Brooks Houck, the man convicted of killing mom-of-five Crystal Rogers in 2015, plans to appeal the conviction to the Kentucky Supreme Court.
According to WDRB, Houck’s attorneys have filed an appeal, claiming he deserved a new trial and that the judge should have removed himself from the case. They argue that his trial shouldn’t have been combined with that of co-defendant Joseph Lawson.
Both defendants were found guilty in June — Lawson was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with evidence, while Houck was charged with murder and complicity in tampering with evidence, as CrimeOnline reported. Lawson received a 25-year prison sentence, and Houck was sentenced to life.
Lawson filed notice of appeal last week.
Rogers, aged 35, vanished after she was last seen with her then-boyfriend, the affluent businessman Houck, during the July 4 weekend in 2015. Her vehicle was discovered abandoned on the Bluegrass Parkway, still operational, with her belongings inside. Eventually, Steve Lawson, his son Joseph Lawson, and Houck were taken into custody.
Steve Lawson was tried separately from the other defendants in May and was also found guilty of conspiracy and tampering. His sentence was 17 years in prison.
Soon after Houck’s conviction, Judge Charles Simms III ordered him to cease attempts to sell his properties and other assets prior to an evidentiary hearing related to a wrongful death lawsuit filed against him by Rogers’ children and her mother, Sherry Ballard.
