LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Nick Houck appeared before a Nelson County judge Friday morning for a hearing in his perjury case as his attorneys push for specifics on the false statements he's accused of making.
The hearing came about two months before the tentative start date of his trial, which was moved to Owen County after his attorneys reached an agreement with prosecutors on a change of venue from Nelson County.
Nick Houck, whose brother Brooks Houck was convicted in the murder of his ex-girlfriend Crystal Rogers and sentenced to life in prison, was arrested in June and charged with multiple counts of perjury after Kentucky State Police alleged he made material false statements under oath during official proceedings connected to the Rogers investigation.
Court records allege the perjury occurred between July 15, 2015, and Aug. 16, 2023 — a timeline that begins shortly after Rogers disappeared and extends to just before his brother, Brooks Houck, was indicted. Investigators haven't publicly disclosed what they believe Nick Houck lied about.
The specific dates the alleged false statements were made on were revealed in court Friday. Commonwealth's Attorney Kyle Williamson argues Nick Houck made conflicting statements on July 15 and July 22 of 2015 and Aug. 16, 2023.
The July dates happened in weeks after Rogers' disappearance. Williamson argued Nick Houck lied under oath during official proceedings connected to the Rogers investigation.
"Exactly what words were spoken that they maintain as material false statement," asked Michael Ferguson, Nick Houck's attorney.
Much of Friday's hearing was spent clarifying which evidence the state will use against Nick Houck. Ferguson said the state is being vague about what was said and where the defense can find it in the 33 pieces of evidence.
Recent court filings suggest prosecutors plan to use grand jury testimony from July 2015, additional testimony from the years that followed, hours of interviews with Nick Houck and testimony from his former girlfriend, Amber Bowman, as evidence during the November trial.
In a court filing earlier this week, Ferguson asked how long the statement was, if it was a few words, a sentence or two sentences.
"We have given him likely more discovery than he needs, but I don't want to be accused of hiding the law," Williamson said. "I have put in that bill of particulars response, the three grand jury proceedings that we are alleging the statement was made."
Tuesday's court filing says discovery provided to Nick Houck in July lists and references 33 separate recordings and transcripts, lists 11 named witnesses and one marked "unknown grand jurors."
"I believe the commonwealth has a responsibility to record the statement and provide the words that were used that they claim is material false statement, and if they're looking to other statements, if they would write that out as well," Ferguson said.
Judge Charles Simms is giving the prosecution seven days to spell it all out for the defense. Williamson pointed the defense to the grand jury recordings from June 3, 2026, and a PowerPoint presentation shared with them. He said one of the three statements directly contradicts the other two.
Rogers' mother, Sherry Ballard, was in the courtroom for Friday's hearing, but declined to comment.
If convicted, Nick Houck faces anywhere from one to five years in prison. He will be back in court the afternoon of Sept. 16. His trial is tentatively scheduled for November in Owen County. Pre-trial proceedings will still be held in Nelson County.
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