WQXE News

The three men charged in the Crystal Rogers investigation made brief appearances in Nelson Circuit Court Thursday.

Brooks Houck, who is charged with Murder and Tampering with Physical Evidence, along with Stephen Lawson and Joseph Lawson, who are each charged with Conspiracy to Commit Murder and Tampering with Physical Evidence, appeared in person for the status hearing. The hearing began about 40 minutes later than scheduled, which Nelson Circuit Court Judge Charles Simms III said was due to a delay in transferring Joseph Lawson to the courtroom from the Kentucky State Reformatory.

The primary purpose of the hearing was to review the status of discovery in the case. Special Prosecutor Shane Young said more than one terabyte of data has been transferred to the defense attorneys, with less than a terabyte still needing to be transferred. Young said due to the complexity of the case and in order to give the defenses enough time to review, a trial date in 2024 was unlikely. A trial date, subject to counsels completing review, was set for February 10, 2025.

Young said discovery should be completed by mid-March, by which time the prosecution should be ready to submit a motion to join the three cases in order to try all three suspects in the same trial. Houck’s defense also plans to have a motion for a change of venue submitted by that time. A status conference for all three suspects was scheduled for March 21.

Houck and Stephen Lawson then departed the courtroom, after which the court considered a request to reduce Joseph Lawson’s bond from $500,000 to $50,000 with a medical release to home incarceration with GPS monitoring. Lawson’s defense said Lawson is a paraplegic, which limits his independent movement and ability to flee, and having Lawson incarcerated hampers his defense as they said was evidenced by the delay in getting him to the courtroom. The prosecution argued against the reduction, stating that Lawson’s criminal history proves he can’t be trusted to obey orders from the court, and said when Lawson originally learned he was a suspect he began contacting associates to ask them to cover for him and help him create an alibi, so a release runs the risk of allowing Lawson to further obstruct justice. Judge Simms said he would rule on the motion as soon as he could.

Engineering firm QK4 is expected to begin fieldwork soon in the area of the planned Northeast Glendale Connector and southern Interstate 65 interchange.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says fieldworkers will be “collecting necessary data for design of the road and assessment of associated environmental impacts.” Fieldworkers will be doing land and geophysical surveying as well as geotechnical and environmental data collection. The initial phase of work is scheduled to begin as early as this month, with plans for the presentation of detailed alternatives for public input sometime in the spring.

KYTC District Four Public Information Officer Chris Jessie says the firm will be reaching out to property owners.

“The consultant heading up the work is going to contact each property owner where these folks will be directly working, making sure that they make every effort to get in touch with them ahead of time, so while those affected directly by these operations are being contacted personally we want to make sure there’s a public notice out there so that when motorists drive by or folks see these workers in the field they know what’s actually going on,” Jessie said.

The KYTC says the specific area where fieldworkers will be working does not necessarily indicate the final location of the proposed roadway.

Project details can be found at www.glendalestudy.com, and anybody with questions can contact Kevin Blain with the Department of Highways District Four Office in Elizabethtown at 270-766-5066.

A Meade County man is in custody for murder.

The Meade County Sheriff’s Office says Derrick Ford of Battletown was arrested Thursday and charged with Murder following an investigation into the death of Crystal Fetch, Ford’s partner. Ford is lodged in the Meade County Detention Center and the investigation is ongoing.

Ford’s arrest was part of a series of investigations by the sheriff’s office last week. 

A joint investigation by the Meade County and Breckinridge County Sheriff’s offices along with the Greater Hardin County Narcotics Task Force led to a traffic stop on January 30 on the bypass just outside Brandenburg city limits. 

Officers searched the vehicle of Michael Heavrin, who is suspected of trafficking methamphetamine in the two counties. The search led to the seizure of heroin, marijuana, and about 43 grams of meth. Heavrin was placed under arrest and lodged in the Meade County Detention Center.

Officers also seized drugs and arrested a wanted fugitive during a search of a residence on Eagles Nest Drive Wednesday, a search of another residence on Wednesday, and a search of a residence and a traffic stop Thursday. The sheriff’s office says these operations led to the seizure of approximately six ounces of meth, six grams of heroin, 1.5 pounds of marijuana, a firearm, and several items of paraphernalia. 

The sheriff’s office says it will “continue to vigorously attempt to apprehend and prosecute all individuals involved in the trafficking of controlled substances.”

(Photo Credit: Meade County Detention Center)