Complicating the investigation was that fact that Houcks brother Nick was an officer with the Bardstown Police. I hope they get justice. Victims include a Bardstown police officer, an elementary school special education teacher, and her teenage daughter. Rogers wasnot known to go anywhere without her kids, according to the FBI. Officer Ellis was discovered by a passing motorist. There are currently no cases that match the selected filters. How sad all of these cases are. in his girlfriends disappearance, which he believes to be a homicide. The Rogers and Ballard cases are even moving forward as of January 2018, as investigators have been searching the farm where they believe Crystal was killed. Construction LLC, was a member of St. Thomas Catholic Church. He took Exit 34, a narrow ramp bounded on either side by steep stone walls. "There's people in the community that have information but they're afraid to come forward," she told CBS affiliate WLKY. And awesome. No, it's not. The FBI said it is "offering up to a$25,000 rewardfor informationleading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible" for Rogers' disappearance. At least one valid email address is required. Crystal, her father, and officer Ellis were killed near some sort of highway. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Samantha had been bludgeoned with her throat slit, while Kathy was shot numerous times. Its 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. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Did Tommy know too much? Officer Jason Ellis (d: May 25th, 2013) - ambushed and shot to death while returning home from duty. The HLN cable channel is a spinoff of CNN. The fact that they were killed so heinously, makes Kentucky State Police wonder if it was personal. To kill a man in front of his young grandson, you must be an evil, cold-hearted person and I hope you burn for eternity in your own personal hell. The similarities between his murder and the murder of Jason have been noted. And awesome. It was the sort of town a young man or woman visits and finds themselves wondering what was so great about the big city, anyway. Noll, along with investigative reporter co-host Shay McAlister, of WHAS11 in Louisville, created Bardstown in an attempt to figure out if the crimes are connected. An FBI Louisville spokesman previously said all three locations hadalready been searched "to various degrees" over the years. As if something unpleasant was going on with them in their lives and no one knew about it. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Spokesperson Lt. Michael Webb said police haven't ruled out the possibility that the cases might be connected, but offered no further details, according to The Courier-Journal. A woman was murdered and children were taken Friday night in Bardstown, . Agentsreportedlywere using a cadaver dog to search the subdivision and a Courier Journal photographer saw investigatorsusing a jackhammer on the driveway of a home. 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. These are stories need to be told, Noll said. On the day after Easter 2014, 48-year-old Kathy Netherland and her 16-year-old daughter, Samantha, were brutally murdered inside their home in Botland, just outside the Bardstown city limits.. He is heard signing off for the evening over the radio. 43% of KY women and 35.5% of KY men experience intimate partner violence. Although detectives considered Houck a suspect, he was never charged in connection with Crystals disappearance. "Pick up the phone, call the number. I hope Officer Ellis and his family receive justice soon. We would always get the chicken strip basket with the toast and gravy to go with it. 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. It was a savage double murderKathy had been shot several times, Samantha bludgeoned, and their throats slashed. "Crystal was a very good girl. Murder Victim Bardstown, Kentucky May 25, 2013. Samantha Netherland was a sophomore at Bardstown High School. The FBI has been involved in both the police officer's shooting and the disappearance of the woman. Police have yet to classify Ballards death as a homicide. Details: Kathy Netherland, 48, and her daughter, Samantha, 16, were killed inside their home on April 21, 2014. Bardstown Fire Chief Billy Mattingly saidthe house may have been set on fire by disgruntled employees who worked for Brooks Houck. Despite these accusations, neither Houck brother has ever been charged with any crimes related to the disappearance of Crystal Rogers, which they both deny any involvement in. They had been killed the previous day. Everyone wants to know what the hell is going on. There has been a string of unsolved murders and an unsolved disappearance in Nelson County. It's okay to have differing opinions, I just hope they all get a resolution. . Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. On Monday, a search was being conducted at a farm at 345 Paschal Ballard Lane. A seven-year veteran of the department and member of the K-9 unit, Ellis had just gotten off work and was driving home when he found a stack of freshly cut tree limbs blocking the road at his exit off the Bluegrass Parkway. The Bardstown Murders are a series of 5 unsolved deaths over 3 years starting in 2013. It would be great if someone came forward and gave information to help solve these whether they're related or not and I hope someone does soon. He might have been murdered in hopes that the investigation of Chrystals case would fade away if he wasnt constantly raising the issue but it seems more likely to me that killing him would only increase the pressure to solve her case. All rights reserved. Someone, perched on top of the stone cliff above him, fired a shotgun. Crystal Rogers' mother, Sherry Ballard, hopes that the current FBI investigation in a Bardstown neighborhood may finally yield closure for her and family. 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. Copyright 2023 InsideHook. It appears as though this murder was covered up by family members of the murderer. Whenever possible, actual redditors have participated in investigating the events. ", "I just hope that I can handle that, when they come to me with that news, even though Ive waited for six years," shesaid. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. "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. I think Crime Junkie did a pretty good pod on this if anyone is interested. You could have the information we need to desperately solve these cases.". There's a very good, well-researched article about these cases here that includes some other unsolved murders that have occurred in the area. 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. Share Tommy Ballard's poster to help get the word out. Numerous podcasts have focused on the Crystal Rogers case. She didn't receive an inheritance when her mother and sister were killed and the idea that she killed her remaining family (her father recently passed from cancer) because they supposedly didnt like her boyfriend doesnt seem like a real motive. Jason was very active . Accidentally. 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. Both women had their throats . I agree that it would be easier if they were all related, but I don't think they are. Some find it suspicious because he wasn't driving his regular vehicle that night and didn't have his K-9 with him but I feel like that is a coincidence, as I think him having his K-9 locked in the back of his regular vehicle sadly wouldn't have changed the outcome of this terrible crime. A cop on a small-town police force and an elementary school teacher and her teen daughter are among the most unlikely of unlikely victims. "We are a very close family, and Im not doing anything different that any mother would do for their daughter at all," Ballard added. Bardstown today has more than doubled in population, and the shadows have grown deeper. Bardstown Murders and Mysteries: Brookelyn Farthing, Disappearance of Crystal Rogers 104: This is Much Bigger than Kentucky. I suspect that one or more people murdered Jason to solve a problem and Chrystal and her father were murdered by the same to solve perhaps different problems. To ensure the safety of the public, he got out of his vehicle to clear the branches. Kathy Netherland taught special education at Bardstown Elementary School. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Plus, you could smell bourbon everywhere. Police believe Nick interfered with their investigation. Kentucky State Police believe the person or persons inside a black Chevrolet Impala seen traveling north on U.S. 150 from Botland into Bardstown on the night of the murders are responsible for the crimes. She would have had [a cellphone].". What you are about to read is not a news broadcast. Police have asked locals to come forward with any information if they were driving on Bluegrass Highway between mile markers 21 and 24 before 7:30 am on November 19, 2016. I think the other 3 are related. My opinion: Crystals disappearance is that this was a domestic violence situation that turned into murder. She suffered more extensive injuries than her mother but it was apparently that their assailant wanted both of them dead. Copyright 2014 WAVE 3 News. Anyone with information is asked to call KSP Post 4 at (270) 766-5078 or email EllisCaseTips@ky.gov. That was disapproved by her family and Samantha also didnt babysit for the Ellis family, that was untrue gossip and hearsay. 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