Prosecutors in Kentucky, who've charged a man with the 2015 murder of his then-girlfriend, claim he's also tied to the shooting death of her father a bit over a year later.
Brooks Houck, 41, appeared on video before Chief Circuit Court Judge Charles Simms for his arraignment on murder charges. These charges stem from the disappearance of Crystal Rogers, 35, a mom of five who vanished in 2015. Houck, who was dating Rogers at the time and fathered her youngest child, is believed to be the last person to have seen her alive. Sadly, she's never been found, and she's presumed to be deceased.
Houck has pleaded not guilty.
During Houck's arraignment, lawyers had a heated discussion about his bond amount to make sure he shows up for court. Prosecutor Shane Young argued that the current $10 million bond is necessary and that he's never asked for such a high amount before. Some members of the grand jury even thought it should be double that.
Young also hinted that Houck might be involved in another crime: the death of Rogers' father, Tommy Ballard, who was found shot to death on family property over a year after Rogers disappeared.
Young stated, "That could potentially be related to this case. We are waiting for testing to come back on the firearm we believe was used to murder Tommy Ballard, the firearm that was purchased from Nicholas Houck, who was using a fake name when he sold the rifle." Young mentioned that the rifle matched the caliber used to kill Ballard and met four out of five criteria investigators were considering.
Houck's defense attorney, Brian Butler, argued that the investigation into Ballard's death shouldn't affect his client's bond amount. He also stressed that his client had deep community ties, including a supportive family. Young, however, pointed out that Houck's family had secretly recorded grand jury proceedings, which raised concerns about the integrity of the process. Young stated, "The truth will imprison Brooks Houck."
Butler suggested there were different ways to look at it and said, "Who in their right mind would not want to know what’s being said?" Judge Simms expressed concerns about the grand jury proceedings' integrity and said he needed more time to consider both sides' arguments.
In a related note, another man, Joseph Lawson, 32, has been linked to Rogers' disappearance and was arrested in September, facing charges of criminal conspiracy and tampering with evidence.
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