Brooks Houck moved from Oldham County to Eastern Kentucky jail

Brooks Houck was moved from the Oldham County Detention Center to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center, according to the Department of Corrections.

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Brooks Houck is now being held in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center, as he awaits prison classification. According to an employee at the facility, the jail houses about 220-250 inmates. It is not typically a feeder into the federal facility known as Big Sandy Prison.

Houck was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole in September, after being found guilty of the murder of Crystal Rogers earlier this year.

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Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson were sentenced to prison time for their roles in the death and disappearance of Crystal Rogers on Wednesday. “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

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He has been held in the Oldham County Jail since his arrest in September 2023 but was moved for the first time to a regional jail in Eastern Kentucky in November.

The regional jail is located in the same county as Big Sandy Prison, which is described online as a 'high-security United States federal prison for male inmates.'

It is still unclear if Houck will be transferred to Big Sandy Prison.

Brooks Houck's appeal

For now, the Crystal Rogers case is closed, and complete in the court system. Both Joseph Lawson and Steve Lawson have indicated in previous court filings they intend to file appeals with the Kentucky Court of Appeals but neither have officially filed at this time.

Houck has also filed a notice that he intends to appeal his conviction. The initial paperwork was filed on October 13th. The official appeal has not yet been filed.

What the appeals could look like

I talked to legal expert Nick Mudd about the issues appeals are likely to touch on in this case. He has relationships with both attorneys and is able to shed light on what the official appeal documents might look like.

For Steven Lawson: The strongest issue appears to be what Mudd calls the "workman issue"- essentially arguing that prosecutors made a deal with Lawson that they later revoked. Mudd imagines the attorneys saying, "Look, you know, we relied on that. That's why we talked, and then it was played in court, obviously used against him."

There's also the matter of hair follicle testing that was discussed but never completed, which defense attorneys believe could be significant. Steve Lawson's attorneys wanted to test hairs that were found in Crystal Rogers' vehicle, and not similar in characteristic to Crystal, Joseph Lawson, Steve Lawson, or Brooks Houck. Judge Charles Simms did not allow the testing because he argued there was no sample to compare it to, and it would have significantly delayed the trial.

For Joseph Lawson: Defense attorneys for Joseph Lawson maintain his innocence. They have told me personally they believe in their heart of hearts he was not involved in the death of Crystal Rogers. Of course, their personal feelings won't be part of the appeal; instead, Mudd said they are focusing heavily on cell phone tower data and a belief that the expert testimony used at trial was inaccurate. Mudd also admitted he is skeptical about this approach: "When you're just arguing the evidence or a piece of the evidence, that's not a really strong appeal issue, usually."

Joseph Lawson's case will bypass the Kentucky Court of Appeals entirely and go straight to the Kentucky Supreme Court, Mudd explained. He is facing more than 20 years in prison, which is the threshold for this move.

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While appeals wind their way through the courts, the question of parole looms large for the families of victims and the convicted men themselves. Mudd's analysis of parole prospects is particularly stark.

Steven Lawson (sentenced to 17 years): Must serve 85% of his sentence, making him eligible for parole in approximately 14.5 years, accounting for time already served.

Joseph Lawson (sentenced to 25 years): Will serve 20 years before becoming eligible for parole- the standard for any sentence of 24 years or more in Kentucky. Lawson was serving time on another crime when he was first arrested in the Rogers' case, so it's unclear how much 'time served' he has under his belt.

Brooks Houck (sentenced to life): Eligible for parole after 20 years, and with two years served, it will be 18 years from now. But Mudd's assessment is blunt: "He's not getting out in 20 years. That's just not going to happen."

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