LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — WDRB News has learned what evidence will be used in the Crystal Rogers murder trial.
In a 27 page court filing on Monday, Prosecutor Shane Young and Joseph Lawson's attorney agreed on one thing. Statements Joseph made to the FBI only on two dates, Oct. 16 and Oct. 20, 2020, will be used in the trial.
The rest of the court filing shows some case law and several pages that say "sealed document."
The judge is still deciding if the trial for Joseph, his father, Steve, and Brooks Houck, should be separate or not.
Right now, all three are scheduled to stand trial in February in Bowling Green.
Rogers was last seen with Houck during the Fourth of July weekend in 2015. Her car was left running on the side of Bluegrass Parkway with her phone and purse still inside. She's presumed dead, but her body was never found.
Joseph Lawson, 32, pleaded not guilty in September 2023 to criminal conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence in the Rogers case. He is not charged with Rogers' murder, but prosecutors instead charged him with conspiracy, meaning they believe he was involved in some fashion with whomever killed Rogers.
The maximum sentence for the conspiracy charge is 10-20 years in prison.
In addition, the indictment charges Joseph Lawson with complicity to tampering with physical evidence when he "destroyed, mutilated, concealed, removed or altered physical evidence." The maximum penalty for that charge is one to five years in prison.
Steve Lawson, according to a Dec. 6 Nelson County indictment, agreed to "aid one or more persons in the planning or commission" of the death of another and then "destroyed, mutilated, concealed, removed" or altered physical evidence on July 3 or July 4, 2015, when Rogers disappeared.
Houck's indictment accused him of "acting alone or in complicity with another" committing the offense of murder of Rogers. He's also charged with tampering when he "destroyed, mutilated, concealed, removed or altered" physical evidence, according to the indictment.
Crystal Rogers Coverage:
- 'Not much' found in search of properties once owned by Brooks Houck's family in Crystal Rogers case
- Murder trial for Crystal Rogers will be held in Warren County, judge rules
- FBI wraps up 3-day search for Crystal Rogers at properties once owned by Brooks Houck's family
- Brooks Houck wants his trial separated from other suspects in Crystal Rogers case
- On 9th anniversary of Crystal Rogers' disappearance, 3 men sit in jail charged with her murder
- Prosecution: Steve Lawson was recruited by Brooks Houck 'to get rid' of Crystal Rogers
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