, the authorities excavated a property in Bardstown built by Brooks around the time of Crystals disappearance. We dont have anything against the state police or the sheriffs department; theyve been good, too. They had taken over the investigation into Crystals disappearance once the human remains were found. Police haven't released a motive in the shooting. The next day, the sheriff's officerequested the assistance of the FBI Evidence Response Team because it was difficult to reach the location of the possible remains, which were sent to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, for testing. I believe Brooks and Crystal Lite are still together (based on her social media). And then in August 2020, FBI agents turned up at a storage unit that belonged to Crystal. Now into the month of October citizens and family members are still wondering and don't have answers that just a few months ago seemed so close. She had a huge heart, Sherry Ballard said. "A hallmark of the FBI is we never give up," FBI Louisville Special Agent in Charge Robert Brown said in the release. Again, the motive and perpetrator have never been determined. Starting in August 2021, the authorities excavated a property in Bardstown built by Brooks around the time of Crystal's disappearance. On April 21, 2014, Kathy Netherland, 48, and her daughter, Samantha Netherland, 16, were brutally murdered in the small Nelson County community of Botland. About a year later, his grandmother refused to testify in relation to a vehicle that the authorities believed was hers and may have been used to dispose of a body. This is starting to get silly. When he answered it, it was his brother, Nick Houck, telling him not to talk to investigators. Never. On the days that are the best, with the best news and on the days with the worst news of their lives, I'm there.". She went missing over Fourth of July weekend in 2015. According to Brooks, he went to bed while she stayed up for a while playing video games. Crystal Rogers' family knows the Bardstown Kentucky missing mother is dead after she disappeared 6 years ago. The agency has set up a website for the case atwww.crystalrogerstaskforce.com. We've talked about it at length. Searches and interrogations by those agencies didnt lead to the discovery of Rogers body or any arrests. She had previously been seeing him every other weekend. But one set of family photos featuring both Tommy and Rogers has been key. tower cafe sacramento; galley pirate blox fruits. Very nervous.. Kentucky murders 1962 - 2008. From day one, I never thought my daughter was coming home, Ballard said. Lucy Letby- Killer Nurse? Shes spent the night there on several occasions.. When I graduated high school, seeing all the kids with their moms and they were like so proud. But there are still unanswered questions. (Family Photo) We are now at 2021 and Crystal will have been missing for 6 years this July. The FBI took over both cases last summer and has since executed several search warrants and questioned people in Bardstown. Bourbon City Kitchen a hidden gem in NC. Bardstown Fire Chief Billy Mattingly saidthe house may have been set on fire by disgruntled employees who worked for Brooks Houck. 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. Hed do anything for anybody, Till Ballard said. Eventually, Nick was fired for interfering with the investigation. "The FBI is committed to bringing those responsible to justice, but we are going to need the communitys assistance.". Why wouldnt the give us all the support? | Photo contributed, Shay McAlister in front of the camera. We thought this was the break! His family, our two sons, his wonderful friends and I cannot heal without knowing who and why he was taken from us by this senseless murder, she said. Team Crystal was a group of family members and other local residents willing to do anything for Sherry and Tommy to help them determine what happened to Rogers. You can read a timeline of Crystals case from WDRB here. The FBI said it would keep searching as long as it takes to find evidence. It's been five years since Tommy Ballard of Bardstown was gunned down while hunting with his grandson. The Nelson County Sheriffs Office announced that Brooks Houck was the main suspect in Crystals disappearance. Tommy didnt like being in photos, Ballard said. Sheriff Ed Mattingly said at that time that Houck was fully cooperating with the investigation. Crystals family deny any involvement in the signs. The city is famed for its brilliantly brewed bourbon and hence has earned the nickname "Bourbon Capital of the World." In November 2017, on the one year anniversary of Tommy Ballards death, signs appeared around Bardstown, implicating Brooks in Crystals disappearance and death. He told me, he said, Dad, Ill spend my last dollar to find her.. Hill and Unseld are both processing the new development. McAlister goes on to list names including Tiny, Tammy and Rose, women that she'd gotten to know in one way or another through her reporting. On the 5 year anniversary of Crystals disappearance, one of her children spoke to the media. The sheriffs office hasnt been able to do more than name Houck a suspect years ago. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Nick was accused of warning his brother that detectives planned to interview him and advised him not to speak with them. "When we got the interview with the FBI, they told us there was a probability that the five unsolved cases, including Jason Ellis were connected and it was so much new information," said McAlister. I just want to see my grandson. He took Exit 34, a narrow ramp bounded on either side by steep stone walls. Last year McAlister and a team of producers took a deep dive into the tragedies in Bardstown including Jason Ellis's death as they worked on a hit podcast centered around all five unsolved murders in Bardstown. 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. "Out of respect for family members of multiple missing persons in these areas, we will not be commenting on this until we have more information from the lab," the office said in a statement. I know remains were found near to were Crystal went missing, but they were found not to be hers. Since my moms been missing, life has been really hard. Mother of five, Crystal Rogers has been missing from Bardstown, KY since July 3, 2015. Her remains were found buried in the woods in 1983. Tommy Ballard, Tills son and Sherrys husband, had been relentlessly pursuing the truth. His murder would be the first. || Photo contributed. 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. Ballard plans to have Rogers buried next to Tommy if her remains are found, she said. Her estranged husband, Edsel Barnes, was found guilty of murder by a jury, according to court records. Approximately 150 miles away in a small town similar to many in the Tri-County, five murders are unsolved, one with a connection to the Tri-County. Its so hard for a parent to just drive down the road not knowing where your daughters at or where they put her, she said. Sharenes child wouldve been Till and Bettys first grandchild, Betty said. He wanted to make sure when he was done, they were happy.. More than 200,000 unsolved cases have gone cold since 1980, and murder clearance rates continue to drop. His father built houses, too, and still does as hes gotten into his 80s. 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. Investigative journalist Shay McAlister moved to Louisville a little over five years ago fresh out of college. Her mother reported her missing July 5 after she . Rogers was from the small, tight-knit town of Bardstown, about 40 miles south of Louisville. Introducing herself and asking questions of others made journalism a natural fit. She would attend her childrens school parties and make efforts to help their teachers, Ballard said. High near 50F. "It was my bosses who told me to stay home as long as I wanted. The young woman was living with her boyfriend, Brooks Houck, who was the father of her youngest child. Bardstown today has more than doubled in population, and the shadows have grown deeper. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Although she was brand new to the job, McAlister said the Rogers case immediately stood out. Whileattempting to remove thedebris,hewasshotseveral times and died shortly after. He had been just about to go hunting with one of his grandsons Crystals son. Since McAlister's first weeks at WHAS 11, she's put together an unsolved series covering missing and murdered loved ones from around Kentucky. The FBI said Rogerss mother, Sherry Ballard, consented to the search. On May252013, Officer Jason Ellis waskilledafter finishing his shift for the Bardstown, Kentucky Police Department. On Nancy Graces show, Houck said he went to a July Fourth party without Rogers and was planning to check with others about Rogers if she remained absent for more than a day or a day-and-a-half. We would always get the chicken strip basket with the toast and gravy to go with it. BARDSTOWN, Ky. (WAVE) - In a matter of five days, there were some big development in connection to a 2016 Bardstown murder. City officials held an administrative hearing on Nick Houck's actions and fired him a day later. In August 2021, the FBI initiated a new search in the Woodlawn Springs subdivision of Bardstown. State investigators initially received dozens of tips, interviewed individuals that Ellis had arrested, and tracked down leads all across the country. Kentucky State Police and the Nelson County sheriffs office worked the cases for five years before the FBI took the lead in the summer of 2020. was burned down inwhat city officials said was arson, Jason Ellis, aBardstown police officerwho wasambushed in 2013, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Devoted and committed, Crystal worked two jobs to take care of her children. Sherry Ballard took care of four of her daughters children on her own after Rogers went missing and Tommy died. 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. In the summer of 2018, Brooks Houck was arrested for stealing more than 200 bundles of shingles from Lowes during four separate visits during an 11-day period. Crystals belongings, including her cellphone and purse, were still inside, and so was the key in the ignition. The following day, there was no trace of her. Houck has full custody of the child he had with Rogers. On 7th anniversary, murders of Nelson County mother and daughter remain unsolved. He made eye contact with me. Until then she challenges people to think about the impact they want to leave on the world. New Details On The Unsolved Murder Of The Buffalo Man Who Was Shot Dead In His Car. On June 3, 2016, someone shot Unseld above what used to be the Broken Tee Nite Club on West Stephen Foster Avenue in Bardstown. New Details About The Murder Cold Case That May Be Solved After 45 Years. He was pronounced dead at the scene on a farm located on Ed Brent Lane. On May 25, Ellis, a husband and father of two young boys, clocked out of his shift at 2 a.m. and started his normal, 15-mile drive home on the Bluegrass Parkway. He pleaded not guilty to a handful of felony theft charges. The motive and the person behind his murder remain a mystery to this day. According to FBI Louisville, the discovery was made during day four of the search. According to an arrest warrant, the video shows Maupin getting out of her car and taking the sign., Why wouldnt she help us? He walked a million miles, looking and searching, Till Ballard said. Till said it felt like theyre living that grief all over again. The person or persons who killed them is still on the loose. 2023byTango Publishing Corporation All Rights Reserved. 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. The Nelson County Sheriffs Office will continue to be the lead agency on the human remains case. On the day after Easter 2014, 48-year-old Kathy Netherland and her 16-year-old daughter, Samantha, were brutally murdered inside their home in Botland, just outside the Bardstown city limits.. And a little further north, My Theories on the Bardstown Murders and the Disappearance of Crystal Rogers I used to believe that the murder of police officer Jason Ellis on May 25, 2013, the Netherland Murders on April 21, 2014, the disappearance of Crystal Rogers on July 3, 2015, and the murder of Tommy Ballard on November 19, 2016 in Bardstown, Kentucky we're all related. On the morning of November 19, 2016, sixteen months after Crystal's disappearance, Ballard was preparing for a hunting trip with his 12-year-old grandson on family property next to Bluegrass. She appealed the decision. Rogers had been datingBrooks Houck, an initial suspect, who is the father of one of her sons. I know Im not the mother, but the mothers not here and the fathers the number one suspect.. Plus, we had a contractor on the jury with us, and he said when they get it, they load it and take it to a site. And interestingly, Crystals aunt went missing from the area in 1979.Freda Sharene Sherry Ballard, went missing from Bardstown, according to The Kentucky Standard. It was found with a flat tyre near mile marker 14 on the Bluegrass parkway. 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. London, KY (40741) Today. Please add name and any info that you. Officials said Brooks Houck, Crystals boyfriend, was the last person to see her alive when they were at his family farm the night of July 3. Ellis stopped, turned on his blue lights and got out of his cruiser to clear them. She was born and raised in Bardstown and was a very shy little girl when she was younger, Sherry said. The Sheriffs Office had been investigating the remains since at least Friday, and several people reported seeing the FBI vehicle come through Bardstown. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Jeremy Chisenhall covers criminal justice and breaking news for the Lexington Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com. By KATELYN NORRIS knorris@kystandard.com. No Thanks Compartilhar isto . The case is still unsolved. She said Brooks has been uncooperative with the investigation. - The FBI has found an "item of interest" during a property search for missing Bardstown mother Crystal Rogers. By Samantha Maffucci Written on May 29, 2019. They just ripped that baby away from me because they said theres too much animosity between the families, Ballard told Oxygen.com. A part of me wants to hold back on that because I dont know Im scared of the let down. Two people have been arrested and charged in the murder of Michael Wayne Unseld, 61. It's been just over seven years and there are still no answers in the murder of Ellis, leaving his friends, family and members of multiple communities confused, saddened and angry. Weve searched the rivers, weve searched farms, houses, sinkholes, wells, any place she might be, family member Sammy Johnson said. Investigators had wanted to ask her about a white car of hers they believed was connected to Rogers disappearance. They held vigils and fundraisers and raised tens of thousands of dollars for rewards and to assist Crystals children. Was it quick?, I kind of thought at some point in time maybe people had forgotten and maybe we were the only ones still out there wanting answers, Hill said. The remains were processed through CODIS, which stands for the Combined DNA Index System. That included searches for Rogers body and any evidence they could find. Scotty Sharp, a spokesman for the police, said they continue to receive tips, but Our main focus is Officer Ellis family. Unseld said he has never heard of the two men charged in the case. Now, McAlister is returning t 1:37 The FBI's latest search related to the disappearance of Bardstown mom Crystal Rogers has ended, the agency announced Tuesday. NELSON COUNTY, Ky. (WAVE) - It has been seven years since mother and daughter were brutally murdered in Nelson County in the small community of Botland. In 1997, Erica Lee Fraysure's car was found in a remote area of Brooksville, Kentucky. Brooks was questioned early on by Nelson County Sheriffs Office Lead Detective Jon Snow. Brooks admitted he and Crystal had a stressed relationship at times, but he emphatically denied having anything to do with her disappearance. "I don't think people should have to earn that. In the middle of the interview, Brooks phone rang. On May 25 2013, Officer Jason Ellis was killed after finishing his shift for the Bardstown, Kentucky Police Department. [] I cant even go on the side of the road without looking like a murderer. Officer Ellis was discovered by a passing motorist. A lie detector test turned out to be inconclusive, but he maintained he had no involvement in the disappearance, saying, Im 100 percent completely innocent in this. Crystals sister thought there was more to it than what was apparent, adding, The stories just dont add up. And while she thought she knew what grief was like, she had no idea. Rogers was the first of Sherry and Tommy Ballards children. The FBI and its law enforcement partners are seeking information about the murder of Kentucky police officer Jason Ellis. Im scared to. New Details In The Unsolved Murder Of Texas Woman Who Was Set On Fire And Left On Side Of The Road, For one of Ellis colleagues and best friends, Sgt. Im 100 percent, completely innocent in this, he said. Kathy Netherland, 48, and her daughter, Samantha, 16, were killed inside their home on April 21, 2014. Results for popular videos, Ballard told WDRB, it was his brother, Houck. 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