Tommy Ballard was a proud father, brother, grandfather, friend, and husband. Nick later told the Kentucky State Police, the Kentucky House of Representatives and State Senate. 7:54 AM:Tommy Ballard is killed on family property. With a population of just over 14,000, it was voted The Most Beautiful Small Town In America and also boasts of being the Bourbon Capital of the World, due to the presence of six major whiskey distilleries in town. ), If you have information related to the murder of Tommy Ballard, call 1-800-Call-FBI or submit a tip at- https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/tommy-ballard. Kathy Netherland taught special education at Bardstown Elementary. I hope her killer(s) are punished to the full extent of the law. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. pokesperson Lt. Michael Webb said police haven't ruled out the possibility that the cases might be connected, but offered no further details. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. There is a person of interest in Crystals case. And awesome. The following is just my opinion and are my personal theories only. She went on to say her husband Tommy "was never going to give up for my daughter, and he was going to push, and I think people knew that. She suffered more extensive injuries than her mother but it was apparently that their assailant wanted both of them dead. Construction LLC, was a member of St. Thomas Catholic Church. According to the statistics on the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence website, nearly 20 people are physically abused by an intimate partner in the US. May 25, 2013 was a Saturday. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. The tragic events began six years ago. Large chunks of the driveway were hauled outof the neighborhood inconstruction trucks. There has been gossip about the surviving daughter being involved, but I see no actual evidence of that. An unknown subject fired one shot and hit Ballard in the chest and instantly killed him. Kathy was attacked at the front doorway suggesting that she was attacked after she answered the doorbell. Our hope in telling their stories is that the right person hears it and is compelled to finally come forward., The community, the victims, the families deserve justice.. 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. Uncovered is where the most passionate true crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others. 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. Her daughter Samantha was 16 and a sophomore at Bardstown High, where she was a member of several clubs, including the school chorus, Adventure Club, and the Young Leaders Program. makes me wonder if someone or multiple someones werent using the parkway as their escape route in and out of town. Troopers released a photo of the suspect vehicle taken from video surveillance. 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. Police haven't ruled out any suspects as of now but, they are leaning towards the theory that multiple people may have been involved. Crystal Rogers' disappearance featured on HLN Investigations, The 2015 disappearance of Crystal Rogers of Bardstown is the topic of the season premiere of HLN's "Real Life Nightmare." Crystal overhears something that implicates her boyfriend and his brother in the ambush murder of the officer in 2013. #BREAKING: FBI Louisville is conducting judicially authorized activity at 345 Paschal Ballard Lane, Bardstown, KY in relation to the federal investigation into the disappearance of Crystal Rogers. Police have yet to classify Ballards death as a homicide. Bardstown Fire Chief Billy Mattingly saidthe house may have been set on fire by disgruntled employees who worked for Brooks Houck. Samantha was attacked near a different door suggesting she was attempting to flee. And the Kentucky State Police have brought two investigators out of retirement to help in the Ellis case. The mother's case has spawned documentaries and podcasts and plenty of news coverage. You could have the information we need to desperately solve these cases.". Bourbon Town Mystery, produced by the HLN Investigations team, takes a deep dive into the disappearance of Rogers. This, to me, is starting to get silly.". "This is one of those things that I'm not comfortable talking about. Crystal disappeared from the home she shared with her boyfriend on Glenview Drive in Bardstown. "We will definitely send something out when that changes," Anderson said. Despite such an incentive, the murders remain unsolved. I know that one of 'em had her throat slit. She would have had [a cellphone].". Houck and Rogers have a son together. Though just an hour south of the major metropolitan hub of Louisville, Bardstown, Kentucky, is a world away. My opinion: Crystals disappearance is that this was a domestic violence situation that turned into murder. Their bodies were discovered by a family member. Trooper Gregory says they have several detectives working the case following leads. Something a lot of the podcasts and articles and shows dont tell you is that Jason Ellis wife is also a teacher and she worked closely with Kathy and Crystals boyfriends brother worked closely with Jason as well and their family was always known to sell drugs, it is a small enough town to know that. Anyone who owns, had access to or knows someone who was operating a 2006 to 2013 model year Chevrolet Impala matching the photograph on April 21, 2014 should call Kentucky State Police at 270-766-5078. If you have information related to the disappearance of Crystal Rogers, please call the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit www.crystalrogerstaskforce.com. Kathy Netherland, 48, and her daughter, Samantha, 16, were killed inside their home on April 21, 2014. One of the only clues released was a blurry gas station surveillance photo of a black Chevrolet Impala. [PREVIOUS STORY: Friend of murdered teacher says she 'loved her daughters more than anything']. ", The inmate also said a cellphone jammer was placed at the Netherlands' front door to "kill all the signal in the house.". The person or persons who killed them is still on the loose. Though just an hour south of the major metropolitan hub of Louisville, Bardstown, Kentucky, is a world away. Could a fellow student have killed her? Though all occurred in Nelson County, that doesnt mean there is a real connection, save the seemingly obvious one between the disappearance of Crystal Rogers and her fathers death. ", "My mom is a very special woman," one of Rogers' daughterswrote on a website dedicated to the investigation. Law enforcement started swarming in on the area very quickly after that from multiple directions. However, a few months before the shooting, Tommy told his wife, Sherry, that he felt like someone was following him. Then again, I couldnt determine whether he was even on the force in 2013. By 7:54 AM, authorities were called to the 1400 block of Ed Brent Road for a death investigation. 5 years later, nobody knows, The FBI has been offering a reward of up to $50,000, FBI said it is "offering up to a$25,000 reward, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The similarities between his murder and the murder of Jason have been noted. Follow Season three, "Beyond Bardstown: Unsolved," is coming Monday, Oct. 17. In a bizarre twist, on November 19, 2016, Crystals father, Tommy Ballard, was fatally shotin the chest by an unknown gunmen while out hunting. I ended thinking Crystals disappearance and the murders of Tommy Ballard and Jason Ellis are connected. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. There wasn't a robbery, a sex assault and the mother showed signs of overkill which to me seems personal. They are tied up, tortured, and suffer knife and bullet wounds. Small towns where everybody knows each others business are notorious hotbeds of gossip. Since my moms been missing, life has been really hard. Details: On May 25 2013, Officer Jason Ellis was killed after finishing his shift for the Bardstown, Kentucky Police Department. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He is also the father of Rogers youngest child. 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. I can't remember which pod I heard it on - it's been years. LOUISVILLE, KY. Another search is underway relating to the 2015 disappearance of Crystal Rogers in Bardstown, Kentucky. "Crystal was a very good girl. After exiting his police cruiser to investigate, he was ambushed. of 33-year-old Bardstown Police Officer Jason Ellis on May 25 of that year. Police believe Nick interfered with their investigation. To learn more about the Netherlands and the search for Crystal Rogers, watch"The Disappearance of Crystal Rogers" on Oxygen. The missing mother's case has gained national attention, with it being featured on HLN's "Real Life Nightmare" docu-series. In 2017, Kentucky State Police hired former troopers to investigate the cases of both Rogers andJason Ellis, aBardstown police officerwho wasambushed in 2013and killedby at least two people. On the morning of November 19, 2016, sixteen months after Crystals disappearance, Ballard was preparing for a hunting trip with his 12-year-old grandson on family property next to Bluegrass Parkway in Bardstown, Kentucky. He was the owner of T.M.B. Rogers is the mother of five children and is not known to go anywhere without her children. As recently as July 2017 police searched the home of Houcks grandmother. There seems to be compelling reason to suspect that Jason was targeted. Samantha Netherland was a sophomore at Bardstown High School. Really sad case. Father of missing woman is killed while hunting with his grandson. Copyright 2014 WAVE 3 News. "When my daughter went missing, Brooks was building in that neighborhood.". " I'm just praying this will bring us some kind of closure. Crystal Rogers' mother, Sherry Ballard, hopes that the current FBI investigation in a Bardstown neighborhood may finally yield closure for her and family. The ex-troopers were also looking into Tommy Ballard's death and theslaying of teacher Kathy Netherland and her teenage daughter Samanthain 2014. Two people have been arrested and charged in the murder of Michael Wayne Unseld, 61. A year later, mom and daughter, Kathy and Samantha Netherland, lost their lives inside their rural home, just outside of Bardstown. All rights reserved. Otherwise, it remains unsolved as of January 2018. 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