You can live there your whole life and not know many people. (I think thats coincidental), all of these happened on or in fairly close proximity to the bluegrass parkway. He was with his 11-year-old grandson and on family property at the time of his death, butpolice have ruled out the child as the shooter. I know that one of 'em had her throat slit. [] It's taking a lot of energy and effort. Police have yet to classify Ballards death as a homicide. The day Tommy was killed. Vanished-Crystal Rogers - True Crimecast (October 2018) Two true crime podcasters, John and Jamie, theorize about the Crystal Rogers case. That's the type of person she was. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Alternately known as The Bardstown Murders or the The Nelson County Murders, the area is at the center of five unsolved deaths and disappearances, which continue to inspire speculation, gossip and intrigue far beyond the county line. Her attorney told the Louisville Courier-Journal that they were looking for bullets and a reloader and had taken the reloader into evidence. Whiskey connoisseur? The latest docu-series on Rogers is aired at 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14 of last year, on HLN as part of the first episode of season threeof thepopular "Real Life Nightmare.". Please call the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI. The personal beating of Samantha is what keeps me from thinking it was somebody random, though I also can't hypothesize who would have had such an issue or contempt with the girl to beat her so badly before killing her. Samantha was attacked near a different door suggesting she was attempting to flee. Outerknowns Top-Rated Blanket Shirt Is on Sale at Huckberry, Shibui Will Make You Rethink Japanese Whisky (In a Good Way), 17 Black-Owned Clothing Brands and Designers That Every Stylish Man Should Know, Heres Why You Should Consider Skipping Your Next Inflight Meal. The local gossip mill has pointed out that Chrystal Rogers and Jason Elliss wife were both quite attractive and his type but I am not aware of any evidence that he was involved with either woman. The 35-year-olds car was later found on the Bluegrass Parkway, not far from mile marker 14. Its been called the most beautiful small town in America, but four unsolved murders and the disappearance of a beloved mother-of-five left an ugly stain on Bardstown, Kentucky. Crystal Rogers' disappearance featured on HLN Investigations, The 2015 disappearance of Crystal Rogers of Bardstown is the topic of the season premiere of HLN's "Real Life Nightmare." All rights reserved. I have read nothing to suggest that she was anything other than a typical college student. They also examine how the brutal, unsolved murders have impacted the small town, population 13,165. Another detail that struck Holly was the alleged torture that her mother and sister endured during the attack. It's been more than seven years since a Bardstown mother of five vanished and to this day, it still remains a mystery. I know that trinkets were taken as trophies. The FBI has been involved in both the police officer's shooting and the disappearance of the woman. A title I suggest is, "Something Rotten in Bardstown." https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2497/ncadv_kentucky_fact_sheet_2020.pdf. The mother and daughter were found dead in their home on Springfield Road near Bardstown. Tommy Ballard had been shot in the chest while hunting with his grandson. Disappearance [ edit] At the time of her disappearance, the 35-year-old mother of five was living with her boyfriend, Brooks Houck, their two-year-old son, and her other children. ", "My mom is a very special woman," one of Rogers' daughterswrote on a website dedicated to the investigation. (September 2022) Crystal Maria Rogers is an American woman from Bardstown, Kentucky who went missing on July 3, 2015. However, a few months before the shooting, Tommy told his wife, Sherry, that he felt like someone was following him. "We will definitely send something out when that changes," Anderson said. On Monday, a search was being conducted at a farm at 345 Paschal Ballard Lane. Their bodies were discovered by a family member. Kentucky has the 11th highest femicide rate in the US. On the first anniversary of the murders, the Netherland family increased the reward for information about the killings from $2,500 to $50,000. They are tied up, tortured, and suffer knife and bullet wounds. Unfortunately, the Ballard family went through a similar situation in 1982, when Tommys sister, Sherry Ballard, who was seven months pregnant at the time, was murdered by her then-husband, Edsel Eddie Barnes because he didnt want to pay child support. "And then I read it and me personally, I . Police haven't ruled out any suspects as of now but, they are leaning towards the theory that multiple people may have been involved. Kathy, a widow, was a special education teacher. [] I can't even go on the side of the road without looking like a murderer. And the efforts to figure out what happened to Crystal . FBI agents have conducted multiple searches in and near Bardstown since Rogers went missing. I don't have any updates or anything to this case, but my dad has a farm near Bardstown and all around the area you still see posters and signs up asking for information about Crystal Rogers. Absolutely. When a law enforcement officer is murdered other cops are galvanized. "We are a very close family, and Im not doing anything different that any mother would do for their daughter at all," Ballard added. Tommy was married to Sherry and they had eight grandchildren. I grew up in Kentucky, about an hour away from Bardstown. More telling than that: Investigators reportedly found a blanket with small traces of blood in the trunk of Nicks police cruiser. Within a very few short minutes of his killing a couple of vehicles rolled up on the scene and both of them attempted to use the police radio to get help for him. On the morning of November 19, authorities are called to a property near Bluegrass Parkway for a death investigation. The two had been beaten and killed. Brant is a nephewof Bill Sheckles, Bardstowns mayor at the time according to WAVE 3. According to the statistics on the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence website, nearly 20 people are physically abused by an intimate partner in the US. Nick later told the Kentucky State Police, the Kentucky House of Representatives and State Senate. Accidentally. Despite such an incentive, the murders remain unsolved. It doesn't mean we can't change that title later. Its striking to note that theres been so little progress in the investigation into the death of Officer Ellis. The first killing to send shock waves through the community was. That disgraced Bardstown cop Nick Houck was on the same force as Ellis tickles the back of the brain; if he helped his brother cover up a murder, what else might he be responsible for? It's still getting investigated like if it were a murder investigation or homicide investigation, Kentucky State Police Trooper Jeff Gregory told WDRB. In April 2014, nearly a year after Ellis murder, Bardstown was again rocked by the brutal double-homicide of 48-year-old Kathy Netherland and her 16-year-old daughter, Samantha. If you have information related to the disappearance of Crystal Rogers, you can visit crystalrogerstaskforce.com,call the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI,contact your local FBI officeor get in touch with the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. "This is one of those things that I'm not comfortable talking about. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. It didnt even begin with Crystals mysterious disappearance in July 2015. He is also the father of Rogers youngest child. That's an important bit that is often overlooked! In May 2013, Officer Jason Ellis with the Bardstown Police Department was on his way home when someone attacked and killed him off of Exit 34 at around 2 a.m. Ellis noticed the road was blocked by several freshly-cut trees, and when he got out his car to investigate, someone shot and killed him with a 12-gauge shotgun. There has been gossip about the surviving daughter being involved, but I see no actual evidence of that. The parkway would've been an otherwise very empty road that late at night and almost any vehicle seen on that road between Bardstown and, say Lawrenceburg could've been possibly considered suspect at the time. "There's people in the community that have information but they're afraid to come forward,", . makes me wonder if someone or multiple someones werent using the parkway as their escape route in and out of town. Absolutely. While removing the branches he is shot several times and dies shortly afterward. Her mother, Kathy, had both knife and bullet wounds. Whenever possible, actual redditors have participated in investigating the events. One reads: "Detectives say Brooks Houck killed Rogers". Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. A massive search for her turned up more questions than answers, frustrating the authorities and loved ones alike. This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. in the chest by an unknown gunmen while out hunting. NELSON COUNTY, Ky. (WAVE) - It has been seven years since mother and daughter were brutally murdered in Nelson County in the small community of Botland. And the Kentucky State Police have brought two investigators out of retirement to help in the Ellis case. The HLN cable channel is a spinoff of CNN. Is it possible that they have some sort of freeway shooter there? I hope her killer(s) are punished to the full extent of the law. Both of them had cuts to their necks. He took Exit 34, a narrow ramp bounded on either side by steep stone walls. Troopers released a photo of the suspect vehicle taken from video surveillance. Numerous podcasts have focused on the Crystal Rogers case. People need to see order and connectedness. Death certificates reveal gruesome nature of Nelson Co. mother, daughter murders, Precautionary boil advisory issued for water customers in east Jefferson County, Police: Woman accused of buying nearly $9K in clothes with stolen credit card, LMPD investigating after body found in Valley Station cemetery, Louisville co-workers share $50K after winning Ky. Lottery scratch-off, Elizabethtown high school student crowned Miss Kentucky Teen USA, PREVIOUS STORY: Vigil held for Nelson County murder victims as investigation goes on, PREVIOUS STORY: Black Chevy Impala is suspect vehicle in Nelson Co. murders, says KSP, PREVIOUS STORY: Friend of murdered teacher says she 'loved her daughters more than anything'. There has been a more recent podcast called "Bardstown" that's also really good. By 7:54 AM, authorities were called to the 1400 block of Ed Brent Road for a death investigation. Chrystals boyfriend gave an account of his activities the night she disappeared that was established as untrue and it appear to be more than just simple lapse of memory. The Kentucky Standard reported in October 2015 that detectives believed hed killed Crystal during a fight. However, Sherry has been focusing on advocating for Crystals case and believes that it will provide answers for what happened to her husband. (He was already in prison when this crime occurred, he is not a suspect.) I have also lived in Western KY, Northern KY, Central KY, and Eastern KY. Small town politics and the good ol boy system are very much in existence here in the smaller towns. Could a fellow student have killed her? None of their neighbors have subsequently been murdered but I wonder if any were involved in sketchy activity. Crystal RogersVictim of (Potentially) Related Crime, Jason EllisVictim of (Potentially) Related Crime, Samantha and Kathy NetherlandVictim of (Potentially) Related Crime. I'm innocent. Outside of work, he was heavily involved in the community including coaching youth baseball. Published: Feb. 27, 2023 at 7:24 PM PST. The pair were probably in the lowest risk group for being murder victims. How sad all of these cases are. ", None of her claims, however, have ever been substantiated. The tragic events began six years ago. The still-unsolved 2016 shooting death of 54-year-old Tommy Ballard is the most recent of four killings and a disappearance that have haunted the picturesque small town of Bardstown, Kentucky. Any nightmares I had in Bardstown were just inside my head, not hovering in the shadows under the trees crowding the highway. Where the case stands today. In a March 2017 interview with WDRB, Crystal Rogers mother, Sherry Ballard, surmised that her daughter disappeared because she overheard something maybe she shouldn't have, related to the murder of Jason Ellis. -, Press J to jump to the feed. ", The inmate also said a cellphone jammer was placed at the Netherlands' front door to "kill all the signal in the house.". "Pick up the phone, call the number. Bardstown Police Officer Jason Ellis is murdered while driving home after his shift. Rogers was datingBrooks Houck, an initial suspect, who is the father of one of her sons. Really sad case. HLN Investigations is a news team that produces breaking news specials and HLN Original Series within the crime and justice genre. There seems to be compelling reason to suspect that Jason was targeted. In a bizarre twist, on November 19, 2016, Crystals father, Tommy Ballard, was fatally shotin the chest by an unknown gunmen while out hunting. KSP investigators are asking for the public's help identifying the occupants of the vehicle, which was seen near the Netherlands' home on April 21. Here's how to watch, Courtesy of CNN Headline News (HLN), Louisville Courier Journal, As FBI searches Bardstown subdivision, Sherry Ballard hopes for 'answers this time', one of Rogers' daughterswrote on a website dedicated to the investigation, using a cadaver dog to search the subdivision, 150 federal agentsservingsearch warrants, HLN airs docu-series investigation on missing Kentucky mom Crystal Rogers, The Vanishing of Crystal Rogers Not Another True Crime Podcast, Rogers was datingBrooks Houck, an initial suspect, who is the father of one of her sons, FBI Louisville, other federal agencies search for Crystal Rogers with new warrants, Ballard told The Courier Journal she has "a lot of hope", fired after interfering in the investigation, ahome being builtby Brooks Houckwas burned, 54-year-old Tommy Ballard, was fatally shot in November 2016, Ballard's grandson, who was with him during the trip,was not responsible for Ballard's death, Kentucky State Police hired former troopers to investigate the cases, Jason Ellis, aBardstown police officerwho wasambushed in 2013, theslaying of teacher Kathy Netherland and her teenage daughter Samantha, Who killed Bardstown Officer? Throughout the search,police were allowing only a few cars into the subdivision and reporters were kept out. Rogers, a 35-year-old mother of five children, was reported missing on July 3, 2015, from Bardstown. Seems like almost everybody around knew her and everyone is still thinking of her. As the Kentucky Standard reported after she vanished, her aunt Sherry Ballard Barnes disappeared in January 1979. Although detectives considered Houck a suspect, he was never charged in connection with Crystals disappearance. Both had sustained knife wounds to their necks. It would be great if someone came forward and gave information to help solve these whether they're related or not and I hope someone does soon. Nick later told the Kentucky State Policethat he only contacted his brother to tell him that "they might be trying to trip him up" and "he should protect himself.". Crazy about gin? Brooks told police, "My whole family's name is trashed for something completely not even tied to me. My opinion: Crystals disappearance is that this was a domestic violence situation that turned into murder. Their dead bodies were discovered by Kathys father after she failed to show up for work at Bardstown Elementary School, where she worked as a special education teacher, according to WDRB. Kinda like those 2 kids who made a video after killing their classmate. KSP still believes the person or persons inside a black Chevrolet Impala seen traveling north on U.S. 150 from Botland into Bardstown on the night of the murders know something or had something to do with the murders of the Netherlands. Less than a year after Ellis's murder, there was a gruesome discovery at a home on Springfield Road in Bardstown. Copyright 2014 WAVE 3 News. Nick was accused ofwarning his brotherthat detectives planned to interview him and advised him not to speak with them. No arrests have been made in connection withRogers' disappearance. Share Tommy Ballard's poster to help get the word out. The Bardstown podcast is a good source of info regarding these cases. I could see those being connected. with the Bardstown Police. in Cincinnati, Ellis was fatally shot multiple times with a 12-gauge shotgun. Officer Jason Ellis (d: May 25th, 2013) - ambushed and shot to death while returning home from duty. Crystal Rogerss family has already been afflicted with too much tragedy. It's been five years since Tommy Ballard of Bardstown was gunned down while hunting with his grandson. A year later, mom and daughter, Kathy and Samantha Netherland, lost their lives inside their rural home, just outside of Bardstown. Their bodies were discovered by a family member. Dig deeper into the stories you've heard before, and encounter many others you haven't, in ways that actually help. Seems like the Netherland murder may not be connected to the other crimes. A 35 year old woman named Crystal Rogers went missing from Bardstown, Kentucky back in 2015. Her relatives do not seem to believe she was involved. Tommy Ballard is killed on family property, Signs show up on the first anniversary of Tommy Ballard's death, Major Crystal Rogers update as FBI searches Bardstown farm linked to missing mom-of-5 seven years after she vanished | The US Sun, FBI searching farm in connection to KY woman who went missing in 2015 | News | WPSD Local 6, Timeline: The Disappearance of Crystal Rogers, FBI searching Bardstown farm in relation to Crystal Rogers case, FBI extends search for Crystal Rogers on Bardstown farm | whas11.com, FBI: Search on Houck family farm will continue for fourth day | whas11.com, 6 years later: Anniversary of Tommy Ballard's death follows 2nd FBI search in Crystal Rogers disappearance. This is starting to get silly. May 25, 2013 was a Saturday. There's a very good, well-researched article about these cases here that includes some other unsolved murders that have occurred in the area. ), If you have information related to the murder of Tommy Ballard, call 1-800-Call-FBI or submit a tip at- https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/tommy-ballard. KY 40203 Phone: 502 . There wasn't a robbery, a sex assault and the mother showed signs of overkill which to me seems personal. All towns and cities have shadows, but when I lived there from May to September 1990 as a cast member in The Stephen Foster Story, I didnt see many. Though all occurred in Nelson County, that doesnt mean there is a real connection, save the seemingly obvious one between the disappearance of Crystal Rogers and her fathers death. Ballard told The Courier Journal she has "a lot of hope" that her family will soon finally learn what happened to her daughter. 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