Bardstown

Part Four: Tommy Ballard

On November 19th, 2016, Tommy Ballard - the father of the missing Crystal Rogers - was hunting with a grandson in a rural field just outside of Bardstown…

Listen to "Bardstown - Revisited (Part Four: Tommy Ballard)" on Spreaker.

Thomas Marvin Ballard was born on January 7th, 1962 to his parents, Till and Betty Ballard. Tommy, as he would later be known, was just one of six children, which was evenly split between boys and girls. Tommy had three sisters - Teresa, Barbara, and Sherry - as well as two brothers - Roger and Mike.

Tommy grew up in Nelson County, in the region surrounding Bardstown, Kentucky: a region I'm sure you all are familiar with at this point.

Despite growing up in a relatively happy, loving environment, Tommy had to struggle through loss early in his life. When he was just entering adulthood, his older sister Sherry went missing.

Sherry's disappearance in January of 1979 - when Tommy was just 17 years old - sent shock-waves through the family. 19-year old Sherry Ballard-Barnes was nearly 7.5 months pregnant, and had been growing distant from her husband, Eddie.

The remains of Tommy's sister, Sherry Ballard-Barnes, would be found roughly three years later, in 1982. Her estranged husband, Eddie Barnes, was arrested soon thereafter and charged with her murder alongside an accomplice of his, named George Weir. Both were found guilty of the crime, and sentenced to life in prison without parole (a sentence they are continuing to serve as of this episode's recording in February of 2019).

It was determined that the motivation for the murder of Tommy's sister was her estranged husband, Edsel "Eddie" Barnes, Jr., being afraid of becoming a father. Thankfully, that was not an issue that Tommy would have, even though he would become a father at an even earlier age.

Tommy married early in his life - August 11th, 1979 - when he was just 17 years old. Ironically, his wife's name was also Sherry, making her the second Sherry Ballard in Tommy's orbit. Together, they would have three children: a son named Casey and two daughters named Crystal and Brooke.

Over the next few decades, Tommy and Sherry Ballard would work to provide a comfortable and happy home for their family. Tommy would start his own home-building company - T.M.B. Construction LLC - and enjoyed working as a rancher whenever he could. He and his wife were able to watch their children grow up to adulthood, and - in return - were provided with eight grandchildren. This gave them another generation to dote upon, and - by all accounts - Tommy was as great of a grandfather as he was a father.

Things seemed relatively normal until July of 2015 - when the story of the Ballard family would change forever.

On July 5th, 2015, the daughter of Tommy and Sherry Ballard - 35-year old Crystal Rogers - was reported missing.

Crystal had last been seen two days prior, alongside her long-term boyfriend, Brooks Houck (with whom she had one child).

The same day that she was reported missing - July 5th - Crystal's maroon Chevy Impala was found abandoned along the Bluegrass Parkway, sparking concern for her safety and well-being. Inside were several important belongings, such as Crystal's cell phone and purse.

The investigation into Crystal Rogers' disappearance would continue to play out over the next several months (which I detailed in the last episode). In short: Crystal's boyfriend, Brooks, was implicated in her disappearance by Crystal's friends and family, who believed that their relationship was beginning to grow rocky at the time she went missing. Additionally, Brooks gave conflicting statements for the last night he had spent with Crystal, which seemed not to match up with evidence obtained by police investigators.

To make matters worse, the brother of Brooks - Nick Houck, a Bardstown Police Officer - was also implicated in Crystal's disappearance. He had made attempts to interfere with Brooks' police interview, and eventually failed a polygraph test administer by the FBI (after several attempts to skip it outright). He was eventually fired for these misdeeds, under the assumption that he was obstructing the police investigation into his brother.

Both of the brothers were public enemy number one when it came to the disappearance of Crystal Rogers, and to this day, Brooks Houck - Crystal's boyfriend - is the only named suspect in the case. However, despite multiple searches of several Houck properties over the years, investigators have found no definitive evidence that either of the brothers were directly responsible, and their involvement remains inferred - not proven.

Following the disappearance of Crystal Rogers, her family played a big role in the subsequent public awareness campaign. Not only were Crystal's parents and other loved ones appearing on locally and nationally syndicated television programs, but they were arranging searches through the region - including the area nearby the location that Crystal's vehicle had been abandoned.

Tommy and Sherry Ballard made several appearances on broadcasts such as Nancy Grace's show, which highlighted their daughter Crystal's disappearance as the third mysterious incident to shock this small Kentucky town in as many years (following the murders of Officer Jason Ellis and Kathy and Samantha Netherland). In these broadcasts, Tommy Ballard often appeared alongside his wife, hoping to get Crystal's story out to the masses.

While Tommy was more often than not the quiet one in their pairing - allowing Sherry to be the voice for their distraught family - Tommy was more active on a separate front. In addition to arranging searches containing dozens of volunteers, Tommy also helped set up hundreds of signs throughout Bardstown.

Within weeks, almost every street corner in Bardstown was marked with a poster or flyer bearing Crystal's face and name. It was impossible to travel from one of the town to the other without running across the missing woman, and becoming aware of her story. Tommy even had the pickup of his truck painted with the same image and information.

Over the next several months, Tommy continued to keep hope alive for his missing daughter. Even though the public began to grow numb to the endless reports of Crystal's case, Tommy continued to arrange searches - hoping to continue expanding outwards, even out-of-state if necessary. Meanwhile, he documented everything he found of interest - whether it be an odd object found during these searches, or just local rumors picked up in town. He seemed to be conducting his own independent investigation, eventually making his pursuit of his missing daughter a full-time job.

In the process, however, Tommy Ballard seemed to become a bit paranoid over the next year or so. In 2016, in particular, he became an ardent proponent of safety, caution, and habit. He insisted that family members install security cameras at their home, as well as regularly carry firearms.

Looking back, it's easy to see that Tommy was shaken by the second major loss of his life; first his sister's murder in 1979, and now his daughter's disappearance nearly 40 years later. In addition to promoting good habits in others - such as checking locks and such - he seemed to be growing stressed and anxious, installing a dash-cam in his truck and recording his movements pretty regularly.

In the Fall of 2016, Tommy told his wife, Sherry, that he was sure he was being followed. By who, exactly, is anyone's guess, but it seemed to those close to Tommy that he was fearful of something happening to him or his loved ones, as the holiday season approached.

On Saturday, November 19th, 2016 - roughly a year and a half after the disappearance of his daughter, Crystal - Tommy Ballard went hunting with his 11-year old grandson. It was right at the beginning of deer-hunting season, and Tommy - an experienced hunter that was well versed in local rules and regulations - had likely been looking forward to this time for several weeks.

The two were hunting out in a field off of the Bluegrass Parkway, near Ed Brent Road and Pottershop Road in rural Nelson County. It was private property belonging to the Ballards, which was desolate and quiet - which, perhaps, made it one of Tommy's favorite places to be. Friends recalled that Tommy could be found on this piece of property almost every Saturday morning, hunting or doing some other kind of outdoor activity.

Per the norm, Tommy and his grandson were wearing brightly-colored orange vests, so as to not be confused for any deer or other prey. This was something Tommy did regularly - not only out on this property, but even on his wooded searches for Crystal. When it came to Tommy's world post-2015, safety was above all.

A short time before 8:00 that morning, the two briefly separated: Tommy's grandson began walking back to the truck they had arrived in, likely fetching something that they had forgotten. Meanwhile, Tommy remained standing in the field they had both been in just moments before, waiting for his grandson's return.

It was at this moment that a shot rang through the air. It's unknown if Tommy's grandson heard the shot, but Tommy's son, Casey - who was far off in a different area of the property - recalled hearing the shot from multiple fields away.

Tommy called out to his grandson, and after the boy ran to him, Tommy said that he'd been struck by something. He told his grandson to fetch help, and the 11-year old set off to do just that: calling family members and authorities to the scene.

By the time that emergency services arrived, it was too late to save Tommy Ballard. He would die just moments later, having been shot once center mass. The bullet had hit him in the torso and then exited out his back.

Police would not reveal what direction the bullet had come from, but they did reveal that it was not a self-inflicted gunshot. Tommy's rifle had not been fired, since the two had been out in that field for less than half-an-hour, and his grandson's rifle was unloaded at the time of the incident. The grandson was cleared of any wrongdoing shortly thereafter.

While Tommy's body was transported away for an autopsy, investigators arrived at the scene. Immediately, they got to work on scouring the area around where Tommy had been shot, looking for any sign of someone having been in the region. In addition to local police and Kentucky State Troopers, officials from the Fish and Wildlife Department were called, exploring whether or not this might have been a hunting accident.

In total, officials would control the crime scene for more than 24 hours, combing through the field and surrounding woods in their search of any evidence. K-9 units were brought out that Saturday, and more than 24 hours later - at approximately 3:30 on Sunday afternoon - the field was finally opened back up for Tommy's loved ones.

The following week, 54-year old Tommy Ballard was laid to rest.

His funeral took place at Bardstown's St. Joseph Cathedral, and was preceded by a touching show of support from the region. A police escort had followed the movement of his hearst to and from the location, while Bardstown residents lined the streets with signs that read "Standing With The Ballards." Others wore shirts and sweatshirts that bore Tommy's likeness, along with the expression "We Will Continue Your Walk" - indicating that his search efforts would not die with him.

Tommy Ballard was preceded in death by his sister, Sherry, but his obituary carried a glimmer of hope. It read that Tommy was survived by his wife, his parents, his remaining siblings, his grandchildren, his son, and both of his daughters - Crystal included.

The investigation into Tommy Ballard's death got off to a bit of a confusing start, with the Kentucky State Police taking the lead. Hesitating to call Tommy's death a homicide, KSP decided to investigate it as a "death investigation," which labelled it in no certain terms.

According to Trooper Jeff Gregory of the Kentucky State Police:

"To rule it as anything else right now would be irresponsible."

One of the first things that investigators did was try to rule out the possibility that this might have been some kind of rare hunting accident. On the day that Tommy Ballard was shot and killed, officials with the Fish and Wildlife Department were called out to examine the scene. They participated in the first day or two of the investigation, trying to determine if this was a case of illegal poaching (perhaps someone hunting on the Ballards' private property, or something like that).

Speaking to the press, KSP Jeff Gregory spoke about this possibility:

"Right there by the Bluegrass Parkway is a very wooded area through a lot of that stretch. There are lots of people that hunt through there.

"Based on my own hunting experience, that early in the morning, that sounds to me like somebody that was going to their location to hunt, but obviously I don't know that for sure, and that's something they're looking into as well."

Unfortunately, most of this investigation's details are kept under-wraps, so there is little information available to the public. It is unknown if police believe it is possible that Tommy's death is or was an accident, but the labeling of his case as a "death investigation" has not changed in the years since.

Sadly, the autopsy of Tommy Ballard didn't reveal anything out of the norm, either. Conducted by Nelson County Coroner Rayfield Houghlin, the autopsy could only confirm that the victim had been shot once - a bullet that hit him in the chest and exited his back. Early reports indicated the opposite, but it was later confirmed that Tommy Ballard was shot from the front, center mass. Some believe that the shot pierced his heart - explaining the rather quick series of events that led to his death - but there's been no official confirmation on that.

In the years since, investigators have not revealed what kind of ammunition had been used, nor what kind of weapon. It is widely believed that it was likely some kind of hunting rifle, but - again - investigators have kept these details closely guarded.

Police began putting out notices for drivers that had been in the region, to report anything suspicious that they might have seen. In particular, investigators were looking for drivers that had been driving along the Bluegrass Parkway - between mile markers 21 and 25 - on the morning of November 19th, 2016. To be even more specific, investigators believed that anything of note had likely happened between the hours of 6:30 and 7:30 AM that Saturday morning.

In addition to searching for drivers, investigators began reaching out to shipping companies, believing that semi-trucks - which often frequented this chunk of highway - might have recorded something on their installed dash-cams. It was reported that at least one company that operated trucks in the region was submitting footage to investigators, but it is unknown if anything of interest was found.

In the weeks and months after Tommy Ballard had been laid to rest in Bardstown's St. Thomas Cemetery, the investigation struggled to determine whether his death was accidental or intentional.

If this was a hunting accident, then it was quite the tragic mistake. Casey Ballard, Tommy's only son, said that he had never seen anyone other than family and friends hunting on the property - making it unlikely, but not impossible, that other hunters had somehow wandered onto the land. It was located near a known hunting ground, but most hunters knew how to differentiate between public and private land - and hunting on private land without permission was not only frowned upon, but illegal. Hence, officials with the Fish and Wildlife Department being brought in as soon as the investigation kicked off.

On the flip-side - if this wasn't an accident - then that made the alternative option even more terrifying. After all, Bardstown was still reeling from several unsolved crimes: Officer Jason Ellis, Kathy and Samantha Netherland, and Tommy's missing daughter, Crystal. Was it possible that he had now been assassinated?

Those that knew Tommy knew that he often came out to this area, for hunting and other outdoor activities. This plot of land is a large, undeveloped region off of the Bluegrass Parkway, filled with forests and open fields. There are plenty of places for someone to hide - especially if they knew what they were doing, and who they were looking for.

When it comes to Tommy Ballard, that would have been incredibly easy. Loved ones said that Tommy came out to this spot almost every Saturday morning, making it a weekly routine of his.

If someone had been targeting Tommy Ballard, then it makes sense that they would come out to an isolated spot like this. It was just far enough from the public to avoid suspicion, and anything that happened could be chalked up as an "accident" - as we have seen. But, more importantly: why would anyone target Tommy Ballard, who - in the years since his death - has barely even had a bad word said about him?

Well, according to some theories supported by statements made by Tommy's loved ones... in the months before his death, Tommy had been conducting his own independent investigation. This wasn't anything official, just Tommy documenting everything he came across - whether it be artifacts found during his searches in the woods, records of local theories, things like that. He documented everything, forwarding the important and most probable stuff to investigation.

Many have theorized that Tommy might have been closing in on a new lead - or a series of leads - that would have guided him further to the truth than ever before. Perhaps he was pushing the buttons that investigators weren't able to, and was getting close to finding his daughter. It's impossible to know for sure, but it has been heavily rumored by locals in the years since.

In addition, those close to Tommy say that he was planning to launch a more aggressive search for Crystal in the weeks after his death. One acquaintance, who claimed to be tentatively involved in the planning, said that this search was going to be "large-scale" and would be setting its sights outside of Bardstown for the first time.

Again, this is all gossip, but - in lieu of actual evidence - it's really all we have. It's unknown if Tommy's amateur investigation was closing in on any kind of actual lead or planning a search in a shady location, since investigators have revealed nothing of the sort in the years since.

What we do know for a fact, though, is that those close to Tommy Ballard claim that he was becoming anxious in his final weeks - paranoid, even.

As I already explained, Tommy had been insistent on family members install security systems and cameras around their home, in the hopes of keeping them safe. He lived up to this, installing cameras outside his home and even installing a dash-cam in his truck, which recorded his movement around town. On the day of his shooting, that camera had not been running, but nonetheless, whatever footage remained was handed over to the Kentucky State Police in the hope that they could find something.

You see, Tommy's widow Sherry has insisted that Tommy had made allegations in the weeks before his death: claiming that he was being followed by someone, who was constantly tailing him. It is unknown who this person may have been, but Tommy seems to have grown more paranoid in the time period before his death.

Knowing what we know now, it's hard to blame him. After all, he was right.

To this day, Tommy's loved ones believe that foul-play was involved, and that his death was without a doubt a premeditated murder.

Following the death of Tommy Ballard, the rift between the relatives of Crystal Rogers and Brooks Houck continued to grow deeper and wider.

Many in the region believed that Brooks and Nick Houck - the two men implicated in the disappearance of Crystal Rogers - were responsible for not only her going missing, but for the death of Tommy Ballard. Before long, the divide between these families started to look like a legitimate blood-feud (a la the Hatfields and McCoys).

Even though Brooks Houck had remained out of the public eye for months preceding the death of Tommy Ballard, suspicion was cast upon him just days after Tommy's death - in November of 2016 - when a fire broke out at one of his rental properties. The home was being lived in at the time of the fire - which did some serious damage - but that didn't stop Bardstown residents from claiming that there was evidence inside the home of something sinister, and that Brooks Houck was trying to destroy it... or something like that.

I'm just an outsider looking in with no inside knowledge, just reporting the story as I see it.

Nonetheless, a search warrant was conducted on the property shortly thereafter by local police, and we can only assume that nothing of interest was found.

This was just one such example of the drama that continued to build up between the Ballard and the Houck family, which would only get more petty in the coming years.

As I reported in the last episode, multiple searches were performed on several Houck properties through 2017, conducted by the Kentucky State Police and the Nelson County Sheriff's Office. While these searches were seemingly aimed at the disappearance of Crystal Rogers, it is believed that in at least one case, police were looking for a large-caliber rifle - likely similar to the one that had been used to shoot and kill Tommy Ballard.

The exact parameters of the search warrants were not publicly released, and it is not know if anything of interest was found. But... that wouldn't stop the small town gossip, which continued to expand upon this total lack of information with imagination. In cases like this, it's hard to differentiate between rumors that are steeped in truth with mindless chatter.

In July of 2017 - at around the two year mark of Crystal's disappearance, and less than a year after Tommy's death - a large collection of signs were pulled out of the ground and then broken. Most of these signs read "Standing With The Ballards," and the damage seemed to be caused by someone with a grudge against them.

Surveillance footage showed that a young woman named Crystal Maupin was responsible. You don't know that name yet, but Crystal Maupin was actually the new girlfriend of Brooks Houck - who had once dated the other Crystal. It seemed like he had moved on to another woman of the same first name, who seemingly expressed dissatisfaction with the attention the Ballard family was receiving from locals.

Maupin would later plead guilty to "illegal taking" that September - which I'm surprised to hear is a thing, but not a serious one. She would receive a 60-day suspended sentence, along with a two-year conditional discharge; meaning that she had to remain out of trouble for two years, or else the 60-day sentence would kick in and she would be sent straight to jail.

Just a few months later - in November of 2017 - more signs began being posted in the region. These signs, which were put up on around the one-year anniversary of Tommy's death, included more inflammatory remarks like "Detectives Say Brooks Houck Killed Rogers." Like the prior signs, these were posted all over the city, covering most of Bardstown itself.

In the years since Crystal Rogers' disappearance, it has become virtually impossible to traverse one of America's most beautiful small towns without seeing Crystal's face and/or name at least a handful of times - and many believe that shouldn't change anytime soon. At least, not until answers are found for both Crystal and her father.

Throughout Bardstown, Tommy Ballard is remembered. Perhaps not as he wanted - as a husband, a father, a grandfather, a hard worker, or a good man - but as the latest to fall prey to a string of mysterious incidents that plagued the region over four-plus years.

Sadly, his death is overshadowed by some of the earlier incidents: the ambush of Officer Jason Ellis, the brutal murders of Kathy and Samantha Netherland, and finally the disappearance of his own daughter, Crystal Rogers. Yet there are those that continue to fight for justice on behalf of the Ballard family - pushing the local authorities to keep the case open and active.

Throughout Bardstown, many believe that Tommy was intentionally killed; assassinated, if you will. This is the prevalent theory for those that believe Tommy's hunt for his missing daughter was shaking loose some corruption - which ended up, ultimately, putting a target on his back. Those that knew Tommy say that his hunt was very active at the time of his death, and he was planning to raise the stakes in the coming weeks. That might have been enough incentive for someone to target him.

It is possible that Tommy's killer had another motivation to target the 54-year old, but in the two-plus years since this story began unfolding, investigators have been unable to determine what that might have been. By all accounts, Tommy Ballard was a man of integrity, and no possible ulterior motive has been ascribed to his death.

It does remain possible that Tommy's death was a hunting accident, but there are some issues with that line of thinking. Namely, the fact that no one have come forward in the years since, accepting responsibility for the lone gunshot that ended Tommy's life. Then again, they would have had every incentive not to come forward, but refusing to do so would only put themselves at further risk - and make this accident seem more and more like a premeditated action.

After all, this land was private property owned by the Ballards. If this was an accident, the shooter was firing on land they did not own - and shooting at a person with a blaze orange hunting vest on. Casey Ballard, Tommy's son, insists that he had not know of anyone using this land other than them, so it makes it unlikely that anyone would have just wandered onto the property.

Besides, this was right at the onset of gun season - when Fish and Wildlife officials would have been combing known hunting grounds for any violations. That may sound like a joke - especially when compared to an active death investigation - but hunting penalties can be quite severe (and costly). That by itself would be a major deterrent for most not to break any Kentucky state hunting laws and regulations.

So... it stands to reason - for me, at least - that Tommy Ballard's death was most likely not an accident. I find it hard to believe that someone would be poaching on private property, and shoot at a target in the middle of an open field that was wearing an orange vest. I mean - barring some kind of freak accident - I don't see how someone could shoot Tommy in the chest and fail to see his bright orange hunting vest. After all, this unknown killer only shot once, and hit Tommy center-mass. That implies some kind of marksmanship or veteran hunting experience - the latter of which would not be poaching on private property at the beginning of deer hunting season.

But if Tommy's death was intentional... was it a part of a string of crimes? Was it in any way connected to the disappearance of his daughter, Crystal Rogers - or the deaths of Officer Jason Ellis or Kathy and Samantha Netherland? If you'd ask Tommy's widow, Sherry Ballard, she'd say yes... at least somewhat. Speaking to reporters from news station WDRB, Sherry stated:

"I think Jason Ellis' was, just for the fact of what kind of police officer he was. I think deep down my daughter overheard something maybe she shouldn't have. I think she found out something she shouldn't have. I think that's what happened to her.

"I think my husband was never going to give up for my daughter, and he was going to push, and I think people knew that. I definitely think it was all connected."

Sherry seems to believe that Crystal's disappearance was related to the death of Officer Jason Ellis - who, need I remind you, was a Bardstown police officer that was the region's only K9 officer at the time. He often handled drug enforcement matters, and Sherry thinks that her daughter - Crystal Rogers - might have overheard something while dating Brooks Houck. Brooks' brother, Nick Houck, worked with Jason Ellis on the Bardstown Police Force. Then, when her husband got too close to the truth, he too was dealt with.

This all seems extremely convoluted and unlikely... but overall, it remains a working theory. After all, with the crimes unsolved, there is no definitive word on what kind of shenanigans were going on behind the scenes of the Bardstown Police Force - which lost several key officers over a very short period of time: Jason Ellis in 2013, and then Tony Satterly and Nick Houck the following year.

So, who knows? Maybe there is some truth to that theory. Police have responded to multiple inquiries about these tentative connections, expressing their disbelief... but also failing to rule them out entirely. Speaking to the press in March of 2017, Kentucky State Police Trooper Jeff Gregory stated:

"I have no reason at this time to believe they're connected, but it's not something that we're discarding either. We're looking at all angles and trying to figure out how everything fits."

Then, in October of 2018, Nelson County Sheriff's Captain Jon Snow spoke to the press about the recent airing of a docu-series centered around Crystal Rogers. In this conference, Captain Snow answered a similar question.

Investigators with the Kentucky State Police and the Nelson County Sheriff's Office continue to search for answers in Tommy's case. This includes two retired detectives that were brought out of retirement in 2017 to focus on the case full-time, in addition to the region's other unsolved crimes.

The mysterious case of Tommy Ballard is still treated as a "death investigation," meaning that police have not pivoted one way or another on whether it was a homicide or an accident. However, they say that are treating the case as if it was a homicide, investigating every possible avenue. Unfortuntately, in the two-plus years since Tommy was shot and killed, it seems like investigators have not made inroads in either direction - at least, nothing that they've been able to publicly share.

While investigators continue to look for answers, the loved ones of Tommy Ballard and Crystal Rogers continue to hope for a resolution. Nearly four years have passed since Crystal went missing in July of 2015, and Tommy's death the following November only compounded the tragedy.

Till Ballard - Tommy's father - has lived a life full of anguish. In addition to losing both Crystal (his granddaughter) and Tommy (his son) in quick succession, he lost a daughter to violent crime back in 1979. Speaking to reporters from WHAS 11, Ballard spoke about those responsible for these unsolved cases:

"You can't forget but you've got to forgive. Not here. I'm not forgiving nobody that killed, murdered my granddaugher and my son. If I have to go to hell for that, I guess I'll go because I'm not forgiving them."

In addition to continuing to speak out regarding Crystal's disappearance, Tommy's family has fought to keep his name in the press as well. A $100,000 reward exists for information leading to a resolution in Crystal's case, but shortly after Tommy's death, his two brothers - Roger and Mike - raised a separate $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in Tommy's death. That reward continues to stand today, and if you - or anybody you know - knows anything, you are encouraged to contact either the Kentucky State Police or the Nelson County Sheriff's Office. You can also send in tips to the email address "tipsfortommy@outlook.com."

As of this episode's recording, the story of Tommy Ballard remains unresolved.

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