LOUISVILLE, Ky., (WDRB) -- Steve Lawson, who has been indicted on charges of criminal conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence in the Crystal Rogers case, pleaded not guilty on Thursday.

Lawson's attorney, Theodore Lavit, who spoke on his behalf, asked the judge for a bond hearing to lower Lawson’s bond from $500,000 cash.

Shane Young, who is the Hardin County Commonwealth's Attorney but is prosecuting the case as a special assistant for the Attorney General's office, said the prosecution believes the bond is “appropriately set.”

"We don't care how long it takes."

Nelson Circuit Court Judge Charles Simms III set a bond hearing date for Jan. 4. A status hearing for the case has been scheduled for February.

Lawson, according to the Dec. 6 Nelson County indictment, agredd to “aid one or more persons in the planning or commission” of the death of another and then “destroyed, mutilated, concealed, removed” or altered physical evidence on July 3 or July 4, 2015, when Rogers disappeared.

After eight years of investigation, Lawson is the third man charged in Rogers' disappearance in recent months. His son, Joseph Lawson, and Brooks Houck have also been indicted.

After the hearing, Tim Ballard, Rodgers' grandfather, said to reporters of Steve Lawson:

"If I can get close to him, better be law to hold me back because the son of a b**** doesn’t need to be on this earth if he had anything to do with Crystal. And I know he did and his son did and Brooks Houck , they don’t need to be on this earth. They need to be done away with. I don’t want to face him to be honest with you."

Rogers was last seen with her boyfriend, Houck, during the Fourth of July weekend in 2015. Her car was left running on the side of Bluegrass Parkway with her purse still inside. She's presumed dead, but her body was never found.

Steve Lawson, who did part-time construction work with Houck, talked with him by phone shortly after Rogers’ disappearance.

During a police interrogation after Rogers disappeared, Houck was asked about Steve Lawson and said Lawson was "somebody that works for me."

In that police interview, Houck called Lawson, who answered and said to Houck, "I just want to tell you I'm sorry about everything that's going on in your life brother, I got you in my prayers."

Lawson, who is the father of Joseph Lawson, has met with investigators more than a dozen times and repeatedly said he had nothing to do with Rogers’ disappearance, Lavit previously told WDRB News.

Lavit said in an interview that his son “drove Crystal's vehicle west on the Bluegrass (Parkway) to, I believe it was Mile Marker 14 or 16, where he had a flat tire.”

Attorney Kevin Coleman, who represents Joseph Lawson, declined to comment on Lavit's allegation. 

Lavit also said "there likely is, for my knowledge of this case, evidence that there was solicitation," meaning he believes someone tried to hire a person to kill Rogers.

In September, Joseph Lawson was charged with criminal conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection with the death of Rogers.

Steve Lawson was actually indicted on tampering with physical evidence in May, according to court records.

Houck, the primary suspect in the disappearance of Rogers, was arrested Sept. 27, after being charged with complicity to murder and tampering with physical evidence.

Houck was the last person seen with Rogers, his former girlfriend and the mother of his 10-year-old son.

He has pleaded not guilty and is in jail on a $10 million bond.

Related Stories:

Copyright 2023 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.