He was the owner of T.M.B. As recently as July 2017 police searched the home of Houcks grandmother. On Monday, a search was being conducted at a farm at 345 Paschal Ballard Lane. Maybe her daughter had nothing to do with it but could he have seen her family as "trying to break them up?". Bardstown Murders and Mysteries: Brookelyn Farthing, Disappearance of Crystal Rogers 104: This is Much Bigger than Kentucky. Sign up now. Copyright 2023 InsideHook. bardstown, ky. Sarah Hardin was hopeful when she saw a news article about a new special prosecutor in a series of unsolved murders in Nelson County. pic.twitter.com/CITH0yeQ8i. The utterly brutal murder the Netherlands on a pleasant country road is as strange as Elliss murder. When asked about the cellphone jammer, Holly said, "This is news to me. The pair were probably in the lowest risk group for being murder victims. Hed been a baseball star in college, eventually turning pro and playing for a Cincinnati Reds Minor League club for a few years in the early 2000s. The thing about Samantha's death was that she seemed to get the brunt of the "beating" and it seemed incredibly personal for some reason. The FBI has been offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to arrests in Ellis' slaying. Year after year, tragedies struck this small town, Jessica Noll, investigate journalist and host of the hit podcast, Bardstown, told Nancy Grace during the latest Crime Stories episode. Since my moms been missing, life has been really hard. Though just an hour south of the major metropolitan hub of Louisville, Bardstown, Kentucky, is a world away. He was the Bardstown PDs K-9 Officer. And awesome. How sad all of these cases are. makes me wonder if someone or multiple someones werent using the parkway as their escape route in and out of town. A more likely explanation would be a killer who did not know the intended victims and got the wrong address. The FBI has not released more details on the "items of interest" that were sent to the Virginia lab for testing. To ensure the safety of the public, he got out of his vehicle to clear the branches. The person or persons who killed them is still on the loose. Mrs. Ellis was a substitute teacher in the area but that doesn't mean that her and Kathy knew each other than in passing. Alternately known as "The Bardstown Murders" or the "The Nelson County Murders," the area is at the center of five unsolved deaths and disappearances, which continue to inspire speculation, gossip and intrigue far beyond the county line. Bardstown Mystery: Four dead, one missing in 'the most beautiful small town in America' by Leigh Egan September 2, 2019 Tweet It's been called the most beautiful small town in America, but four unsolved murders and the disappearance of a beloved mother-of-five left an ugly stain on Bardstown, Kentucky. They need the FBI to get involved. These are stories need to be told, Noll said. What Exactly Is Rizz? Their bodies were discovered by a family member. BARDSTOWN, Ky. (WKYT) -The bourbon industry in Kentucky has led to great financial gains for the Commonwealth, especially in areas where there are . FBI agents were searching a farm Monday morning connected to the man Rogers was in a relationship with at the time of her disappearance. More telling than that: Investigators reportedly found a blanket with small traces of blood in the trunk of Nicks police cruiser. Samantha was attacked near a different door suggesting she was attempting to flee. This subreddit is about unsolved mysteries. One reads: "Detectives say Brooks Houck killed Rogers". Bardstown PD, however, dismissed the groups claims, with then-police chief Rick McCubbin calling them a bunch of punks, and telling WAVE 3, They're trying to empower themselves by making that claim, intimidating people and using the fear factor that 'I'm so bad I killed a cop.. However, Sherry has been focusing on advocating for Crystals case and believes that it will provide answers for what happened to her husband. Their bodies were discovered by Kathys father on April 22 after she failed to show up for work at Bardstown Elementary School, where she worked as a special education teacher. Crystal Rogers' mom speaks out: As FBI searches Bardstown subdivision, Sherry Ballard hopes for 'answers this time'. We would always get the chicken strip basket with the toast and gravy to go with it. Theres also a $200,000 reward. Greek stationmaster arrested in head-on train crash; 36 dead. If you have any information regarding Tommys case, please contact the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALLFBI. Still, it seems stalled. In 2006, Jason joined the Bardstown Police Department where he later became a K9 handler and won officer of the year in 2008. Complicating the investigation was that fact that Houcks brother Nick was an officer with the Bardstown Police. The next morning Crystal vanishes, but Brooks does not think it's odd because she occasionally spent the night at the homes of her friends. Were you traveling on Bluegrass Highway between mile markers 21 and 25 on November 19, 2016, before 7:30 am? At least one state investigator expressed to a reported that he was concerned that the murder may have involved someone in Law Enforcement. Sherry Ballard said her daughter's children are now 22, 21, 19, 17 and 9. Unfortunately, the Ballard family went through a similar situation in 1982, when Tommys sister, Sherry Ballard, who was seven months pregnant at the time, was murdered by her then-husband, Edsel Eddie Barnes because he didnt want to pay child support. May 25, 2013 was a Saturday. They include the ambush murder of police officer Jason Ellis in 2013, the brutal double homicide of Kathy Netherland and her teenage daughter Samantha a year later and the 2015 disappearance of Ballard . Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Rogers was datingBrooks Houck, an initial suspect, who is the father of one of her sons. Nick later told the Kentucky State Policethat he only contacted his brother to tell him that "they might be trying to trip him up" and "he should protect himself.". There were no witnesses, and no arrests have been made in connection with the fatal shooting. My opinion-I do believe this murder is connected to the disappearance of his daughter, Crystal Rogers. He was pronounced dead at the scene on a farm located on Ed Brent Lane. Details: After his daughter, Crystal Rogers, disappeared in July 2015, Tommy Ballard created Team Crystal, a group of Bardstown, Kentucky, community members dedicated to finding Crystal and bringing her home. My opinion-Is it possible that the person who committed this awful crime wanted to kill someone, anyone and it didn't matter who it was? Two days later,her mother reported her missing, the same day her car was found abandoned along the Bluegrass Parkway with a flat tire and her belongings still in it. https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2497/ncadv_kentucky_fact_sheet_2020.pdf. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. Kathy Netherland, a special education teacher, and her 16 year old daughter Samantha are brutally murdered in their own home. Police have yet to classify Ballards death as a homicide. The day Tommy was killed. In 2014, the brutal double-homicide of 48-year-old Kathy Netherland and her 16-year-old daughter, Samantha, rocked the town of Bardstown, Kentucky. Samantha had been bludgeoned with her throat slit, while Kathy was shot numerous times. Brant is a nephewof Bill Sheckles, Bardstowns mayor at the time according to WAVE 3. Killing a patrolman just because he once arrested you is possible but highly unusual. It's still getting investigated like if it were a murder investigation or homicide investigation, Kentucky State Police Trooper Jeff Gregory told WDRB. It's a relatively small town and to have so many deaths and a disappearance, I assumed they all had to be related, but I have recently started to look at other ideas. Throughout the search,police were allowing only a few cars into the subdivision and reporters were kept out. One of the only clues released was a blurry gas station surveillance photo of a black Chevrolet Impala. Everyone wants to know what the hell is going on. Outside of work, he was heavily involved in the community including coaching youth baseball. Could a fellow student have killed her? While attempting to remove the debris, he was shot several times and died shortly after. That's an important bit that is often overlooked! A woman was murdered and children were taken Friday night in Bardstown, . There wasn't a robbery, a sex assault and the mother showed signs of overkill which to me seems personal. Numerous podcasts have focused on the Crystal Rogers case. Ballard was struck in the chest, and died on the spot. To further investigate the inmate's claims, Bauer and retired homicide detective Dwayne Stanton met with Kathy's daughter and Samantha's sister, Holly Netherland Williams. Someone traveling through, a violent person, someone like ngel Maturino Resndiz who traveled through the US, killing multiple people that were strangers to him. A massive search for her turned up more questions than answers, frustrating the authorities and loved ones alike. There were about 6600 residents then, and even if the county seat for Nelson County sometimes felt for just a moment like the setting for a folksy episode of the Twilight Zoneone where all the good townsfolk are revealed as malevolent robots in the final act, or cultists searching for a sacrificethere was no real sense of danger. https://www.whas11.com/article/news/investigations/bardstown/car-caught-on-surveillance-at-netherland-home/417-7b7bfab9-850a-4376-907e-7c881eb619ec, https://www.kystandard.com/content/family-netherland-legacies-about-more-their-tragic-final-moments, If you have any information on this case, please call the Kentucky State Police @ 1-800-222-5555. When the sweet smell of bourbon fills the air, you know youve arrived. Crystals father was with Crystals son when they were out hunting and her father was shot in the back. Crystal Rogerss family has already been afflicted with too much tragedy. "And I do have a lot of hope that this is where the investigation needs to be at and that they may be able to provide me answers this time," Ballard said. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Kathy Netherland taught special education at Bardstown Elementary School. But the 2017 search wasnt directly related to Crystals disappearance. In the fall of 2016, Tommy tells his wife Sherry that he believes he is being followed, but he is unsure of who is following him. He was a father of two daughters, Crystal, Brooke, and his son, Casey. (September 2022) Crystal Maria Rogers is an American woman from Bardstown, Kentucky who went missing on July 3, 2015. Samantha had been beaten. On the one-year anniversary of Tommy Ballard's death, yellow signs begin to show up around town. The next mystery to befall Bardstown was the 2015 disappearance of 35-year-old Crystal Rogers. Uncovered is where the most passionate true crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others. The land, which sits on 30 acres, is owned by the mother of Brooks Houck, who was named a suspect in the case in 2017. I used to believe that the murder of police officer Jason Ellis on May 25, 2013, the Netherland Murders on April 21, 2014, the disappearance of Crystal Rogers on July 3, 2015, and the murder of Tommy Ballard on November 19, 2016 in Bardstown, Kentucky were all related. 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