Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Thu, 29 May 2025
Almost a decade after Kentucky mom of five Crystal Rogers went missing, the first of three men charged in connection with her death goes to trial. The prosecution in the Karen Read case calls their final witness -- an accident reconstructionist. Updates on former MLB pitcher Dan Serafini and "Rust" movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Plus, NBC News Legal Analyst Danny Cevallos breaks down when lawyers can -- and can't -- object in court.
What happened in the Crystal Rogers case?
So Stephen Lawson is the father. Joseph Lawson is his son. Brooks and Steve Lawson and Joseph Lawson fit together because Brooks worked in construction, and so he would hire contractors often to do work, and that's how he met the Lawsons. They both did work on and off for Brooks Houck over the years.
Are the prosecutors alleging that Brooks enlisted the help of these two to kill Crystal or help dispose of the body?
Yeah, so that's exactly what they're doing. Steve Lawson is facing a conspiracy to commit murder charge as well as tampering with physical evidence. So they are alleging that he was involved in the planning of the murder as well as cleaning up after the fact.
Prosecutors alleged that Joseph Lawson was the one driving Crystal Rogers' car to the spot where it was found on the side of Bluegrass Parkway. They also said that Steve Lawson is the one who picked up Joseph Lawson from that spot where the car was left. And investigators say that Steve Lawson placed a phone call to Brooks Houck around midnight the night that Crystal disappeared.
Steve Lawson doesn't dispute that he picked up his son from the parkway or that he called Brooks Houck that night. He does, however, deny having anything to do with Crystal's murder.
All right, so take us into the courtroom for the beginning of Steve Lawson's trial. The first witness for the prosecution was Crystal's mother, Sherry.
It was super emotional. I mean, she, you know, was tearing up before she was even asked the first question. And then, you know, it just really your heart breaks for her.
And what was her role for the prosecution being up there? What were they trying to establish with Crystal's mom?
So Sherry was the person who ultimately reported Crystal missing. And what I learned is that when Sherry was on her way to the police department to report Crystal missing, she actually passed Brooks. And so she met up with him at a gas station on her way there. And, you know, all he said to her was that it was a good idea to report her missing, that he thought that she should.
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