BARDSTOWN, Ky. — Nick Houck, brother of Brooks Houck — the man convicted of killing Crystal Rogers — has been arrested on a perjury charge, Kentucky State Police announced.
Houck, 46, was taken into custody just after 1:30 p.m. Thursday. According to KSP, the allegations cover a period stretching from 2015, the year Rogers disappeared, through 2023. Authorities did not specify whether the charge is connected to the Rogers case.
He posted a $25,000 bond Thursday afternoon and is scheduled to be arraigned June 18 at 9 a.m.
“I’m thrilled Nick Houck got arrested for perjury. I’ve been fighting for this to happen. It’s time that family started paying for the lies they have been telling. I pray he is found guilty and spends as much time in jail that he can,” Crystal’s mother, Sherry Ballard, said in a statement to WLKY.
Nick’s connection to Crystal Rogers
Brooks Houck, Nick’s brother, was convicted in Rogers’ death last July and sentenced to life in prison.
Nick’s name surfaced repeatedly during the murder trials. Prosecutors consistently labeled him and their mother, Rosemary, as “co-conspirators.”
In 2015, the year Crystal disappeared, Nick worked for the Bardstown Police Department — but was fired for interfering with the criminal investigation. His chief at the time said he had refused to speak with detectives, and his polygraph results gave the examiner “grave concerns.” He also called Brooks while Brooks was being interviewed by a detective.
In 2023, prosecutors dropped a bombshell during a bond hearing for Brooks, revealing they had a firearm they believe was used to kill Crystal’s father, Tommy Ballard. That weapon, they said, had been sold by Nick Houck under a fake name.
At trial, Nick’s ex-girlfriend testified she was unable to reach him the night Rogers disappeared. His home has been searched multiple times over the years.
The perjury charge against him is a Class D felony, carrying a potential sentence of one to five years in prison if convicted. In Kentucky, a perjury charge applies when someone knowingly makes a false, material statement under oath in an official proceeding or specific warrant application.
He is scheduled to be arraigned June 18, with bond set at $25,000 cash and a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
Crystal’s disappearance
The last time Rogers was seen alive was July 3, 2015, when she was with Brooks Houck, her boyfriend at the time. He told investigators the two had been at his family farm with their son, and that when he woke the following morning, she was gone.
Rogers was officially reported missing on July 5, 2015. Her body has never been found.
Her car was found that same day abandoned at the 14-mile marker on Bluegrass Parkway in Bardstown. Police found her keys in the ignition, along with her phone and purse in the car.
Who’s involved?
After years of searches and investigating, Brooks and two other men, Joseph and Steve Lawson, were indicted at the end of 2023. They were convicted of their crimes in 2025.
Brooks Houck is serving his life sentence at Green River Correctional Complex. Steve Lawson is serving 22 years and Joseph Lawson, 25.
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