Overview

• Nelson County Circuit Judge Charles Simms III sentenced Brooks Houck to life in prison for Rogers’ 2015 murder, following a Warren County jury’s recommendation.
• Joseph Lawson received 25 years for conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with evidence, while his father, Steven Lawson, previously received 17 years for moving Rogers’ car.
• Houck will be eligible for parole after 18 years, according to reporting that detailed the terms of his life sentence.
• Defense teams are preparing appeals that question the sufficiency of physical evidence, pointing to the absence of DNA ties and an unidentified fingerprint on Rogers’ phone.
• Days before sentencing, a judge granted Houck’s sister, Rhonda McIlvoy, permanent custody of the 12-year-old son he shared with Rogers, as prosecutors continue to list Nick and Rosemary Houck as unindicted co-conspirators without charges.