Nick Houck arrested on perjury charge
– 4 min read
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 and access behind-the-scenes content, podcasts, and in-depth stories reserved for paid subscribers.
Nick Houck- the brother of Brooks Houck, the man convicted of murdering Crystal Rogers- was arrested Thursday afternoon by Kentucky State Police on a perjury charge.
KSP Post 4 detectives took Nick Houck into custody just after 1:30 p.m. on a Nelson County indictment warrant.
He faces one count of Perjury in the First Degree, a Class D felony that carries a sentence of one to five years in prison upon conviction. According to the release, the alleged perjury occurred between 2015 and 2023. KSP says the investigation is ongoing and declined to provide further details- including what the perjury allegation relates to.
That's an important caveat. At this point, we don't know whether this charge is connected to the Crystal Rogers investigation, or whether it stems from something else entirely.
Circumstantial: The Crystal Rogers Trials
This is the story of justice delayed but not denied. Of a family that never stopped fighting. And of the trials that finally brought answers to a case that consumed a community for nearly a decade. This podcast is available exclusively to Shay Informed subscribers. You can now listen to
Shay McAlister
What we do know is the background.
Nick Houck has been a figure in the Bardstown true crime universe for years. At the time Crystal Rogers disappeared on July 4th weekend, 2015, Nick was a Bardstown police officer. His then-girlfriend testified during Brooks' 2025 murder trial that Nick went completely dark for the 24-hour window surrounding Crystal's disappearance- phone off, unavailable, only telling her he was "helping Brooks."
Nick was fired from the Bardstown Police Department in 2015. Former Chief Rick McCubbin, asked about it years later, said simply: "I made the right call."
Despite the cloud that has followed him throughout this case, Nick Houck had never been charged with anything connected to Crystal Rogers or her disappearance- until Thursday's perjury arrest. Whether those dots connect remains unknown.
Thirteen years. No answers. No justice. Officer Jason Ellis deserves better.
Thirteen years ago today, Officer Jason Ellis left the Bardstown jail in the early morning hours, headed home after a late shift. He never made it. “I’m Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism with compassion and clarity. This story is a
Shay McAlister
What I learned from the court documents
Court documents obtained by Shay Informed shed additional light on the case. The Nelson County grand jury handed down the indictment on June 3rd- just one day before his arrest.
The indictment narrows the perjury window to between July 15, 2015 and April 16, 2023, and charges that Houck made "a material false statement, which he did not believe, in an official proceeding, while under oath required or authorized by law."
Kentucky AG to court: Brooks Houck killed Crystal Rogers, and the evidence proves it
The state’s top prosecutor filed a 103-page brief urging the Kentucky Supreme Court to uphold Houck’s murder conviction- and didn’t mince words about why. “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
Shay McAlister
The case was investigated by KSP Post 4 Detective Casey Keown and is being prosecuted by Kyle W. Williamson.
Houck was released on a $25,000 cash bond with conditions that include a dusk-to-dawn curfew, no drug or alcohol use, and a no-contact order prohibiting him from communicating- directly or indirectly- with an unnamed individual. His arraignment is scheduled for June 18th at 9:00 a.m. in Nelson Circuit Court.
Like what you see? Learn more about Shay Informed here! This is honest journalism with compassion and clarity.
