Crystal Rogers' mother 'praying for answers' as FBI investigates Bardstown farm - WHAS11.com

NELSON COUNTY, Ky. — FBI agents are backmost successful Bardstown and a hunt is underway connected a 245-acre farm, known arsenic the past spot Crystal Rogers was seen alive. 

Agents were archetypal spotted connected Paschal Ballard Lane astir 7:30 a.m. Monday morning. The bureau confirmed to WHAS11 they are executing a hunt warrant connected the property. 

In an day property league with galore of Rogers' family, Sherry Ballard, Rogers' mother, said this is simply a large time for her family, but "it's precise hard."

"I don't cognize however to feel," she said. "I'm trying not to get excessively excited astir it due to the fact that I don't privation specified a fto down if thing is found."

The FBI has been moving successful Bardstown for much than 2 years, but 1 hunt successful August of 2021 seemed to bring the astir promise. Now, 1 twelvemonth later, Ballard said she believes "justice is coming."

"Each time it's getting closer," she said. "I'm acceptable for answers. Our household conscionable needs answers, and I deliberation they are getting close."

The 245-acre workplace is located connected Paschal Ballard Lane, adjacent the intersection of Loretta Road and Balltown Road. It's astir 9 miles southbound of downtown Bardstown. 

"It's specified a immense farm," Ballard said. "Could she beryllium determination and possibly it was overlooked? We've searched successful the woods galore times and we person walked done thing and travel backmost by and seen thing that we wholly missed."

She says she's prayed this is the past search. 

“I commune that they find my girl and I bring her home.”

Rosemary Houck, Brooks Houck's mom, owns the property. Brooks Houck was named the main fishy successful Rogers' disappearance successful October of 2015, but has ne'er been arrested oregon charged successful the case. 

This is not the archetypal clip investigators person searched the property. WHAS11 records uncover the household workplace has been searched astatine slightest 3 different times implicit the past 7 years. 

Within days of Crystal Rogers' household reporting her missing, constabulary were astatine her boyfriend's household workplace for the archetypal time, closing down the roadworthy and searching for hours. 

Family told america they watched instrumentality enforcement walk astir 4 hours connected the workplace that day. 

"You would deliberation they person something- they person to person probable cause- hopefully they recovered thing and they're looking for more," Rogers' dada Tommy Ballard told WHAS11 successful July of 2015. 

After this search, Tommy Ballard, Crystal's father, said helium asked the Houck household for entree to the farm. He said they wanted to hunt the workplace with cadaver dogs but the Houcks said no.  

Fast guardant 14 months, investigators were backmost connected Houck property. This clip with a hunt warrant and a batch of other hands. That was August of 2016.

"This spot was the past spot she was seen at- arsenic acold arsenic we've been told," Nelson County Detective John Snow told WHAS11 successful 2016.

In total, 18 cadaver dogs, the LMPD dive squad and much than 2 twelve investigators took portion successful the hunt lasting 2 days. Detectives told our unit they recovered items of involvement and they towed those items away. 

Years later, the FBI would publically go progressive successful the case. They executed hunt warrants successful the workplace archetypal successful 2020. Now they are back, successful the continued hunt for Crystal Rogers. 

Ballard thanked the assemblage connected Monday for their continued prayers and enactment passim the investigation.

“Without the enactment of this community, backing me, I could not beryllium wherever I’m astatine today. It’s bully to cognize that radical consciousness what I consciousness successful my bosom and that they truly bash enactment maine connected that.”

A WHAS11 unit is connected the country successful Bardstown.