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.. In the absence of any arrests, Bardstowns bars and backstreets have pulsed with conspiracy theories trying to connect the dots between Bardstowns mysterious unsolved crimes. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Police believe Nick interfered with their investigation. The still-unsolved 2016 shooting death of 54-year-old Tommy Ballard is the most recent of four killings and a disappearance that have haunted the picturesque small town of Bardstown, Kentucky. That case was never solved. Its a real place, sits between Lebanon and Danville. Bourbon Town Mystery, produced by the HLN Investigations team, takes a deep dive into the disappearance of Rogers. Absolutely. May 25, 2013 was a Saturday. Dig deeper into the stories you've heard before, and encounter many others you haven't, in ways that actually help. 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. At least one valid email address is required. At least one state investigator expressed to a reported that he was concerned that the murder may have involved someone in Law Enforcement. In a March 2017 interview with WDRB, Crystal Rogers mother, Sherry Ballard, surmised that her daughter disappeared because she overheard something maybe she shouldn't have, related to the murder of Jason Ellis. By 7:54 AM, authorities were called to the 1400 block of Ed Brent Road for a death investigation. Her attorney told the Louisville Courier-Journal that they were looking for bullets and a reloader and had taken the reloader into evidence. "We will definitely send something out when that changes," Anderson said. As recently as July 2017 police searched the home of Houcks grandmother. Vanished-Crystal Rogers - True Crimecast (October 2018) Two true crime podcasters, John and Jamie, theorize about the Crystal Rogers case. Alternately known as "The Bardstown Murders" or the "The Nelson County Murders," the area is at the center of five unsolved deaths and disappearances, which continue to inspire speculation, gossip and intrigue far beyond the county line. As he approaches exit 34 of the Bluegrass Parkway he notices a blockage in the road. The two had been beaten and killed. By 2013 Jason Ellis had been a police officer for about seven years. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. More telling than that: Investigators reportedly found a blanket with small traces of blood in the trunk of Nicks police cruiser. makes me wonder if someone or multiple someones werent using the parkway as their escape route in and out of town. Just heard about these murders, here are my thoughts: The murder of the mother and her 16 yr old daughter appears to be someone they know who absolutely had a personal vendetta against them. What Exactly Is Rizz? To further investigate the inmate's claims, Bauer and retired homicide detective Dwayne Stanton met with Kathy's daughter and Samantha's sister, Holly Netherland Williams. (He was already in prison when this crime occurred, he is not a suspect.) The Bardstown Netherland Murders Were A Gang Initiation, According To Anonymous Inmate When pressed for details about how he knew it was gang initiation, he said, "Well, I know they was tortured." By Aly Vander Hayden Bardstown Murders and Mysteries: Brookelyn Farthing 1:09 Preview Any nightmares I had in Bardstown were just inside my head, not hovering in the shadows under the trees crowding the highway. 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. Her mother, Kathy, had both knife and bullet wounds. That disgraced Bardstown cop Nick Houck was on the same force as Ellis tickles the back of the brain; if he helped his brother cover up a murder, what else might he be responsible for? Rogers was datingBrooks Houck, an initial suspect, who is the father of one of her sons. My opinion-Is it possible that the person who committed this awful crime wanted to kill someone, anyone and it didn't matter who it was? Kathy Netherland taught special education at Bardstown Elementary School. The Bardstown podcast is a good source of info regarding these cases. During the summer of 2020, the FBI took over from Kentucky State Police and the Nelson County Sheriff's Office as the lead investigator inthe case, with over 150 federal agentsservingsearch warrants in August 2020 atthree sites owned by Houck and his family members. He was a patrolman, not a detective. A bullet hit Ballard in his chest while he was out hunting. Houck was under suspicion immediately. No one is certain there is a connection aside from location. You can live there your whole life and not know anyone. The parkway would've been an otherwise very empty road that late at night and almost any vehicle seen on that road between Bardstown and, say Lawrenceburg could've been possibly considered suspect at the time. Bardstown Police Officer Jason Ellis is murdered while driving home after his shift. On the one-year anniversary of Tommy Ballard's death, yellow signs begin to show up around town. When Bauer pressed him for details about how he knew it was gang initiation, he said, "Well, I know they was tortured. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! The thing about Samantha's death was that she seemed to get the brunt of the "beating" and it seemed incredibly personal for some reason. Nick later told the Kentucky State Policethat he only contacted his brother to tell him that "they might be trying to trip him up" and "he should protect himself.". There was also gossip that Kathy taught Jason Ellis son at Bardstown Elementary School. Back then, Sherry. The tragic events began six years ago. To watch the 2018 series, visitOxygen's site. Its a disease of armchair sleuthing to see connections between everythingthe same kind of fallacy that produces complex and far-reaching conspiracy theories. That led to the police theory that he killed her and disposed of her body, possibly with the help of his police office brother. Outside of work, he was heavily involved in the community including coaching youth baseball. None of their neighbors have subsequently been murdered but I wonder if any were involved in sketchy activity. This, to me, is starting to get silly.". The father was killed because he was ruffling feathers too close to the caseI did find it weird that Crystal owned a dark colored impala and they were presumingly looking for a black impala in the mother/daugher murders. Were you traveling on Bluegrass Highway between mile markers 21 and 25 on November 19, 2016, before 7:30 am? It's free. If you have information related to the disappearance of Crystal Rogers, you can visit crystalrogerstaskforce.com,call the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI,contact your local FBI officeor get in touch with the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. It definitely could have been someone known to them but so far I haven't seen a good suspect. Is Tommys murder connected to the other Bardstown unsolved cases? 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. However, a few months before the shooting, Tommy told his wife, Sherry, that he felt like someone was following him. Houck and Rogers have a son together. Rogers parents were immediately vocal in their suspicions of boyfriend Brooks Houck. According todeath certificates obtained byWAVE 3,Kathy had been shot multiple times, and Samantha had been bludgeoned in the head. And awesome. As the Kentucky Standard reported after she vanished, her aunt Sherry Ballard Barnes disappeared in January 1979. Crystal, her father, and officer Ellis were killed near some sort of highway. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. BARDSTOWN, Ky. . Bardstown Unsolved Murders. I think that the murderer(s) believed that Tommy was bringing too much attention to them in their small town and wanted to shut him up. ", The inmate also said a cellphone jammer was placed at the Netherlands' front door to "kill all the signal in the house.". The ex-troopers were also looking into Tommy Ballard's death and theslaying of teacher Kathy Netherland and her teenage daughter Samanthain 2014. There's a very good, well-researched article about these cases here that includes some other unsolved murders that have occurred in the area. 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. Its a clich by now, but the Bardstown where I lived 27 years ago really was the kind of place where people didnt always lock their doors. Morning:Kathy and Samantha Netherland are killed. Their bodies were discovered by a family member. There were about 6600 residents then, and even if the county seat for Nelson County sometimes felt for just a moment like the setting for a folksy episode of the Twilight Zoneone where all the good townsfolk are revealed as malevolent robots in the final act, or cultists searching for a sacrificethere was no real sense of danger. In a bizarre twist, on November 19, 2016, Crystals father, Tommy Ballard, was fatally shotin the chest by an unknown gunmen while out hunting. Rogers was last seen on July 3, at the home she shared with her boyfriend, Brooks Houck, their 2-year-old son and other children. When the sweet smell of bourbon fills the air, you know youve arrived. The following is just my opinion and are my personal theories only. I'm innocent. "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. My Theories on the Bardstown Murders and the Disappearance of Crystal Rogers I used to believe that the murder of police officer Jason Ellis on May 25, 2013, the Netherland Murders on April 21, 2014, the disappearance of Crystal Rogers on July 3, 2015, and the murder of Tommy Ballard on November 19, 2016 in Bardstown, Kentucky we're all related. Five years ago, Kathy Netherland and her 16-year-old daughter Samantha were found shot to dead inside their Bardstown, Kentucky home on April 22, 2014. Crystal Rogerss family has already been afflicted with too much tragedy. HLN Investigations is a news team that produces breaking news specials and HLN Original Series within the crime and justice genre. Ellis had signed off on the radio and was driving home when he encountered branches blocking the road on exit 34 of the Bluegrass Parkway in Bardstown, Kentucky. https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2497/ncadv_kentucky_fact_sheet_2020.pdf. The next morning Crystal vanishes, but Brooks does not think it's odd because she occasionally spent the night at the homes of her friends. Some residents live in fear, while others are angry, going as far as leaving anonymous signs in yards that pointed fingers at Houck, in connection with Crystals disappearance. bardstown, ky. Sarah Hardin was hopeful when she saw a news article about a new special prosecutor in a series of unsolved murders in Nelson County. My opinion-I do believe this murder is connected to the disappearance of his daughter, Crystal Rogers. The department had its share of petty corruption but nothing that could b e linked to the murders. Location where Tommy Ballard was shot and killed while hunting with his grandson. Among the other past shows on the missing mother is"The Disappearance of Crystal Rogers," which premiered in 2018 onOxygen. On May 25, 2013, Bardstown police officer Jason Ellis was ambushed and killed on his way home after signing off for the night by someone lying in wait for . https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2497/ncadv_kentucky_fact_sheet_2020.pdf. When a region that has had virtually no murders suddenly has five unsolved murders in a short period, it is statistically unlikely that at least some are related. In April 2014, nearly a year after Ellis murder, Bardstown was again rocked by the brutal double-homicide of 48-year-old Kathy Netherland and her 16-year-old daughter, Samantha. 5 years later, nobody knows. "There's people in the community that have information but they're afraid to come forward,", . The stories that my friends and I have of living near the river, most people don't want to believe. They include the ambush murder of police officer Jason Ellis in 2013, the brutal double homicide of Kathy Netherland and her teenage daughter Samantha a year later and the 2015 disappearance of Ballard . Alternately known as The Bardstown Murders or the The Nelson County Murders, the area is at the center of five unsolved deaths and disappearances, which continue to inspire speculation, gossip and intrigue far beyond the county line. There is something darker hiding behind the small-town charm and friendly waves, Noll told CrimeOnline. On Monday, a search was being conducted at a farm at 345 Paschal Ballard Lane. There were no witnesses, and no arrests have been made in connection with the fatal shooting. Less than a year after Ellis's murder, there was a gruesome discovery at a home on Springfield Road in Bardstown. It's been five years since Tommy Ballard of Bardstown was gunned down while hunting with his grandson. Unfortunately, the Ballard family went through a similar situation in 1982, when Tommys sister, Sherry Ballard, who was seven months pregnant at the time, was murdered by her then-husband, Edsel Eddie Barnes because he didnt want to pay child support. A title I suggest is, "Something Rotten in Bardstown." She later married but I dont know if it was to him or someone else. She even let a friend stay with her because (the friend) didn't have a place to go. 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. The local gossip mill has pointed out that Chrystal Rogers and Jason Elliss wife were both quite attractive and his type but I am not aware of any evidence that he was involved with either woman. Then again, I couldnt determine whether he was even on the force in 2013. 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