On May 25 2013, Officer Jason Ellis was killed after finishing his shift for the Bardstown, Kentucky Police Department. Investigators had conducted numerous searches on Houck family property, including the home of Anna Whitesides, the grandmother of Brooks Houck. Ellis stopped, turned on his blue lights and got out of his cruiser to clear them. But he was an excellent father who was very protective., He always wanted to please the people he was building a home for, even if he had to go the extra mile, Ballard said. According to Brooks, he went to bed while she stayed up for a while playing video games. You may also contact your local FBI office, or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for the death of Bardstown, Kentucky Police Officer Jason Ellis. SPONSORED LINKS Im scared to. Ballard said her daughter once took in a friend who didnt have anywhere to live. Introducing herself and asking questions of others made journalism a natural fit. "Out of respect for family members of multiple missing persons in these areas, we will not be commenting on this until we have more information from the lab," the office said in a statement. And a little further north, Its so hard.. Police haven't released a motive in the shooting. In the beginning of her career she didn't necessarily understand that. This was my hope though of finally bringing my daughter home and now i am back to square one. They held vigils and fundraisers and raised tens of thousands of dollars for rewards and to assist Crystals children. Their daughter, Freda Sharene Sherry Ballard was killed in 1979 and her car was submerged in the Ohio River, according to multiple reports. Im 100 percent completely innocent in this, and I have exhausted my efforts with the law enforcement agencies to gather all the facts necessary to allow me to have a clean name again, Houck said on Graces show. Sherry Bradley said she drove six hours from Highland, Mich.,. It was women like Sherry Ballard," she admitted. That included searches for Rogers body and any evidence they could find. But in the spring of 2011, Rebecca was never seen again. 4. Her mother reported her missing July 5 after she hadn't heard from her daughter in two days. I made eye contact with him, Tommy Ballard said after the court hearing. Fort Valley State University student Missing Where is Anitra Gunn? Who Killed Jason Ellis? It was women from a million different parts of her life who came together and held her up, McAlister said. I have eight pages of circumstances that lead me to look in their direction, Mattingly said. It's been just over seven years and there are still no answers in the murder of Ellis, leaving his friends, family and members of multiple communities confused, saddened and angry. Last year McAlister and a team of producers took a deep dive into the tragedies in Bardstown including Jason Ellis's death as they worked on a hit podcast centered around all five unsolved murders in Bardstown. On July 9, Brooks did an interview with Nancy Grace. Learn how your comment data is processed. James and Michelle Butler: The Senseless Murder of 21-Year-Navy Veteran and Wife. Rogers was the first of Sherry and Tommy Ballards children. Some reports say it was found on July 4, and others say July 5. They dont seem to be in NAMUS as far as I can see oversight or have they been identified? The FBI is continuing to investigate the Crystal Rogers case. emailStay Connected They havent seen him for three months. He met the love of his life while in Williamsburg, married her and moved back to her hometown in Nelson County where he started a career with the Bardstown Police Department. Now, McAlister is returning t Sherry Ballard said she and Tommy knew they could ask anything of Team Crystal. 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. In a statement, the agency reiterated that "several items of. "It's definitely put me in a different position to cover tragedy - I think in a way with more empathy and compassion.". Read More: How Did Taylor Robinson Die? Sharenes child wouldve been Till and Bettys first grandchild, Betty said. The search for Crystal still continues. McAlister, who continues to cover the Rogers' case and would later come to learn, investigate and follow all the unsolved cases in Bardstown, talked with the Times-Tribune about what it's been like trying to uncover the truth and juggling the lines between professional and personal as a journalist. New Details On The Unsolved Murder Of The Buffalo Man Who Was Shot Dead In His Car. Shes spent the night there on several occasions.. The vehicle had a flat tire, but what was more troubling was what they found inside the car. Ellis had signed off on the radio and was driving home when he. I feel awful for her mother dealing with losing her child, husband and having to fight for custody with that horrible man! The Bardstown people continued their attempts to help. By Sunday afternoon, the news had spread by word of mouth that the FBI was in town investigating something.. Rogers family members said Houck didnt help them try to search for her. The skeletal remains were discovered Thursday evening, and investigators called in an FBI team to help with recovery and identification. I just cant understand why we havent got to see that baby yet., On October 16, 2015, Brooks brother Nick Houck was fired from the Bardstown Police Department for allegedly interfering with the investigation of Crystal Rogers disappearance, according to NBC affiliate WLEX. Hill and Unseld are both processing the new development. Nelson County has been good to McAlister. We want closure., RELATED: Who Killed Lonnie Lard Anthony? In 2017, Kentucky State Police hired former troopers to investigate the cases of both Rogers and Jason Ellis, aBardstown police officerwho wasambushed in 2013 and killedby at least two people. It was early enough in the morning that it was still dark when Tommy was shot, Ballard said. And Ellis focus on drug users and dealers and domestic violence situations may reveal the kind of person authorities are looking for. We are at the top of the list, he said. "It was my bosses who told me to stay home as long as I wanted. Tommy Ballard, Tills son and Sherrys husband, had been relentlessly pursuing the truth. Ellis funeral was attended by more than 1,000 law enforcement members and people in the community. She doesnt want to be in the way. All rights reserved. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Ballard's grandson, who was with him during the trip, was not responsible for Ballard's death, Kentucky State Police detectives said. Season three, "Beyond Bardstown: Unsolved," is coming Monday, Oct. 17. Unseld said he has never heard of the two men charged in the case. Out of respect for multiple families, we will not be commenting until we have results, Pineiroa said. City officials held an administrative hearing on Nick Houck's actions and fired him a day later. According to NBC News , Singleton is a close friend and longtime employee of Brooks Houck. Houck said Rogers was still up on the night of July 3 when he went to bed. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to anidentification, arrest or conviction in the Rogers case. Just last year, state police hired two retired officers to focus on the case full-time, as well as some other unsolved cases in the area. I always wonder what my life would be like if she and my papaw was still here.". On April 21, 2014, Kathy Netherland, 48, and her daughter, Samantha Netherland, 16, were brutally murdered in the small Nelson County community of Botland. Team; Services. Shockingly, they did not belong to Crystal. No immediate answers came out of the searches as Rogers family dealt with the six-year anniversary of her disappearance. The image of seeing your best friend, your best partner it never goes away, she said. The car was examined on July 9, 2015, and there was evidence of biological fluids inside the trunk. She said people began to tell her that things might be connected, that this might be a series of crimes. Every year, it gets harder and harder, said Dana Walden, one of Rogers cousins and a lifetime Bardstown resident. The Nelson County Sheriffs Office will continue to be the lead agency on the human remains case. He also volunteered to finish contracting work for a woman whose workers failed to finish the job after she already paid them. Days after Rogers disappearance, he told Nancy Grace in a television interview that he was not in the least little bit alarmed when he woke up on July 4 to find Rogers wasnt home. Her remains were found buried in the woods in 1983. It's unclear if Unseld knew Tate or Lyons. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Till said it felt like theyre living that grief all over again. During Police Week, the FBI is intensifying its efforts to identify and arrest fugitives believed to be involved in the assault or murder of law enforcement officers. All of my efforts in searching for her have been done behind the scenes with the Nelson County sheriffs office, Houck said on Nancy Graces show. A juror spoke after the verdict was handed down: It was his mistake and their mistake but 80 percent theirs, because the workers, every one of them, has only been there one or 2 months, and that one girl that came up said she lied so she wouldnt have to be a witness on the case, said Peyton Gentry, a juror in the case. Like graduation. The FBI has used them to generate seeking information posters and large billboards featured prominently along the Bluegrass Parkway. See additional information. All previous homicides of Kentucky law enforcement officers in the decade before Ellis' killing were solved within 24 hours, according to a Courier-Journal review of cases. New Details In The Unsolved Murder Of Texas Woman Who Was Set On Fire And Left On Side Of The Road, Who Killed Lonnie Lard Anthony? This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Michael Wayne Unseld was shot and killed above what used to be the Broke Tee Nite Club in Bardstown in 2016. His name is also carved into a black column next to the building, along with the names of other fallen officers, and a memorial was held last May. Who killed Jason Ellis? He took Exit 34, a narrow ramp bounded on either side by steep stone walls. Season 2 brings us to a bayou community in Louisiana Lacombe where the wife of a local fire chief is missing the day a mysterious fire rips through her house. It was evident Tuesday that her feelings about her husband or daughter hadnt diminished. Rogers was the couples first living grandchild, she said. Were glad the FBI finally has took over the case, Ballard said. Kentucky State Police and the Nelson County sheriffs office worked the cases for five years before the FBI took the lead in the summer of 2020. BARDSTOWN, Ky. - This week marks six months since a mother and her teenage daughter were murdered in their Kentucky home and still, police are no closer to solving the case than they were on. what did stefan moon say to amber smith what did stefan moon say to amber smith Its so hard for a parent to just drive down the road not knowing where your daughters at or where they put her, she said. You can read a timeline of Crystals case from WDRB here. She went missing over Fourth of July weekend in 2015. Nelson County Sheriffs detectives arrested Crystal Maupin on Friday. Mother of five, Crystal Rogers has been missing from Bardstown, KY since July 3, 2015. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. The following day, there was no trace of her. Feb 21, 2023. They're reportedly searching three properties owned by Rogers' ex-boyfriend, Brooks Houck, in addition to properties owned by his brother, former Bardstown police officer Nick Houck, and their mother, Rosemary Houck. The custody dispute between Sherry and Brooks over Eli is still ongoing. On May 25, Ellis, a husband and father of two young boys, clocked out of his shift at 2 a.m. and started his normal, 15-mile drive home on the Bluegrass Parkway. While her remains have not been found, authorities stated a few months later that they believed Crystal was likely dead. Brooks was questioned early on by Nelson County Sheriffs Office Lead Detective Jon Snow. Searches and interrogations by those agencies didnt lead to the discovery of Rogers body or any arrests. Season two went beyond Bardstown, investigating a deadly fire in the bayou community of Lacombe, La. His wife spoke at the dedication, saying, I have spent the last five years trying to find myself again, trying to climb out of the fog of grief and PTSD that comes with having your husband murdered, trying to raise two boys the best that I can.. Sheriff Ed Mattingly said at that time that Houck was fully cooperating with the investigation. One of the photos is of a smiling Ellis in his uniform, a photo that has been printed onto cards that Medley carries with him and hands out to people who may have information. "I ask that members of the community think back to July 3rd and 4th of 2015," Brown said in the release. Kentucky wont get an elite NCAA Tournament seed. He wasnt going to give up on Crystal, Till Ballard said, standing outside the FBIs search site on Monday. Houck has said he didnt do anything to Rogers. said Sherry Ballard, Crystal Rogers mother. @Nelson_Sheriff pic.twitter.com/ghzbYqZ6Mp. State investigators initially received dozens of tips, interviewed individuals that Ellis had arrested, and tracked down leads all across the country. Tommy, a skilled handyman from the age of 15, once put up a dog fence for a woman battling cancer and didnt charge her anything for it, Till Ballard said. The FBI took over both cases last summer and has since executed several search warrants and questioned people in Bardstown. Houck had called the Ballards and asked if theyd seen Rogers, Till Ballard said. The sudden disappearance of Crystal Rogers, a young mother, in July 2015 had the small town of Bardstown, Kentucky, on edge. A massive search for her turned up more questions than answers, frustrating the authorities and loved ones alike. Are looking for, that this might be a series of crimes Murder! Received dozens of tips, interviewed individuals that Ellis had arrested, and investigators called in an Team! 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