Brooks Houck trying to sell assets ahead of wrongful death lawsuit in Crystal Rogers case

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Nelson County judge filed a temporary injunction prohibiting Brooks Houck from selling any of his property or businesses after transcripts of jail phone calls show he's tried to shield his assets to avoid payment in a wrongful death lawsuit.

On Friday, Judge Charles Simms III, who presided over the 10-day trial in which Houck was convicted in the 2015 murder or Crystal Rogers, ordered Houck not to transfer any property until at least after an evidentiary hearing scheduled for Oct. 8.

The wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Houck by four of Rogers' children and her mother, Sherry Ballard, in December 2023. It's been pending since then while the criminal trials took place in Bowling Green.

"The Court finds that Plaintiffs have filed evidence proving Brooks has initiated the process through family members and friends to sell, transfer, and liquidate assets held by these business entities that may be available to satisfy any judgment entered herein in favor Plaintiffs," Simms wrote.

On July 17, the attorney representing the Ballard family, Gregory Smith, filed a motion in Nelson Circuit Court alleging that, following Houck's July 8 conviction, he made multiple jail phone calls, including one to his girlfriend, Crystal Maupin, saying "We'll try to figure out how we can sell this stuff."

The two discussed selling property and unfinished homes, according to the motion and transcripts of the phone calls.

In other calls to his sister, according to the motion, Brooks Houck told her "All of it needs to go," speaking of equipment and trailers, among other assets.

"You know, because we're on that civil case is what's coming next," according to a jail phone call transcript in court documents. "... You know, so they're going to take everything. They're going to take everything that I've got. So go ahead and try to get what you can for it."

In a bond hearing before the trial, it was referenced Houck had about $8.5 million is assets.

Along with the phone calls transcripts is an affidavit from a man who said Brooks Houck's mother, Rosemary Houck, called him on July 8 offering to sell 13 properties. She said she would call back with a price but the man didn't answer her calls.

Brooks Houck also called his brother, former Nelson County Police Officer Nick Houck, and discussed transferring money, selling vehicles and equipment and "encourages Nick to begin selling assets."

Prosecutors have said both Rosemary and Nick Houck are "unindicted coconspirators" in the murder of Rogers. Neither have been charged.

Now that Brooks Houck has been convicted, the civil attorney for the Ballard family is arguing that a trial is only necessary to determine how much he should pay in damages.

On July 8, a Warren County Circuit Court jury found Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson guilty in the 2015 murder of Crystal Rogers and recommended the maximum prison sentences.

The trial was moved out of Nelson County because of the massive amount of media coverage over the past decade.

The jury of six men and six women found Houck, 43, guilty of murder (principal or accomplice to the crime) and complicity tampering with physical evidence.

His co-defendant, 34-year-old Joseph Lawson, who was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence, was found guilty on both charges as well. His father, Steve Lawson, was convicted of the same charges and sentenced to 17 years in prison in May.

The jury recommended maximum sentences for both men: life in prison plus five years for Houck and 25 years for Lawson. Both would have to serve 85% of their sentence before being eligible for parole.

A final sentencing hearing will be held Aug. 21.

Rogers, a 35-year-old mother of five from Nelson County, was last seen alive during the Fourth of July weekend in 2015 with her boyfriend, Houck. Days later, her car was found abandoned — still running — on the side of the Bluegrass Parkway. Her purse and other belongings were inside. Despite years of searching, she's never been found.

While there was no physical evidence, such as a body, murder weapon, crime scene or witness, the prosecution hammered Houck's actions in the days before and after Rogers' disappeared.

Houck acknowledged he was with Rogers from about 7 p.m. until midnight on July 3, 2015, at the family farm. She was never seen again. He took her to his family's farm that rainy night on what was supposed to be a special date, according to her friends.

This story may be updated.

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