BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A jury found Steven Lawson guilty of tampering with evidence and conspiracy to commit murder after a four-day trial.
It took the jury less than three hours to reach a verdict.
The jury recommended a sentence of 17 years for Lawson. His final sentencing is set for Aug. 6 at 3 p.m. in Nelson Circuit Court in Bardstown.
Before the sentencing recommendation, jurors heard from additional witnesses.
“She’s the kind of person when she smiled everyone else smiled. It’s been really hard. She won’t get to see me get married. She won’t get to see me have kids.” Tori Rogers added,“It’s not gotten easier. It’s so hard every day.”The prosecution called Tori Rogers. Rogers, 21, is Crystal Rogers’ daughter. She was 11 when her mother disappeared. Tori Rogers spoke about her mother saying, “She’s the kind of person when she smiled everyone else smiled. It’s been really hard. She won’t get to see me get married. She won’t get to see me have kids.” Tori Rogers added,“It’s not gotten easier. It’s so hard every day.”
Wolff called Lawson’s mother back to the stand. Colter said, “I didn’t raise my son to be involved with anything like this. Steven was a good man, a hardworking man. He took care of his family.” Colter added, “I know the decision you make is the right decision. This is a decision you’ll have to live with for the rest of your life.”
Wolff asked the jury to give Lawson the minimum sentence for the convictions, which would have been 11 years. He said, “Please take mercy and pity on him.”
In a final and fiery plea, Young said, “Don’t take pity on him. Don’t’ take mercy on him. I’m asking you to give him every freaking thing you can give him. Give him everything you can because he did not give a diddle about them.”
According to Kentucky statutes, tampering with physical evidence is a Class D felony; sentences can be imprisonment for one to five years, but no more than five. Conspiracy to commit murder is a Class B felony, which carries a penalty of 10 to 20 years in prison.
When he took the stand Friday morning, Lawson said he did not help Brooks Houck — Crystal Rogers’ boyfriend at the time of her disappearance — in planning to kill her, does not know where her body is and doesn’t know if Houck or anyone else killed her. Lawson admitted, however, he lied about moving Rogers’ car because he “didn’t want to man up and admit that.”
Lawson’s mother, Barbara Colter, spoke prior to her son. She said she did not believe Lawson had knowledge of what happened to Rogers; however, she also said she thought for a “long time” Lawson knew more about what happened to her when asked by prosecutor Shane Young during cross examination. She testified to having a good relationship with her son and told him not to lie to her.
The defense admitted on Thursday that Lawson tampered with evidence when he picked up his son, Joseph Lawson, on the Bluegrass Parkway the night Crystal Rogers disappeared. They claimed Lawson was driving Rogers’ car, and it got a flat tire.
Prosecutors also played two phone calls made by Lawson while he was in custody at the Nelson County Jail — one to his mother and another to an unnamed woman.
Lawson told Colter that he picked up Joseph while moving Rogers’ car; she asked him why he didn’t go to the state police after Rogers went missing, with Lawson saying he should have.
During the conversation with the unnamed woman, the other voice insisted Lawson knew Houck was going to kill Rogers, saying, “You could’ve saved her. You could have saved that girl’s life.”
Once the prosecution rested, defense attorney Darren Wolff moved for acquittal of Lawson on the conspiracy to commit murder charge. Wolff maintained a reasonable jury would vote to acquit Lawson after hearing the prosecution’s case. Judge Charles Simms denied the motion.
Rogers was first reported missing on July 5, 2015, by her mother, Sherry Ballard. She hadn’t been seen since the night of July 3, 2015. Her car was found abandoned with a flat tire on the Bluegrass Parkway in Bardstown.
Rogers’ keys, phone and purse were still inside of the red Chevrolet Impala. The 35-year-old’s body has never been found.
Lawson was charged Dec. 8, 2023 with tampering with physical evidence and conspiracy to commit murder.
Lawson’s son and Houck have also been charged in the case. Joseph is charged with conspiracy to murder and tampering with physical evidence; Houck is charged with Rogers’ murder. They will be tried together in June.
This is a developing story. We will add more details when they become available.
