Authorities make arrests in the case of Kentucky woman reported missing 8 years ago

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The former boyfriend of a central Kentucky woman who disappeared more than eight years ago has been arrested on charges stemming from the investigation, the FBI and Kentucky State Police said Wednesday in a statement.

Brooks Houck was arrested without incident on charges stemming from the Crystal Rogers investigation, the statement said. The indictment remains sealed and additional details will be revealed during Houck’s arraignment in early October in the Nelson County Circuit Court, according to the statement.

Houck has been charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence, the Courier Journal reported, citing court documents. His bond was set at $10 million cash.

Houck, who was Rogers’ boyfriend at the time she disappeared and was the father of one of her children, told officers that he had last seen her alive when they visited his family’s farm the night before she disappeared. Rogers was reported missing in Nelson County in early July 2015. Her car was found abandoned with a flat tire along the Bluegrass Parkway and her keys, phone and purse were still inside the vehicle, authorities said.

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Houck, who was identified as a suspect early in the investigation, has denied involvement with Rogers’ disappearance.

The FBI field office in Louisville announced in 2020 that it had taken the lead in the investigation.

The statement on Wednesday said the FBI “has been laser-focused on our commitment to hold accountable those that were responsible for the disappearance of Crystal Rogers. Today, we take the first step in making good on that promise.”

Another man was arrested earlier this month on charges stemming from the disappearance, news outlets reported.

Joseph L. Lawson, 32, has pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection with the death of Crystal Rogers, news outlets reported.

The indictment did not mention Rogers by name, but Lawson’s attorney, Kevin Coleman, said his client’s case is connected to the investigation into her disappearance. He declined further comment.