The last time the Ballards saw their daughter was more than three months ago.
Mother of five, Crystal Rogers, has been missing since July 7.
The parents have had a gut feeling throughout this period that her boyfriend Brooks Houck, with whom she has a two-year-old son, has something to do with her disappearance.
In a shocking development, Brooks’ brother a police officer with the Kentucky police Department has recently been dismissed for tampering with the investigation.
Nick Houck is accused of warning the missing woman’s boyfriend that police would be questioning him; in addition to this he also advised the suspect not to talk to the detectives.
He was suspended last month and an announcement from the department two days ago revealed that he has now been fired.
Nick also failed a polygraph test.
Details of the missing woman
Her parents say it was uncharacteristic for the 35-year-old Rogers to leave unannounced, especially without her youngest child the way she went missing in July.
Mysteriously, her car – a maroon Chevrolet Impala was found on Bluegrass Parkway. It was unlocked and had a flat tire, but it still had her keys, purse and phone.
Police found a text message she had sent to a friend stating that she had found a babysitter for her two-year-old son and the couple were looking forward to a good time.
“It’s our first time being kid-free for awhile. We’re gonna enjoy ourselves,” reads the SMS.
However, Brooks related a different story in an interview with a detective.
He claims that the last time he saw her she was playing games on her cell phone. When she went away, he never suspected a thing because according to him she usually went out with her girlfriends and they would stay out for “the better part of the night if not the whole night”.
When the detective presented him with the text message on Rogers’ phone, Brooks had nothing to say.
What happened at the interview with Nick?
Police have also released footage of an interview conducted by the authorities with the ex-cop.
A polygraph examiner is seen telling Nick that questions relating to Rogers are the ones that he had a problem with.
The man is clearly agitated and is heard shouting profanities.
“I don’t give a goddamn what your fucking computer said,” he says to the other person.
He then reiterates that he has been completely honest.
The Ballard’s reaction
After watching both the interviews the Ballard family concluded that the Houck brothers are partners in crime.
Rogers’ parents commented that only one thought raced through their minds as they saw the footage and it was “they’ve done it”.
They also say they believe that Nick is just as guilty as his brother Brooks and that there could be at least one more person involved in the case.
The missing woman’s sister says it is quite peculiar the way he acted that night and subsequently when it became clear that his partner had disappeared.
“You just don’t go to bed one night and now know she’s gone and then not worry when she left the baby.”
She added that the brothers stories do not add up.
At the current stage authorities have no choice but to believe that Rogers is dead.
Watch the video below: