The person or persons who killed them is still on the loose. By Benjamin H. Smith Bardstown Murders and Mysteries: Brookelyn Farthing 1:09 Preview While her remains have not been found, authorities stated a few months later that they believed Crystal was likely dead. I always wonder what my life would be like if she and my papaw was still here.". They found her car with her purse, cell phone, scattered on the ground around the car but no sign of her. It was really rough. Police Chief Kim Kraeszig also remembers getting a call that night about the murder. A few hours after his last encounter with Ellis, he heard a voice on the police radio say Officer down.. Someone, perched on top of the stone cliff above him, fired a shotgun. In the days after Crystal vanished, searches conducted by the authorities with the help of volunteers and family didnt turn up anything. But one thing is for sure: the person who killed Ellis seemed to know the route he took home and when hed be traveling on it. The FBI took over both cases last summer and has since executed several search warrants and questioned people in Bardstown. Two people have been arrested and charged in the murder of Michael Wayne Unseld, 61. Kathy Netherland, 48, and her daughter, Samantha, 16, were killed inside their home on April 21, 2014. 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. You can see Crystal Maupins Facebook here. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. She's come to have passion for shining a light on areas that would probably prefer to be dark. The FBI returned to the subdivision every day before suspending the search on Monday due to bad weather. February 14, 2014 Yahoo Kevin, Sarah (parents) and Grace (daughter age 12) Hendrix of Corbin Kentucky were shot and killed by Jason Hendrix, their son and Grace's brother. His murder would be the first. Curious passersby frequently tried to stop for a peek in the early days of the search and were turned away. The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. In a statement, the agency reiterated that "several items of. Bardstown Police Department Officer Jason Ellis was headed home to Bloomfield around 2 a.m. after his shift on May 25, 2013. Its pretty obvious the boyfriend did something to her and his brother used his status as an officer to help him cover everything up. The Nelson County Sheriffs Office confirmed in a statement Sunday that human remains had been recovered in a rural part of the county. . As an aside, and perhaps strangely for such a small town (13,094 in 2019), there are other unsolved murders in Bardstown. The first murder occurred in 2013, when Ellis, a 33-year-old husband . Two people have been arrested and charged in the murder of Michael Wayne Unseld, 61. The agency has set up a website for the case atwww.crystalrogerstaskforce.com. 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 knew of something or had something to do with the murders of the Netherlands. Tommy didnt like to be in the public eye, Ballard said. Though his case remains unsolved, his community continues to carry on his memory. The case remains open as the human remains are unidentified at time. Crystal Rogers was a 35-year-old mother of five who lived in Bardstown. A few days later on July 15, Brooke Ballard, Crystals sister, spoke to WHAS11 saying boyfriend Brooks Houcks story doesnt add up. He was usually unwilling to have his picture taken. The remains are being sent to Quantico, Virginia, for analysis by the FBI. He was also arrested for a probation violation and drug charges. I don't know which one was worse: not knowing who it was or having suspects and not knowing why or any other answers, Hill said. "The memory that will forever be in my heart is going to DQ and buying my momma lunch. I believe Brooks and Crystal Lite are still together (based on her social media). Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. She said people began to tell her that things might be connected, that this might be a series of crimes. "What I feel like I've given to the community is so unmatched as to what they've given to me," said McAlister about Louisville and the surrounding communities. Buy HD $2.99 More purchase options 3. Tommy Ballard was targeted on the morning of Nov. 19, 2016, according to the FBI. Did you make him suffer? Unseld said. July 3, 2015, seemed like a typical day at the outset for her. It was early enough in the morning that it was still dark when Tommy was shot, Ballard said. I feel discriminated against, she told Oxygen.com. 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. Or Hospital Scapegoat? A lie detector test turned out to be inconclusive, but he maintained he had no involvement in the disappearance, saying, Im 100 percent completely innocent in this. Crystals sister thought there was more to it than what was apparent, adding, The stories just dont add up. September 8, 2018, 8:02 PM ET Bardstown Police Officer Jason Ellis Murdered For Burglary Investigation, Says Anonymous Inmate The inmate claims Ellis was shot because "he was close to an investigation of a ring of storage shed burglaries and business burglaries." By Aly Vander Hayden It was found with a flat tyre near mile marker 14 on the Bluegrass parkway. The FBI are in charge of her case and they are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for her disappearance. "The FBI is committed to bringing those responsible to justice, but we are going to need the communitys assistance.". Tommy Ballard, Tills son and Sherrys husband, had been relentlessly pursuing the truth. And it kind of gave us hope that okay they hadn't forgotten and we're heading in the right direction now.. Chance of rain 100%. But the two still showed up daily, staying well into the evening and waving at workers as they drove excavators, trucks full of dirt and evidence trailers in and out of the otherwise quiet Kentucky neighborhood. After Tommy Ballard was killed people started to wonder if the unsolved cases of Jason Ellis, Kathy and Samantha Netherland and Crystal Rogers along with Tommy Ballard were all somehow connected. michael lombard actor obituary; justinas duknauskas biography; organic valley grassmilk yogurt discontinued Officials said Brooks Houck, Crystals boyfriend, was the last person to see her alive when they were at his family farm the night of July 3. But one set of family photos featuring both Tommy and Rogers has been key. bardstown, ky. The FBI has concluded its latest search efforts related to the 2015 disappearance of Crystal Rogers in Nelson County. Houck has said he didnt do anything to Rogers. It was women like Sherry Ballard," she admitted. Now into the month of October citizens and family members are still wondering and don't have answers that just a few months ago seemed so close. Ballard plans to have Rogers buried next to Tommy if her remains are found, she said. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. She went missing over Fourth of July weekend in 2015. It's unclear if Unseld knew Tate or Lyons. Police officers held another press conference in October and they stated that they believed Crystal was deceased: She has vanished from Earth, and I think its safe to say shes dead, Sheriff Ed Mattingly announced at a news conference. Police haven't released a motive in the shooting. wrote on a new website dedicated to the investigation. She is presumed dead. On the morning of November 19, 2016, sixteen months after Crystal's disappearance, Ballard was preparing for a hunting trip with his 12-year-old grandson on family property next to Bluegrass. About a year later, his grandmother refused to testify in relation to a vehicle that the authorities believed was hers and may have been used to dispose of a body. Crystals maroon 2007 four-door Chevrolet was found abandoned soon after she disappeared. Michael Medley, its a night that continues to haunt him. Until then she challenges people to think about the impact they want to leave on the world. They have other people work for them, so they may never look at it., Things were pretty quiet until 2020 in this case. Rogers family members said Houck didnt help them try to search for her. BARDSTOWN, Ky. (WAVE) - In a matter of five days, there were some big development in connection to a 2016 Bardstown murder. McAlister interviewed FBI Special Agent in Charge Brian Jones who said the remains have been sent to Virginia and that they are working to identify them as quickly as possible. The Nelson County Sheriffs Office will continue to be the lead agency on the human remains case. Rogers had been datingBrooks Houck, an initial suspect, who is the father of one of her sons. Since McAlister's first weeks at WHAS 11, she's put together an unsolved series covering missing and murdered loved ones from around Kentucky. Out of respect for multiple families, we will not be commenting until we have results, Pineiroa said. This was my hope though of finally bringing my daughter home and now i am back to square one. The results on the human remains does not change their investigation or drive to bring closure and justice for the Ballard family and the citizens of Nelson County. Her purse, keys, and uncharged phone remained inside the unlocked . He wasnt going to give up on Crystal, Till Ballard said, standing outside the FBIs search site on Monday. We've talked about it at length. Their daughter, Freda Sharene Sherry Ballard was killed in 1979 and her car was submerged in the Ohio River, according to multiple reports. That's what's hard.". She had previously been seeing him every other weekend. 2023byTango Publishing Corporation All Rights Reserved. We would always get the chicken strip basket with the toast and gravy to go with it. Crystals family deny any involvement in the signs. They focused on multiple houses before they eventually dug up a front yard and driveway at one property on North Howard Street. It was Crystals mother, Sherry, who went to the authorities. Sherry denies the allegation and says she was always careful not to speak about Brooks in front of Eli. Im scared to. I knew my mom was proud, but like just wanting her to be there physically, it was very hard to see other moms there, Fenwick said. Precautionary boil advisory issued for water customers in east Jefferson County, Police: Woman accused of buying nearly $9K in clothes with stolen credit card, WAVE Weather Now Syncbak Channel Embed for PBE Page, Christina Applegate attends last awards show as an actress, 15-year-old shot, killed in Smoketown neighborhood identified, LMPD: Man in hospital after shooting in St. Denis nieghborhood, Man in hospital after shooting in Russell neighborhood. In late July human remains were found on the edge of Nelson County. They just ripped that baby away from me because they said theres too much animosity between the families, Ballard told Oxygen.com. Cold and Calculating August 24, 2018 44min TV-14 Subtitles Subtitles English [CC] Audio languages Audio languages English The search has focused on homes built and previously owned by Brooks. An unknown subject fired one shot and hit Ballard in the chest and instantly killed him. Whileattempting to remove thedebris,hewasshotseveral times and died shortly after. It is thought to be cyanobacteria, which is a gelatin-like substance. A security checkpoint was set up on Freeman Avenue, the only way to access North and South Howard streets, which are both dead-end roads. 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. At that time, he did not have his canine partner with him. On May252013, Officer Jason Ellis waskilledafter finishing his shift for the Bardstown, Kentucky Police Department. And the stories and memories she's made will hold a special place in heart long after justice prevails. This, to me, is starting to get silly.. In Bardstown, the FBI has stepped in to help with the Crystal Rogers case and McAlister would like to think that the attention the murders received from the Bardstown podcast along with the determination of Crystal Rogers' family is to credit. She also spoke about the day that her mother went missing: I was calling and texting and she wasnt answering, she said. Sometime in the evening, she was seen with three of her children buying groceries and other items. In July 2017, Brooks new girlfriend, Crystal Maupin was arrested. I have eight pages of circumstances that lead me to look in their direction, Mattingly said. RELATED: Who Is Carla Walker? Please add name and any info that you. Samantha Netherland was a sophomore at Bardstown High School. Rogers has been missing more than six years. 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. She was trying to make a life for her and her kids, and she looked out for her children number one, Ballard said. Ballard's death adds to a tally of unsolved murders around Bardstown, a city of 12,800 about 40 miles south of Louisville. Just like our community we were hopeful it would assist in answers and closure in Crystal Rogers case. Multiple items of interest potentially relevant to Rogers disappearance, Coroner: Suspect in murders of three Kentucky police officers died by suicide, New faces joining WKYT, The CW Lexington at anchor, weather desks, Lexington police officer arrested, charged with abusing a child, Man charged in murders of Kentucky police officers kills himself in jail, officials say. More than five years after a Kentucky mother of five vanished without a trace, and two weeks after human bones were found 4 miles from where she was last seen alive, FBI. He didnt mind doing that. 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