Retired judge comments on Brooks Houck case

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - One day after the arrest was made in the case of the missing mother, Crystal Rogers, so many questions remain about what happens next.

Nearly eight years after being named a suspect, Crystal’s boyfriend at the time of her disappearance has been charged with her murder.

Retired Circuit Court Judge Jack Seay talked about how things may shake out in the case for Brooks Houck. Seay has lived in Nelson County his entire life and was still on the bench when Crystal disappeared.

“We wondered if it would ever come through at all,” Seay said.

He said the new charges could stem from a few things.

“I think something they may have found, and there’s a lot of speculation about whether the defendant may have flipped, or somebody else has flipped and has direct knowledge of the case,” Seay said. “It’s a possibility as well, and it would strengthen the case significantly.”

Seay was on the bench when Houck was charged with theft back in 2019. That trial was moved to Warren County where Houck was found not guilty.

He will almost certainly not be tried in Nelson County at this time either. Given the case’s notoriety, it may be hard to find a place in Kentucky, but not impossible.

“The standard is not whether a person hasn’t heard anything about the case,” Seay said. “But whether they can set aside what they know and make a decision based on evidence and instruction from the judge in the case.”

Seay, who has still remained impartial years after leaving the bench, said this is a big step in the case. However, it’s far from over.

“I’ve heard a lot of people who are relieved that there’s finally something definite going on,” he said. “It’s heading for the court system. I would just urge everybody to be patient because this could take a while and we don’t know what the result will be.”

Seay said one of the variables in the case that’s interesting is the lack of a body, and it could also be one of the reasons the prosecutors decided not to press charges until now. He also said it may be hard to find a case where this can be tried. However, it’s not impossible to get a conviction without a body.

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