Lawson found guilty on all charges, jury recommends 17 years in prison

By JIM BROOKS

Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Friday, May 30, 2025 — The trial of Stephen Lawson, the first of the three defendants in the Crystal Rogers case, was convicted Friday afternoon of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to tamper with physical evidence.

The four-day trial was moved to the Warren County Justice Center in Bowling Green due to the amount of publicity the Crystal Rogers case has received from media outlets in the Central Kentucky region.

The jury of three men and nine women deliberated for about 2-1/2 hours.

The verdict was an emotional moment for the extended Ballard family, which filled a large section of the courtroom gallery.

The final day of the trial featured Barbara Colter, Lawson’s mother, testimony about her son and her doubts about the truthfulness of his testimony. While on the stand, she became emotional and apologized to the Sherry Ballard and the family for all they’ve been through.

On Thursday, jurors heard Lawson talking to his mother on the phone while he was in the Nelson County Jail. She pushed her son to reveal more information about murder of Crystal Rogers and where her body is.

“I don’t know, Mama, I’ve told you that over and over again,” Lawson said. “Mama, I just don’t know.”

Lawson took the stand Friday morning to testify on his own behalf, leading to some heated exchanges with prosecutors. Lawson admitted he lied to investigators for a number of years about his role in moving Crystal Rogers’ car before he decided to “man up” and take responsibility.

Lawson said Houck had come to him about how to make Crystal Rogers “gone.”

Lawson said he understood Houck to mean he wanted Crystal dead.

EVIDENCE PROVED CONSPIRACY. In their closing remarks, prosecutors noted that Lawson’s conversations with Houck about getting rid of Crystal were just one example of his role in the conspiracy to murder Crystal.

Houck also asked Lawson to get rid of Crystal’s car. In exchange for doing that, Houck promised to give Lawson all the drywall work he had on the houses he builds.

Only July 3, 2015, Lawson dropped his son and co-defendant Joey Lawson off to pick up Crystal’s car at Houck’s home. Joey Lawson drove the car to a farm on Thompson Hill Road where Stephen Lawson said he went to hang out and drink.

When Lawson arrived at the Thompson Hill location and saw Crystal’s car there, he ordered his son to move the car elsewhere. Lawson said he didn’t want the property owner to get involved with the car, which would likely wind up reported as stolen.

Lawson denied knowing where his son was going to take the car. He said he never was told by Houck where to take the car or how he wanted to dispose of it.

Late the evening of July 3, 2015, Joey Lawson called his father and reported Crystal’ car broke down on the Bluegrass Parkway. Stephen Lawson picked up his son from the area of the 14 mile marker on the Bluegrass Parkway next to Crystal’s car.

Before leaving the car Stephen Lawson adjusted the seat forward so anyone who found the car would believe Crystal Rogers was the last person to drive it.

The defense pictured Lawson as a honest, hard working man who in 2015 had a problem with alcohol abuse. They said the prosecutors failed to prove Lawson was involved in a conspiracy to kill Crystal Rogers. All Lawson was guilty of was having a role in moving Crystal’s car.

Prosecutors said Lawson knew of Houck’s plan to kill Crystal Rogers or have her killed, even telling of associates and co-workers about his conversation with Houck about Crystal

In his instructions to the jury, Nelson Circuit Judge Charles Simms III, told the jury the could consider finding Lawson guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, or a less serious but related charge, facilitation to commit murder.

In the end, the jury unanimously agreed Lawson was guilty of the conspiracy to commit murder charge.

The jury recommended a sentence of 17 years. Due to the violent nature of the conspiracy to commit murder charge, Lawson will have to serve 85 percent of his prison sentence before he qualifies for parole.

NEXT UP. The trial of Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson, Stephen Lawson’s son, are set to begin June 24, 2025, also in Warren Circuit Court in Bowling Green.

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