BARDSTOWN, Ky. (WDRB) – The Crystal Rogers and Tommy Ballard murder cases have rocked the city of Bardstown for years.
Rogers, a mother of five, went missing in July 2015 and is presumed dead. Then, 16 months after her disappearance, her father, Tommy Ballard, was shot and killed.
"And you'll hear people just say, 'I don’t think anything’s going to ever happen. They're not working on this and everything,'" said Mike Ballard, Tommy Ballard’s brother.
But eight years after Rogers disappeared, her then-boyfriend Brooks Houck was arrested and charged with her murder on Sept. 27th. A $10 million cash bond is keeping him behind bars.
During Houck’s first court appearance, special prosecutor Shane Young dropped some unexpected bombshells regarding Tommy Ballard’s case.
"I will tell you, your honor, we are investigating the murder of Tommy Ballard," Young said.
The revelation left the Ballard family stunned.
"I was totally shocked. I was not expecting that at all," said Sherry Ballard, Tommy Ballard’s wife.
"It was good bombshells to get dropped to hear," Mike Ballard said.
Young said he is waiting for testing to come back on the gun he believes was used to kill Tommy.
A gun he said was purchased from Nick Houck.
"Who was using a fake name when he sold the rifle," Young said.
The prosecutor also revealed Brooks Houck and his brother Nick, along with his mother, brother-in-law, and sister all secretly recorded grand jury testimony.
"Brooks Houck shows her how to run the recorder. Tells her he wants a tape of it. The questions is why?" Young asked in court.
"It showed the type of family they truly are. The type of family that I knew they were," Sherry Ballard said.
There is more than a terabyte of evidence in Rogers’ case. And her family hopes the trial comes sooner rather than later.
"I'm hoping for the death penalty. That's my hope. I hold nothing back on it. To me, (he) deserves every bit of the death penalty for this," Mike Ballard said.
This Sunday, Nov. 19, will mark seven years since Tommy Ballard was killed.
Brooks Houck is expected to be in court again in February.
Related Stories:
- Prosecutors object to request by Brooks Houck's attorneys to remove judge for alleged bias
- Ky. Supreme Court says judge in Brooks Houck case should make initial ruling on disqualification motion
- Brooks Houck's attorneys ask for judge's disqualification, citing years of bias, contempt
- Attorneys for Brooks Houck ask Kentucky Court of Appeals to review bond ruling
- Brooks Houck's bond will remain at $10 million, Nelson County judge rules
- Looking back at Nick Houck's failed lie detector test in Crystal Rogers' case
- Brooks Houck's family is accused of secretly recording grand jury proceedings. Here's why they won't be charged for it.
- Prosecutor says state investigation into Brooks Houck connects his family to murder of Crystal Rogers' father
- Attorney for Brooks Houck requests $10 million bond be lowered to $500,000, GPS monitoring
- Brooks Houck charged in murder of former girlfriend Crystal Rogers, bond set at $10 million
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