Oxygen Insider Exclusive!

Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more!

Sign Up for Free to View
Crime News Breaking News

FBI Takes Over Crystal Rogers Case, Reportedly Executes Search Warrant At Former Boyfriend's House

The homes of Brooks Houck and his brother Nick Houck are reportedly among the locations being searched, two weeks after possible human remains were recovered by the FBI's Evidence Response Team near Nelson County, Kentucky.

By Aly Vander Hayden

The investigation into the mysterious 2015 disappearance of Crystal Rogers is now being spearheaded by the FBI.

In a press release on Thursday, FBI Louisville announced it has taken over as the lead investigative agency on the case and is receiving assistance from multiple agencies, including the Kentucky State Police and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.

Thursday morning, more than 150 state and federal law enforcement officers began executing nine federal search warrants on multiple properties, including homes belonging to Rogers' former boyfriend, Brooks Houck, who was named a suspect months after Rogers vanished, and his brother, Nick Houck, according to local newspaper the Courier-Journal.

Nick, a former officer with the Bardstown Police Department, was fired from the force in 2015 after he was accused of interfering with the investigation into Rogers' disappearance.

Neither has ever been charged in connection with the case. 

The Houck family's farm was also searched, FBI Louisville spokesman Tim Beam confirmed to the Courier-Journal, and the agency will be conducting more than 50 interviews in Bardstown, Kentucky.

Additionally, the FBI launched a website — Crystal Rogers Task Force — dedicated to Rogers' case that will "share developing information, photos, and maps with the community," according to the release.

“I have committed publicly and privately that delivering long-sought justice in Nelson County is the highest priority case of the United States Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman. “Today’s efforts by our stalwart FBI, IRS, and KSP partners is a major step in honoring that promise.”

The announcement came two weeks after possible human remains were recovered by the FBI's Evidence Response Team near Nelson County, Kentucky. Authorities are still awaiting test results from the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, Nelson County Sheriff Ramon Pineiroa confirmed to Oxygen.com on Tuesday.

A Facebook page run by Team Crystal posted earlier this morning, "Pray for Justice and to bring Crystal home... When we know more we will let you know. Thank you for all your continued prayers and support."

Rogers, a 35-year-old mother of five, was reported missing on July 5, 2015 after vanishing from the home she shared with Brooks. Later that day, Rogers' maroon Chevrolet Impala was found off the Bluegrass Parkway with a flat tire and the keys, her purse, and cell phone still inside it, according to a 2015 report from local newspaper The Kentucky Standard

Rogers has not been seen or heard from since the evening of July 3, 2015, and she is presumed dead by investigators.

Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact FBI Louisville at (502) 263-6000 or tips.fbi.gov. There is a $25,000 reward for information leading to the current whereabouts of Rogers.

"A hallmark of the FBI is we never give up. The FBI is committed to bringing those responsible to justice, but we are going to need the community’s assistance,” said FBI Louisville Special Agent in Charge Robert Brown.

To learn more about the case, watch "The Disappearance of Crystal Rogers," streaming now on Oxygen.com.