The mother's case has spawned documentaries and podcasts and plenty of news coverage. The utterly brutal murder the Netherlands on a pleasant country road is as strange as Elliss murder. An FBI Louisville spokesman previously said all three locations hadalready been searched "to various degrees" over the years. Kathy, a widow, was a special education teacher. Do you remember seeing any other vehicles on the road? When Bauer pressed him for details about how he knew it was gang initiation, he said, "Well, I know they was tortured. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Where the case stands today. More telling than that: Investigators reportedly found a blanket with small traces of blood in the trunk of Nicks police cruiser. It's still getting investigated like if it were a murder investigation or homicide investigation, Kentucky State Police Trooper Jeff Gregory told WDRB. As the Kentucky Standard reported after she vanished, her aunt Sherry Ballard Barnes disappeared in January 1979. The other daughter was a person of interest because she was the only person who appeared to have had anything to gain from her mother and sisters death. Details: On July 5, 2015, Crystal Rogers was reported missing by her mother, after she had not been seen or heard from since the evening of July 3, 2015. Someone traveling through, a violent person, someone like ngel Maturino Resndiz who traveled through the US, killing multiple people that were strangers to him. Till the day he died, family said, Tommy Ballard never stopped looking for his daughter Crystal. Season two went beyond Bardstown, investigating a deadly fire in the bayou community of Lacombe, La. 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. "Pick up the phone, call the number. My opinion-The only explanation for their murders that I see, is that its possibly a random horrific murder. Crystal Rogerss family has already been afflicted with too much tragedy. Forward to Dateline, 48 Hours or some entity with the money and resources to dig further. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Greek stationmaster arrested in head-on train crash; 36 dead. Her kids need closure, but to physically hear it, its going to be so hard on us.". I mean, that would explain why they didn't get a call off because I know my mom always had a phone in her hand. On July 2, 2015, Crystal Rogers, 35, vanished from her Bardstown home off of Glenview Drive. The day Tommy was killed. But, theres also a dark side to the region. It appears as though this murder was covered up by family members of the murderer. The Kentucky Standard reported in October 2015 that detectives believed hed killed Crystal during a fight. Rogers wasnot known to go anywhere without her kids, according to the FBI. Though just an hour south of the major metropolitan hub of Louisville, Bardstown, Kentucky, is a world away. At least one state investigator expressed to a reported that he was concerned that the murder may have involved someone in Law Enforcement. Rogers was last seen on July 3, at the home she shared with her boyfriend, Brooks Houck, their 2-year-old son and other children. Were you traveling on Bluegrass Highway between mile markers 21 and 25 on November 19, 2016, before 7:30 am? 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. Nick later told the Kentucky State Police, the Kentucky House of Representatives and State Senate. Anyone have any updates on the murders in Bardstown Kentucky. There has been a string of unsolved murders and an unsolved disappearance in Nelson County. Published: Feb. 27, 2023 at 7:24 PM PST. He took Exit 34, a narrow ramp bounded on either side by steep stone walls. But she was just a kid and her mom seemed like a lovely woman as well. Kathy Netherland taught special education at Bardstown Elementary School. On the morning of November 19, 2016, sixteen months after Crystals disappearance, Ballard was preparing for a hunting trip with his 12-year-old grandson on family property next to Bluegrass Parkway in Bardstown, Kentucky. 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. The FBI said it is "offering up to a$25,000 rewardfor informationleading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible" for Rogers' disappearance. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. When a law enforcement officer is murdered other cops are galvanized. BARDSTOWN, Ky. (WAVE) - In a matter of five days, there were some big development in connection to a 2016 Bardstown murder. It doesn't mean we can't change that title later. And awesome. ", "My mom is a very special woman," one of Rogers' daughterswrote on a website dedicated to the investigation. Police said the Netherlands were murdered around 8 p.m. on the evening of Monday, April 21 at their home in Nelson County's Botland community. ", The inmate also said a cellphone jammer was placed at the Netherlands' front door to "kill all the signal in the house.". A Welcome to Bardstown sign is unnecessary, though. Kentucky State Police believe 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 are responsible for the crimes. 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. Then on November 19, while he was out hunting on his rural property very early in the morning, a shot rang out. A little over a year after she vanished, Crystals father, Tommy Ballard, was found shot to death on his own property. Nick was accused ofwarning his brotherthat detectives planned to interview him and advised him not to speak with them. Rogers was datingBrooks Houck, an initial suspect, who is the father of one of her sons. I definitely think it was all connected. How they died is not one of the main things I want to think about.". On February 25, 2023, at approximately 5:17 pm Deputies Jerry Meadows and Derek Dennis observed a vehicle making a traffic violation at the intersections of Barnes Drive and Rolling Hills . Murder Victim Bardstown, Kentucky May 25, 2013. 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. "There's people in the community that have information but they're afraid to come forward," she told CBS affiliate WLKY. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Since my moms been missing, life has been really hard. Within months of the murders, police had searched more than 90 cars in the area that matched the vehicle description, according to WDRB,. Absolutely. As recently as July 2017 police searched the home of Houcks grandmother. Curious About J.Crews Viral Giant-Fit Chinos? I say the cops are involved and the school teacher/her daughter found out something they werent supposed to find out. The cut brush that Jason Ellis stopped to remove was not actually blocking traffic and other vehicles had driven right on past as I would have done that time of night. "And I need closure. There are currently no cases that match the selected filters. pic.twitter.com/CITH0yeQ8i. Thats how I remember Bardstown. Still, it seems stalled. As a previous "higher-up" member in unspecified "organizations," the inmate told Bauer that many people confided in him about criminal activity, including the details of Rogers' disappearance as well as two other unsolved murders in Bardstown, Kentucky the fatal shooting of 33-year-old Bardstown Police Officer Jason Ellis and the double . I hope her killer(s) are punished to the full extent of the law. 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. Trees crowd both sides of the road, lush green walls that grow denser as you go. Rogers parents were immediately vocal in their suspicions of boyfriend Brooks Houck. I'd like to think that if something happened to Mom that she would have tried to get a call off. The next morning Crystal vanishes, but Brooks does not think it's odd because she occasionally spent the night at the homes of her friends. How to watch: HLN airs docu-series investigation on missing Kentucky mom Crystal Rogers. Bardstown Mystery: Four dead, one missing in 'the most beautiful small town in America' by Leigh Egan September 2, 2019 Tweet It's 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. When a region that has had virtually no murders suddenly has five unsolved murders in a short period, it is statistically unlikely that at least some are related. There is no evidence that he was conducting any kind of independent investigation or was privy to any information that Law Enforcement didnt have. An unknown subject fired one shot and hit Ballard in the chest and instantly killed him. To learn more about the Netherlands and the search for Crystal Rogers, watch"The Disappearance of Crystal Rogers" on Oxygen. "Pick up the phone, call the number. In the case of Kathy I'm wondering if her daughters boyfriend was looked into at all. There is a person of interest in Crystals case. Both of them had cuts to their necks. When the sweet smell of bourbon fills the air, you know youve arrived. That was disapproved by her family and Samantha also didnt babysit for the Ellis family, that was untrue gossip and hearsay. A month later, new Bardstown Police Chief Kim Kraeszig announced the creation of a new anonymous tip line that she hopes will encourage those with information on the cases to come forward. Her car was found abandoned on the Bluegrass Parkwaywith her keys, phone and purse still inside. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. "And I do have a lot of hope that this is where the investigation needs to be at and that they may be able to provide me answers this time," Ballard said. Boyfriend likely killed her, and his police officer brother helped dispose of the body. He was the Bardstown PDs K-9 Officer. That's an important bit that is often overlooked! In a bizarre twist, on November 19, 2016, Crystals father, Tommy Ballard. Now You Can Nab Them on Sale. They need new cases. I know that trinkets were taken as trophies. There's a very good, well-researched article about these cases here that includes some other unsolved murders that have occurred in the area. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. 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. 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." (He was already in prison when this crime occurred, he is not a suspect.) The Bardstown Netherland Murders Were A Gang Initiation, According To Anonymous Inmate When pressed for details about how he knew it was gang initiation, he said, "Well, I know they was tortured." By Aly Vander Hayden Bardstown Murders and Mysteries: Brookelyn Farthing 1:09 Preview Should You Want To? Samantha Netherland was a sophomore at Bardstown High School. Bardstown PD, however, dismissed the groups claims, with then-police chief Rick McCubbin calling them a bunch of punks, and telling WAVE 3, They're trying to empower themselves by making that claim, intimidating people and using the fear factor that 'I'm so bad I killed a cop.. Victims include a Bardstown police officer, an elementary school special education teacher, and her teenage daughter. in his girlfriends disappearance, which he believes to be a homicide. Though just an hour south of the major metropolitan hub of Louisville, Bardstown, Kentucky, is a world away. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Maybe her daughter had nothing to do with it but could he have seen her family as "trying to break them up?". Rogers' keys, phone, and purse were still inside her red Chevrolet Impala. Complicating the investigation was that fact that Houcks brother Nick was an officer with the Bardstown Police. An Amber Alert was released after police say Gray took his four children following the murder. [] I can't even go on the side of the road without looking like a murderer. After exiting his police cruiser to investigate, he was ambushed. Officer Ellis was discovered by a passing motorist. Killing a patrolman just because he once arrested you is possible but highly unusual. He is clearly the focus of the investigation. I think Crime Junkie did a pretty good pod on this if anyone is interested. To kill a man in front of his young grandson, you must be an evil, cold-hearted person and I hope you burn for eternity in your own personal hell. https://www.whas11.com/article/news/investigations/bardstown/car-caught-on-surveillance-at-netherland-home/417-7b7bfab9-850a-4376-907e-7c881eb619ec, https://www.kystandard.com/content/family-netherland-legacies-about-more-their-tragic-final-moments, If you have any information on this case, please call the Kentucky State Police @ 1-800-222-5555. , theres also a dark side to the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit www.crystalrogerstaskforce.com a pleasant road! Good, well-researched article about these cases here that includes some other unsolved murders and an unsolved disappearance Nelson! Morning, a widow, was found shot to death on his own.... Him and advised him not to speak with them was datingBrooks Houck, initial. Kids need closure, but to physically hear it, its going to be homicide... 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