Crystal Rogers' family predicts 3 more arrests and that her body will be found

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Crystal Rogers' family believes there will be three more arrests in her case.

Till Ballard, Rogers' grandfather, was in the Nelson County Courtroom for the arraignment of Steve Lawson on Thursday. Lawson is the third man already charged in connection with her death.

Lawson pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with evidence in the Crystal Rogers case.

His attorney wants Lawson's $500,000 bond to be reduced, but there will be a future court date to consider the request.

Ballard was emotional at the hearing and spoke openly to WDRB about the case and his feelings about Lawson.

"It'll be rough, I'll tell you. If I can get close to him, better be law to hold me back is all I can say because the son of a b**** doesn’t need to be on this Earth, if he had anything to do with Crystal, and I know he did, and his son (Joseph Lawson) did, and Brooks Houck. They don’t need to be on this Earth. They need to be done away with. I don’t want to face him to be honest with you," Ballard said.

Rogers' family members said they are slowly getting more answers in her case. Ballard believes three more arrests will be made.

"As long as they can get three more, we don't care how long it takes. As long as they can prosecute what they've got, who they've got and get three more, we don't care. We'll wait, how ever long it takes," Ballard said. When asked who he thought would be arrested, Ballard added, "I can't comment on names."

After eight years of investigation, Steve Lawson is the third man charged in Rogers' disappearance in recent months. His son, Joseph Lawson, and Houck have also been indicted.

Rogers was last seen during the Fourth of July weekend in 2015. Her car was left running on the side of Bluegrass Parkway with her purse still inside. She's presumed dead, but her body was never found.

Lawson’s attorney, Theodore Lavit, said Steve did part-time construction work for Houck at the time Rogers disappeared.

"I think Steve Lawson was in the barn with the rest of them, when Crystal was murdered and maybe Joseph too and Brooks too, I think they were all in the barn. There's other things I can't say, but somebody else was pretty close by too, and I think they'll be indicted too before it's over with," Ballard told WDRB.

Lavit had also told WDRB that Joseph Lawson drove Crystal Rogers' car to the Bluegrass Parkway, where the car had a flat tire.

"He received a call from his son that he broke down and went out and picked him up, and it was a flat tire, picked his son up and drove back to Nelson County, Bardstown and dropped his son at Five Star," Lavit said.

As more information is coming out, Rogers' family is hopeful her body will be found.

"According to the FBI, I think we'll find her remains. I don't know how many people know where her remains are -- probably one, two or three," Ballard said.

Steve Lawson’s bond hearing is scheduled for Jan. 4, and he’s expected to be in the courtroom.

Houck and Joseph Lawson's attorneys have not commented on the latest comments from Rogers' family.

Related stories: