Is it possible that they have some sort of freeway shooter there? Crystal Rogers [Handout]On July 2, 2015, Crystal Rogers, 35, vanished from her Bardstown home off of Glenview Drive. The person or persons who killed them is still on the loose. "I don't think they would just randomly pick a driveway unless they had a reason to do that," Ballardtold WHAS. 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. When asked about the cellphone jammer, Holly said, "This is news to me. My opinion: Crystals disappearance is that this was a domestic violence situation that turned into murder. The murders of Kathy and Samantha Netherland remain unsolved. Now You Can Nab Them on Sale. When Bauer pressed him for details about how he knew it was gang initiation, he said, "Well, I know they was tortured. 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. She later married but I dont know if it was to him or someone else. Kathy Netherland taught special education at Bardstown Elementary School. Rogers parents were immediately vocal in their suspicions of boyfriend Brooks Houck. Her daughter Samantha was 16 and a sophomore at Bardstown High, where she was a member of several clubs, including the school chorus, Adventure Club, and the Young Leaders Program. It's been five years since Tommy Ballard of Bardstown was gunned down while hunting with his grandson. A massive search for her turned up more questions than answers, frustrating the authorities and loved ones alike. As recently as July 2017 police searched the home of Houcks grandmother. There are currently no cases that match the selected filters. This is starting to get silly. As an Eastern Kentuckian.. yeah. In the case of Officer Ellis (one of my pet cases) I rather doubt that his killer(s) would've jumped immediately onto the BG Parkway to egress the site or at least they wouldn't have if they were smart. Share Tommy Ballard's story with your own social network. That was disapproved by her family and Samantha also didnt babysit for the Ellis family, that was untrue gossip and hearsay. Despite these accusations, neither Houck brother has ever been charged with any crimes related to the disappearance of Crystal Rogers, which they both deny any involvement in. . A cop, Crystal Rogers, her father, and a school teacher and her daughter were all murdered and no one knows anything about it. FBI agents have conducted multiple searches in and near Bardstown since Rogers went missing. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. After her family does not hear from Crystal, Sherry Ballard reports her daughter missing to the Bardstown police. Tommy's death shocked the Bardstown community, which was still reeling from three other unsolved cases: the murder of Bardstown Police Officer Jason Ellis on May 25, 2013, the double homicide of Kathy and Samantha Netherland on April 21, 2014, and Tommy's daughter, Crystal who went missing on July 3, 2015. Our hope in telling their stories is that the right person hears it and is compelled to finally come forward., The community, the victims, the families deserve justice.. There is a lot of shady shit going on. She went on to say her husband Tommy "was never going to give up for my daughter, and he was going to push, and I think people knew that. In March, 2018,the Kentucky House of Representatives and State Senate passed a resolutionhonoring the victims of the Bardstown Murders, urging witnesses to come forward. A bullet hit Ballard in his chest while he was out hunting. Tommy had been shot in the chest from behind. Crystal RogersVictim of (Potentially) Related Crime, Jason EllisVictim of (Potentially) Related Crime, Samantha and Kathy NetherlandVictim of (Potentially) Related Crime. Though just an hour south of the major metropolitan hub of Louisville, Bardstown, Kentucky, is a world away. Rogers, a 35-year-old mother of five children, was reported missing on July 3, 2015, from Bardstown. 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. At least one state investigator expressed to a reported that he was concerned that the murder may have involved someone in Law Enforcement. If you have information related to the disappearance of Crystal Rogers, please call the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit www.crystalrogerstaskforce.com. A policeman, as a public safety officer, could reasonably be expected to stop. And awesome. Crystal Rogers' mother, Sherry Ballard, hopes that the current FBI investigation in a Bardstown neighborhood may finally yield closure for her and family. "We will definitely send something out when that changes," Anderson said. Its a disease of armchair sleuthing to see connections between everythingthe same kind of fallacy that produces complex and far-reaching conspiracy theories. Police suspect the driver of that car may have information about the case. Is Tommys murder connected to the other Bardstown unsolved cases? The mother's case has spawned documentaries and podcasts and plenty of news coverage. There were about 6600 residents then, and even if the county seat for Nelson County sometimes felt for just a moment like the setting for a folksy episode of the Twilight Zoneone where all the good townsfolk are revealed as malevolent robots in the final act, or cultists searching for a sacrificethere was no real sense of danger. In the case of Kathy I'm wondering if her daughters boyfriend was looked into at all. Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com. And a little further north, I hope her killer(s) are punished to the full extent of the law. Really sad case. Lived in bardstown when all this was going down. "When my daughter went missing, Brooks was building in that neighborhood.". A 35 year old woman named Crystal Rogers went missing from Bardstown, Kentucky back in 2015. And the Kentucky State Police have brought two investigators out of retirement to help in the Ellis case. "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. Ballard's grandson, who was with him during the trip,was not responsible for Ballard's death, Kentucky State Police detectives later said. After exiting his police cruiser to investigate, he was ambushed. Thanks for sharing. It appears as though this murder was covered up by family members of the murderer. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. I hope for the sake of Crystal Rogers' children, that she will be properly laid to rest in the future. They had been killed the previous day. Former Sheriff Ed Mattingly named Brooks Houck a suspectin his girlfriends disappearance, which he believes to be a homicide. He was the owner of T.M.B. Troopers released a photo of the suspect vehicle taken from video surveillance. You can live there your whole life and not know many people. However i noticed one major difference in these murders. I did an in-depth multi-part series on the subject a few years ago. Tommy's family announces reward of $20,000. Kathy Netherland taught special education at Bardstown Elementary School. Their bodies were discovered by a family member. A seven-year veteran of the department and member of the K-9 unit, Ellis had just gotten off work and was driving home when he found a stack of freshly cut tree limbs blocking the road at his exit off the Bluegrass Parkway. 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. It's still getting investigated like if it were a murder investigation or homicide investigation, Kentucky State Police Trooper Jeff Gregory told WDRB. I'd like to think that if something happened to Mom that she would have tried to get a call off. More telling than that: Investigators reportedly found a blanket with small traces of blood in the trunk of Nicks police cruiser. Samantha was attacked near a different door suggesting she was attempting to flee. It wouldnt be long before investigators ruled out his grandson who was with him as a suspect. The Netherland murders appear to be unrelated but without a discernible motive, I wouldnt rule a connection out. Five years ago, Kathy Netherland and her 16-year-old daughter Samantha were found shot to dead inside their Bardstown, Kentucky home on April 22, 2014. To watch the 2018 series, visitOxygen's site. In 2017, Kentucky State Police hired former troopers to investigate the cases of both Rogers andJason Ellis, aBardstown police officerwho wasambushed in 2013and killedby at least two people. Something a lot of the podcasts and articles and shows dont tell you is that Jason Ellis wife is also a teacher and she worked closely with Kathy and Crystals boyfriends brother worked closely with Jason as well and their family was always known to sell drugs, it is a small enough town to know that. "This is one of those things that I'm not comfortable talking about. How do you protect your children from predators? According to Brooks Houck (with whom Crystal lived), she was last seen playing games on her phone until late on the night of July 3. I think Crime Junkie did a pretty good pod on this if anyone is interested. 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. There seems to be compelling reason to suspect that Jason was targeted. By 7:54 AM, authorities were called to the 1400 block of Ed Brent Road for a death investigation. 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. When a law enforcement officer is murdered other cops are galvanized. If you have any information regarding Tommys case, please contact the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALLFBI. Officer Ellis was discovered by a passing motorist. https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2497/ncadv_kentucky_fact_sheet_2020.pdf. [] It's taking a lot of energy and effort. Although detectives considered Houck a suspect, he was never charged in connection with Crystals disappearance. (Barnes received a life sentence. When pressed for details about how he knew it was gang initiation, he said, "Well, I know they was tortured.". Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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. But the 2017 search wasnt directly related to Crystals disappearance. Jasons wife was a substitute teacher who had worked at the school where Kathy worked but they have not been linked in any other way. Approximately 150 miles away in a small town similar to many in the Tri-County, five murders are unsolved, one with a connection to the Tri-County. Federal agents, with help from Nelson County highway department vehicles, were continuing to zero in on a driveway and truck away pieces of concrete and materials from outside a home. Bardstown isnt as small as people think, there are 3 different high schools. Outside of work, he was heavily involved in the community including coaching youth baseball. 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. pokesperson Lt. Michael Webb said police haven't ruled out the possibility that the cases might be connected, but offered no further details. February 27, 2023 Eric Criswell Local News. Paying a little homage to the Baard and his, "Something is rotten in Denmark." Sign up now. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Their only possible clue was a black Chevrolet Impala, which had been filmed near the crime scene on April 21, 2014, the night of the murder. While police initially treated Ballards death as a possible hunting accident, it eventually became clear it wasnt. Forward to Dateline, 48 Hours or some entity with the money and resources to dig further. Crazy about gin? Life slows. Anyone have any updates on the murders in Bardstown Kentucky. By 2013 Jason Ellis had been a police officer for about seven years. I used to believe that the murder of police officer Jason Ellis on May 25, 2013, the Netherland Murders on April 21, 2014, the disappearance of Crystal Rogers on July 3, 2015, and the murder of Tommy Ballard on November 19, 2016 in Bardstown, Kentucky were all related. Bardstown Unsolved Murders. Whenever possible, actual redditors have participated in investigating the events. I'm innocent. Their bodies were discovered by a family member. The FBI has not released more details on the "items of interest" that were sent to the Virginia lab for testing. BARDSTOWN, Ky. (WAVE) - In a matter of five days, there were some big development in connection to a 2016 Bardstown murder. She was a widow and in photos she looked younger than her reported age of 48. Anyone have any updates on the murders in Bardstown Kentucky. [] I can't even go on the side of the road without looking like a murderer. 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. 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.". They include the ambush murder of police officer Jason Ellis in 2013, the brutal double homicide of Kathy Netherland and her teenage daughter Samantha a year later and the 2015 disappearance of Ballard . I say the cops are involved and the school teacher/her daughter found out something they werent supposed to find out. Everyone wants to know what the hell is going on. A Welcome to Bardstown sign is unnecessary, though. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. The sudden disappearance of Crystal Rogers, a young mother, in July 2015 had the small town of Bardstown, Kentucky, on edge. What Exactly Is Rizz? Share Tommy Ballard's poster to help get the word out. Any nightmares I had in Bardstown were just inside my head, not hovering in the shadows under the trees crowding the highway. It was never a hunting accident. In The Disappearance of Crystal Rogers docuseries, Sherry mentions that she believes that Tommy was getting close to information about who may be responsible for Crystals disappearance. Tommys death shocked the Bardstown community, which was still reeling from three other unsolved cases: the murder of Bardstown Police Officer Jason Ellis on May 25, 2013, the double homicide of Kathy and Samantha Netherland on April 21, 2014, and Tommys daughter, Crystal who went missing on July 3, 2015. makes me wonder if someone or multiple someones werent using the parkway as their escape route in and out of town. In the fall of 2016, Tommy tells his wife Sherry that he believes he is being followed, but he is unsure of who is following him. Father of missing woman is killed while hunting with his grandson. A more likely explanation would be a killer who did not know the intended victims and got the wrong address. Anyone with information is asked to call KSP Post 4 at (270) 766-5078 or email EllisCaseTips@ky.gov. He was close to figuring it out too. That October, Nick Houck was fired from the police forceor allegedly interfering with the investigation of Crystal Rogers disappearance, that he only contacted his brother to tell him that "they might be trying to trip him up" and "he should protect himself.". I always wonder what my life would be like if she and my papaw was still here.". in the chest by an unknown gunmen while out hunting. Then on November 19, while he was out hunting on his rural property very early in the morning, a shot rang out. Some find it suspicious because he wasn't driving his regular vehicle that night and didn't have his K-9 with him but I feel like that is a coincidence, as I think him having his K-9 locked in the back of his regular vehicle sadly wouldn't have changed the outcome of this terrible crime. 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