Crystal Rogers case: Day 3 wraps up in Stephen Lawson trial

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Thursday, May 29, 2025 — Jurors in the trial of Stephen Lawson, the first defendent to go to trial in the murder of Crystal Rogers, heard testimony Thursday that focused on Lawson’s statements to investigators and how they changed as investigators used cellphone data to connect him to moving Crystal Rogers’ car to the 14 mile marker of the westbound Bluegrass Parkway.

Prosecutors revealed that Brooks Houck’s brother, Nick Houck, and his mother, Rosemary Houck, are considered to be unindicted co-conspirators in the disappearance and presumed death in the Crystal Rogers case.

Tension in the courtroom intensified when it was reveled that the FBI investigator who interviewed Lawson in August 2020, was the same investigator who conducted a polygraph test on Brooks Houck’s brother, Nick. When prosecutors’ questions began to focus on the investigator’s interview with Nick Houck, the defense objected loudly, given the fact that polygraphs are not admissible in court as evidence. No further mention of the Nick Houck polygraph or the investigator’s interview of Nick Houck were made.

The defense questioned one witness regarding the cell phone tracking data, noting that the information only provided the approximate location of the phone, not the owner. The tracking data can’t positively state who had possession of a phone that is tracked.

The jury heard excerpts of two phone calls involving Lawson when he was incarcerated in the Nelson County Jail.

The first call was with Lawson’s mother, who asked him where Crystal Rogers’ body was located. Lawson denied knowledge of where her body might be, adding “all I know is she’s gone.”

Her mother continued pressing her son for answers. Exasperated, Lawson told his mother that his involvement was only to move Crystal’s car and picking up his son, Joseph Lawson, when Rogers’ car had a flat tire.

A second caller also pressed Lawson for details on the murder, to which Lawson said he didn’t know anything about the location of her body. He admitted that all he knew was Houck wanted Crystal gone.

The defense called Dr. Karl Reich, a Chicago-area DNA expert who testified on the types of DNA testing and the information each can provide. He noted that the sample can degrade over time if not tested in a timely manner.

The defense noted that hair samples taken from Crystal Rogers’ car nearly 10 years ago were never tested for DNA.

CLOSING ARGUMENTS FRIDAY. Lawson’s trial is expected to conclude Friday, following the jury hearing additional witnesses the prosecution or defense teams may call.

Lawson has admitted to the charge of conspiracy to tampering with physical evidence, though his attorneys say there’s insufficient evidence to convict him of conspiracy to commit murder.

Following closing arguments Friday, the case goes to the jury for their deliberation.

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