Steven Lawson filed a motion June 4 requesting a new trial after a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection with the 2015 disappearance of Crystal Rogers.
The motion raises several concerns with the trial, including that the court provided inadequate jury instructions related to the conspiracy to commit murder charge, that the jury rushed its verdict and that some attendees in the gallery violated a court order by wearing pink in support of the “Team Crystal” movement formed by Rogers’ family, among other concerns.
Lawson’s attorneys also claimed they did not have enough time to prepare for trial. Defense attorneys Darren Wolff and Zach Buckler were assigned to the case in August 2024 after Lawson fired his previous attorney. In January 2025, the attorneys successfully got the trial postponed from February to May, citing that they needed more time to review an “anomalously high” amount of evidence to ensure a full defense and fair trial, according to court records.
The defense also said the court erred by not allowing the defense to DNA test two strands of hair recovered from Rogers’ vehicle, which police found roughly two days after her disappearance.
A jury in Bowling Green found Lawson guilty May 30 after four days of proceedings and recommended a sentence of 17 years in prison. Judge Charles Simms III is set to issue the final sentence Aug. 6.
The trial was the first of two set to take place in connection with Rogers’ disappearance. Rogers, a 35-year-old mother of five children, went missing around July 3, 2015, from Bardstown. Her car was soon found abandoned along Bluegrass Parkway with her keys, phone and purse inside. While her body has never been found, she is presumed dead by investigators.
Lawson’s son, Joseph Lawson, is also charged with tampering with physical evidence and conspiracy to commit murder. Brooks Houck, Rogers’ boyfriend at the time of her disappearance, faces charges of murder and tampering with physical evidence. They are scheduled to be tried together in Bowling Green starting June 24.
This story will be updated.
Contact reporter Killian Baarlaer at kbaarlaer@gannett.com or @bkillian72 on X.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Steven Lawson requests new trial in Crystal Rogers disappearance case