Prosecution rests in Crystal Rogers trial before judge says there's 'proof of death’

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WDRB) -- The prosecution rested its case on the sixth day of the Crystal Rogers murder trial after calling about 40 witnesses but not before presenting some of the strongest testimony yet against Brooks Houck.

A K-9 dog handler testified Tuesday that the dog alerted to human remains in the back of a car owned by the Houck family.

Defense attorneys asked Nelson Circuit Court Charles Simms III for a directed verdict after the prosecution rested and the jury had been dismissed, arguing prosecutors didn't have a body, crime scene or a murder weapon despite a 10-year investigation and hundreds of interviews and searches.

"It's the most extraordinary case we've been involved in," attorney Brian Butler said.

But the judge cited the dog handler's testimony and, among other evidence, argued Rogers was never seen again after going with Houck to the family farm around 7 p.m. to midnight on July 3, 2015, and Houck's timeline for what he did that day was contradicted by evidence presented this week. He allowed the case against Houck to continue and be decided by the jury.

Sketches of Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson's Trial

There is "proof of death in this case" Simms ruled. Some members of Rogers family cried after the judge's comments.

The trial will resume Wednesday morning.

The dog handler, Terry Benjamin, had his previously recorded deposition played for jurors earlier Tuesday in court. He said he met lead Detective Jamie Brooks on May 20, 2016, at a National Rifle Association event in Louisville while with his dog "Ranger."

Det. Brooks asked if Benjamin and his K-9 dog would accompany him to a search the next day. Without being told what he was looking for, Benjamin said he and Ranger were led into a small parking lot where about 10 vehicles were being held.

Ranger, according to Benjamin's testimony, went through the lot before focusing on two cars, including a white Buick LeSabre, which had been owned by Brooks Houck' grandmother, Anna Whitesides.

On Monday, Det. Brooks testified that Whitesides and her grandson, Nick Houck, Brooks Houck's brother, sold the car at a Louisville dealership May 2, 2016. Pictures show Whitesides and Nick Houck at the dealership that day.

The car became a key part of the prosecution's narrative this week after Det. Brooks testified that a hair located in the trunk was "similar in color and characteristics" to strands of hair in Rogers' hair brush. Investigators determined the hair didn't belong to Whitesides. A DNA test was unable to match a profile for Rogers.

The two cars Ranger zeroed in on were parked next to each other, and Ranger eventually settled on the Buick, Benjamin said in the deposition.

After going to the passenger side, Ranger went back to the rear of the Buick and sat down and pressed his nose against the trunk, which Benjamin said was his alert that he'd hit on human remains.

Under cross-examination during the recording deposition, defense attorney Steve Schroering, who represents Brooks Houck, pointed out that Benjamin worked for Lone Star Search & Rescue, a part-time, volunteer ministry organization dedicated to saving lives of missing people.

This was the first time Benjamin had testified in a criminal case, and he acknowledged he'd lost all the documents regarding Ranger's training.

Schroering also pointed out that the white Buick had been poured over by investigators in the weeks before Ranger searched. Ranger, who Benjamin said was certified in 2015 for human remains detection, had done about 300 searches but dealt mostly with finding live human beings.

Earlier this week, Ryan Cecil and Daniel Donohue testified in court they went on a coon hunting competition the night of July 3, 2015, near the Houck farm and saw a white Buick parked on the road.

In addition, Owen McKinney, who was the manager of a Dollar General store in Hardin County in 2015, testified Monday that he left work around 10:15 p.m. July 3 and saw a maroon Chevrolet Impala — Rogers' car — and a white car on the Bluegrass Parkway on his way home. When he returned to work around 7 a.m. July 4, Rogers' car was still there.

On May 1, detectives got a tip and then obtained a search warrant for Whitesides' home. When they arrived, "the white Buick had been sold," Det. Brooks said, adding that another car in the garage had a temporary tag.

He said the Buick was sold at a Louisville dealership May 2, 2016, and pictures show Whitesides and Brooks Houck's brother, Nick, at a Louisville dealership that day, according to surveillance pictures.

The vehicle was located on the car lot and taken to the Louisville Metro Police forensic lab, Det. Brooks testified.

'There's something I need to tell you'

Brooks Houck is charged with complicity to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence and faces up to 25 years to life in prison. Joseph Lawson is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence, facing up to 25 years behind bars.

While there has been little evidence presented this week against Joseph Lawson, the judge also denied a motion to dismiss his case and will allow the jury to decide.

Most evidence against Joseph Lawson was presented Monday.

Rebecca Greer, who dated and was then married to Steve Lawson, said she overheard a conversation in 2019 between Joseph Lawson and her daughter, who were dating at the time and had a daughter together.

Greer testified that she overheard them talking about moving a car for $50,000. When Greer confronted Joseph Lawson about the conversation a few months later, he told her it was true "but if you want to know any details, you have to ask Steve."

Also, Greer testified that she saw a physical fight between Steve Lawson and Joseph Lawson during which Joseph Lawson said "you keep on and I'm going to let everyone know about this car and all your involvement."

Barbara Colter, Joseph Lawson's grandmother, then testified that he came to her house in 2022 while he was on drugs and said "Grandma, there's something I need to tell you." Colter said Joseph Lawson sat down and told her Steve Lawson killed Rogers, though he didn't provide any details.

The judge told the jury that testimony can only be used against Joseph Lawson, not Brooks Houck.

Colter testified Tuesday that Joseph Lawson was too high to be driving and that he and his father had a "toxic" relationship. She provided all this information to police in June 2024.

Steve Lawson was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence on May 30 for his role in Rogers' slaying. He faces a recommended sentence of 17 years when he is sentenced Aug. 6.

One of the final witnesses of the day was Stacie Cranmer, who worked for Houck in 2015. Cranmer testified in Steve Lawson's trial in May that he she saw Houck and Steve Lawson driving around and later asked Steve Lawson what they were doing.

"'I got to take care of something,'" Cranmer said he told her. "'I got to take care of this girl. She has five kids and she's not doing real good.'"

Cranmer asked if that meant he was helping get her in rehab.

"No, I wish that was the case," Cranmer recalled Lawson saying.

Cranmer gave a similar statement in 2015 to police in Nelson County, but mentioned that Lawson said Rogers was on meth.

Back in court to testify Tuesday, Cranmer said she called police right after Rogers went missing, but no one called her back. She went to police in person in October but said they didn't take her seriously and told her Steve Lawson "full of crap."

The trial is expected to last a total of two weeks. It was moved from Nelson County to Bowling Green because of the massive amount of publicity the case has drawn.

Wednesday morning will begin with opening statements from one of Joseph's Lawson's attorneys, Bobby Boyd or Kevin Coleman.

They deferred their opening on Tuesday until after the prosecution finished its case.

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