Crystal Rogers disappeared in 2015. In those six years, there has been no trace of her. Rogers was a mother of five children and gave no indication of trouble. Rogers' car was found abandoned on Bluegrass Parkway in Bardstown, Kentucky. Her belongings were still in the vehicle. In the following year after Crystal Rogers disappeared, her father, Tommy Ballard, was shot and killed outside his home.
Last year the FBI joined the case, and on Aug. 24, they started searching three properties that Rogers’ boyfriend, Brooks Houck, built homes on through his construction company, according to WDRB. Houck is the sole suspect in the case, though he has never been charged.
If you are just hearing about this case and want to learn more, here are five podcasts that might shed more light on the tale of this mother’s disappearance.
1. The Vanishing of Crystal Rogers - Not Another True Crime Podcast (May 2021) In this podcast from Betches media, Sara Levine and Danny Murphy explore a “morbidly fascinating topic” each episode with a dose of humor.
Here’s their description for their Crystal Rogers episode:
“Sara and Danny are back this week to bring us all the details about the disappearance of Crystal Rogers from a small town in Kentucky. They go through her last sightings and all the particulars of the case, including the discovery of her car and the puzzling delay in her being reported missing. Next, they turn to the likeliest suspect in this case, and what they [sic] police investigations so far have revealed. They also go into a few recent updates on the case, and what we can expect to find out in the coming months. “
2. Bardstown (2019-2020) WHAS11’s Shay McAlister and Vault Studios provide a 10-episode deep dive into Crystal Rogers’ case (with some updates since). Bardstown was a finisher for best local podcast in LEO’s 2019 and 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards.
3. CONSPIRACY: Bardstown, Kentucky - Crime Junkie (February 2018) Indiana true crime podcasters Ashley and Brit examine three mysterious murders and disappearances in Bardstown, Kentucky that they think may be related, including those of Crystal Rogers and her father.
4. Vanished-Crystal Rogers - True Crimecast (October 2018) Two true crime podcasters, John and Jamie, theorize about the Crystal Rogers case.
From their description of the episode: “Just outside of Louisville, Bardstown, Ky is the epitome of a small town. Everyone knows everyone else's business, both good and bad. So how is it that Crystal Rogers could disappear without a trace? Is her disappearance linked to other murders in the area around that same time? And what about that boyfriend and his brother? So much conspiracy, so few answers. This is True Crimecast.”
5. Crystal Rogers - The mHERder Podcast (January 2020) In this short-lived podcast from 2020, host Brooke Binkley explores murders and crimes committed against women in the U.S. In her third episode, she covered the case of Crystal Rogers.
