Crystal Rogers disappearance: Third man arrested for alleged involvement in woman's presumed 2015 murder
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY: In a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Louisville mother Crystal Rogers in 2015, a third suspect named Steven Lawson has been arrested.
Lawson has been charged with criminal conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection to the presumed murder of Rogers, according to Law&Crime.
What happened to Crystal Rogers?
Rogers went missing during the Fourth of July weekend in 2015, leaving her car running on the side of Bluegrass Parkway with her purse still inside. Despite being presumed dead, her body has never been found.
This marks the third arrest in recent months related to Rogers' disappearance, with Steven's son Joseph Lawson, and Brooks Houck facing prior indictments.
Steven, who engaged in a phone conversation with Brooks the night following Rogers' disappearance, is alleged to have aided "one or more persons in the planning or commission" of her death and “destroyed, mutilated, concealed, removed” tampering with physical evidence on July 3 or July 4, 2015, when the victim disappeared.
What are the charges against the other suspects?
In September, Joseph was charged with criminal conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection to Rogers' death. Steven was previously indicted on evidence tampering in May.
Brooks, who is considered the primary suspect in Rogers' disappearance, was arrested on September 27 and charged with complicity to murder and tampering with physical evidence. Houck, who was the last person seen with Rogers, has pleaded not guilty and remains in jail on a $10 million bond.
Steven's attorney Theodore Lavit vehemently asserts he has "always maintained his innocence and always revealed he would never hurt that lady. And he never did hurt that lady in any way whatsoever," WDRB reports.
"I’ve been on this case for several months. I have a great deal of confidence in what my client says to me," the lawyer added.
According to the December 6 Nelson County indictment, Steven's bond has been set at $500,000 cash, and he is scheduled to be arraigned on December 21.
