Crystal Rogers' mother called Thursday's arrest the best gift she's ever received- and says she pushed for it every step of the way.

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Thursday is Sherry Ballard's birthday. And when her phone rang on Wednesday with news that Nick Houck had been taken into custody, she did something she hasn't had much reason to do over the last decade. She cried happy tears.

"The minute I get the phone call saying he's in custody, I couldn't help but tear up, choke up," Ballard told me Thursday. "It's to finally see that."

Her son had texted her earlier in the day with a message that stopped her in her tracks: "Mom, Dad's sending you an early birthday present."

"Yes, he is," she said. "Him and Crystal both."

Nick Houck arrested on perjury charge
The brother of convicted murderer Brooks Houck was taken into custody Thursday afternoon “I’m Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism with compassion and clarity. Are you new here? Sign up for the free weekly newsletter or subscribe to support our mission
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Sherry Ballard, the mother of Crystal Rogers and wife of Tommy Ballard- has been one of the most persistent voices demanding accountability from the Houck family for over a decade. Brooks Houck, Crystal's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance in July 2015, was convicted of her murder last summer and is now serving a life sentence. But for Sherry, the fight has never been only about Brooks.

Nick Houck, Brooks' brother and a former Bardstown police officer, has loomed over this case for years. He was never charged in connection with Crystal's disappearance or death, but testimony at Brooks' trial painted a damning picture- Nick was unreachable for the entire 24-hour window surrounding Crystal's disappearance, his then-girlfriend calling 15 times with no answer, telling her only that he was "helping Brooks." He was fired from the Bardstown Police Department in 2015.

On Thursday, he was finally arrested- for perjury.

The charge, a Class D felony, alleges Nick made a material false statement under oath in an official proceeding between July 15, 2015 and April 16, 2023. The indictment does not explicitly name Crystal Rogers' case, but Ballard says she's confident about what it relates to.

"He's got a perjury charge for the lies he's told on my daughter's case," she said.