BARDSTOWN, Ky. — Three men charged in the case of the disappearance and death of Crystal Rogers appeared in Nelson County Courtroom Thursday for a status hearing.

The three men are Brooks Houck, who was Rogers’ boyfriend at the time and is charged with murder; and Steven Lawson is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence, along with his son Joseph Lawson.

“We have a trial on Feb. 10, 2025, at 9:00 a.m.,” said Theodore Lavit, who represents Steve.

Steve Lawson walks into the courtroom on Thursday for a status hearing. (Spectrum News 1/Khyati Patel)

The court decided the date and time of the trial on Thursday as the ninth anniversary inches closer to this summer since Rogers’s first reported missing in July 2015.

In court, prosecutors said they hope to try all three men together but the lawyers for Brooks Houck plan that he be tried separately and not as part of a group.

Lavit said he had mixed feelings at the time to try all three men at the same time.

“That hasn’t been determined. It’s been suggested,” Lavit said.

Lavit is considering his client with a discussion of immunity that he plans to file.

“Well, we haven’t drafted yet. It’ll be heard after we’ve drafted it and studied the situation. It’ll either exonerate him or not. One or the other,” Lavit said.

Meanwhile, Kevin Coleman, the lawyer for Joseph Lawson, asked Judge Charles Simms to reduce his bond saying he’s paraplegic, and not a flight risk.

Joseph Lawson is wheeled into the courtroom on Thursday for a status hearing. (Spectrum News 1/Khyati Patel)

“I’m also asking for additional condition, though, of home incarceration and the reason being just recognizing the serious nature of the offense and it obviously addresses any sort of concern as far as flight risk. It also addresses concern about danger that he may have because obviously he would monitored 24/7,” Coleman said.

Prosecuting attorney Jim Lesousky said he opposed the bond reduction saying the crime was too serious.

“Mr. Lawson here is charged with a very serious crime conspiracy to commit murder of Crystal Rogers. The circumstances that we don’t need to go through. She’s still disappeared. We don’t know her whereabouts, and those crimes that caused her disappearance are very serious. The other thing I think that I point out is his criminal history. He has a substantial number of felony convictions,” Lesousky said.

Simms will decide on the bond reduction by end of business on Monday.

Another status hearing is scheduled for March 21 to hand over all the evidence found in the discovery to the defense.