Bardstown community honors Crystal Rogers

BARDSTOWN, Ky. (WLKY) – Brooks Houck is sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Crystal Rogers.

The judge took the jury’s recommendations for both Houck and Joseph Lawson on Wednesday earlier this week. Lawson was sentenced to 25 years.

Now, pink bows tied to light poles and in display shop windows line downtown Bardstown.

Business owners are remembering Rogers, a mother who disappeared in 2015.

Three men have now been sentenced in connection with her murder.

Steve Stivers of Making Good Scentz says, “Because of everything they’ve gone through and all the unknown and trying to find answers, we just felt like again it was a good thing just to kind of show our support.”

Alicia Hardy the owner of Kaden Lake Boutique, says although she moved to Bardstown two years ago, she felt it was important to stand with others in the community as they rallied behind a family who has endured so much hardship.

Hardy says, “The signs, the people, the conversations that are still going on 10 years later just to support them and the injustices they have experienced is overwhelming.”

Mike Ballard, Rogers’ Uncle, says those signs of Hope and Remembrance for his niece do not go unnoticed.

Ballard says, “I hate it that that’s the way she’s, you know, her legacy is living on. But, it is nice that people haven’t forgotten Crystal Rogers.”

Ballard says their family, still heartbroken, continues to push for answers.

Ballard says, “You always wondered how she was killed. Did she know she was going to be murdered? What happened? Did she cry out for her mom or dad? Her kids? You know, you just don’t know. But she certainly didn’t deserve to go out of this world that way.”