Crystal Rogers missing case: Family files wrongful death lawsuit against murder suspect BF Brooks Houck 8 years after Kentucky mom vanished

KENTUCKY, UNITED STATES: On Monday, December 18, four children and the mother of Crystal Rogers filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Brooks Houck in Kentucky. 

Houck, the father of Rogers' youngest child and her boyfriend at the time of her last known sighting in the summer of 2015, is a murder defendant in the case.

Details of lawsuit against Brooks Houck

According to Law&Crime, Crystal Rogers' mother reported her 35-year-old daughter missing on July 5, 2015, having not heard from her for over a day. 

The lawsuit, filed in Nelson County Circuit Court, was initiated by Kyleigh Fenwick, Ashley Miller, Thomas Rogers, and Victoria Rogers. Sherry Ballard, Crystal Rogers' mother and the administratrix of her estate, is the lead plaintiff in the case against 42-year-old Brooks Houck. 

The lawsuit alleged that Houck intentionally and wrongfully caused the death of Rogers, and he should pay for funeral expenses, the victim's physical and mental suffering, lost earnings, and loss of enjoyment of life. 

The lawsuit claimed, "The Defendant’s actions against Crystal M. Rogers were committed willfully, with oppression, fraud, or malice, warranting an award of punitive damages, to punish the Defendant and deter the Defendant and others from similar acts in the future."

It added, "As a result of the intentional actions of the Defendant, Brooks W. Houck, the decedent, Crystal M. Rogers, lost her life and suffered individually all damages herein complained of addition to those claimed for and on behalf of her estate.”

Alongside the wrongful death claim, the lawsuit included counts for loss of consortium for each of the four children mentioned as plaintiffs.

Each child has suffered the loss of their mother's love, affection, guidance, services, assistance, society, care, aid, support, comfort, protection, and parental consortium. 

In late September 2023, Brooks Houck was arrested and charged with murder over eight years after Crystal Rogers was last seen alive.

Also, Houck has pleaded not guilty and remains in jail under $10 million bond as reported by news.meaww.com.

What did special counsel Shane Young say about Crystal Rogers’ missing case?

The missing alert concluded with a reference to the shooting death of Crystal Rogers' father, Tommy Ballard, on November 19, 2016. Tommy Ballard, aged 54, died instantly from a gunshot wound just 16 months after his daughter's disappearance. 

Notably, no one has been charged in Tommy Ballard's death, and Crystal Rogers' body remains undiscovered.

Shane Young, appointed as special counsel in the Crystal Rogers case, suggested in October that the defendant could be implicated in Ballard's death as well, pointing to a rifle sale linked to the defendant's brother, Nick Houck, who is a former police officer.

Young asserted, “We are waiting for testing to come back on the firearm we believe was used to murder Tommy Ballard, the firearm that was purchased from Nicholas Houck, who was using a fake name when he sold the rifle.”

While Nick Houck has not faced charges, the special counsel claimed in October that he, along with other family members, covertly introduced recording devices to capture conversations during the grand jury investigation into Crystal Rogers' disappearance and presumed death.

The special counsel raised the question of motive, stating, "I think everyone in this courtroom knows why: to ensure consistency in everyone's story", as per the report by Law&Crime.