By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 — On the second day in the Stephen Lawson trial for conspiracy to murder in the Crystal Rogers case, prosecutors continued to present witnesses with testimony to link Rogers’ murder with Lawson.
Witnesses who had worked for Houck testified that Houck and Lawson were seen riding together in Houck’s truck in the days before Crystal Rogers went missing on July 4, 2015.
When asked what Houck wanted, witnesses said that Houck “wanted to have someone ‘take care’ of a woman with children.” Lawson previously said that the phrase “take care of” meant “get rid of permanently.’ Another witness said Lawson said that Houck had referred to his making his “old lady” disappear.
Lawson previously said he told Houck he didn’t do that kind of work, and that Houck asked if Lawson could point him to someone who could.
The prosecutors also focused on cell phone data analysis to link Stephen Lawson and his sone Joseph Lawson to moving Crystal’s car to the Bluegrass Parkway.
Forensic cell phone data tracked both mens’ phones, and the night of July 3/morning of July 4, 2015, the data shows Joseph Lawson on the parkway when Rogers care had a flat tire. The younger Lawson calls his father to come pick him up.
Houck had promised to give Lawson work on houses he builds if he and his son could get rid of Crystal’s car.
Her car was taken from Houck’s Glenview Drive home and driven to Thompson Hill Road. From there, the younger Lawson drove it to the parkway when it had a flat tire.
Lawson has admitted he and his son’s role in trying to dispose of Roger’s car. In fact, in opening statements, Lawson’s defense team said their client admitted to the charge of conspiracy to tamper with evidence.
The most explosive testimony came from Elizabeth Chesner, whose mother was dating Stephen Lawson. Chesner and her mother were watching the Oxygen channels documentary on the Crystal Rogers case when they heard Stephen Lawson’s voice on Brooks Houck’s phone during an interview with lead investigator Jon Snow.
When questioned, Stephen Lawson admitted to his involvement with the Rogers case.
Elizabeth Chesner ended up in a relationship with Lawson’s son Joseph, and later became pregnant with their child. Joseph Lawson confirmed his father’s role in Rogers’ murder and warned Elizabeth not to tell anyone about it, or “she could be next.” Chesner also testified that Stephen Lawson told her mother than Lawson wanted to leave his wife because “she had murder on me,” referring to the Rogers case.
Much of the testimony in the afternoon focused on connecting Lawson to he and his son moving Crystal Rogers car from Houck’s Bardstown home to a residence on Thompson Hill Road near High Grove.
A cell phone forensics expert from the Louisville Metro Police testified and showed how cell phone data closely tracks the movements of active cell phones. In the analysis of the phones of Stephen Lawson and Joseph Lawson, the data tracked the younger Lawson driving Crystal Rogers’ car to where it developed a flat right rear tire near the Bluegrass Parkway’s 14 mile marker. The data also tracked Stephen Lawson’s phone when he went to pick up his son on the Bluegrass Parkway where they left it.
Cell phone forensic expert also recovered cell phone text messages between Stephen and Joseph Lawson.
The jury also heard audio excerpts of Stephen Lawson’s three appearances before a Nelson County Grand Jury on May 10, 2023, June 14, 2023 and in September that year, illustrating how his sworn testimony evolved during that time.
The trial resumes at 8:30 a.m. Central time Thursday, May 29, 2025 in Courtroom C in the Warren County Justice Center.
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