Brooks Houck calls family after murder conviction
WARREN COUNTY, Ky. (WHAS 11 NEWS) – New jailhouse phone calls are shedding light on Brooks Houck’s conversations– just hours after being convicted of murdering Crystal Rogers.. We’re hearing what he said to his family about the verdict, his assets, and what happens next.
Newly released jail phone calls reveal conversations Brooks Houck had with his family after being convicted in Crystal Rogers’ murder.
On July 8, a Warren County jury found Houck, Rogers’ former boyfriend, guilty of murder (principle or accomplice) and tampering with physical evidence. The jury recommended he serve life in prison. Through an open records request, WHAS11 has obtained more than a dozen of Houck’s phone calls from the Warren County Detention Center to his family just hours after his conviction.
Rogers’ mom, Sherry Ballard, and her family have accused Houck of trying to “shield” his assets by encouraging his family to sell his rental company’s properties and equipment during those calls. Judge Charles Simms approved the family’s motion to freeze Houck’s assets.
A judge previously noted that Houck owned 83 properties in Nelson County, worth an estimated value of around $8,500,000. The first call Houck made after his conviction was to his sister, Rhonda McIlvoy. The two talked about Houck’s son he shared with Rogers and toward the end of the conversation, they talked about selling some of his company’s assets.
Houck assured his sister he plans to fight his conviction.
“Just because this has happened right now does not mean that we quit fighting, that I’m going to quit fighting,” he said. “I’m going to go through the appeals process.” Houck then called his girlfriend and business partner, Crystal Maupin. He told Maupin that she needs to get with his mother, Rosemary Houck, to come up with a plan to sell assets. “I’m afraid now that they think they’ve done this to you, they’re going to come after more,” Maupin told Houck before he ends the call Houck’s next call, just minutes later, was with his mother. The two talked selling assets to give money to his son and family members.
“You know, they’re going to take everything that I’ve got, you know that, don’t you?” Houck tells his mom, referencing the civil lawsuit.
The two discussed Houck’s insurance policies, a $500,000 policy, a $1 million policy, and a $5 million policy.
“People are very, very smart people, and they’ve got lawyers that write their policies that get them out in situations like this right here,” he said to Rosemary. Houck and Rosemary call again about an hour later. During the conversation, Houck urged his mother to stay in contact with his sister and “be the glue to keep everybody together.”
He also talked about the conviction.
“Those jury members had to have outside knowledge of other stuff going on,” Houck said. “I’m confident of that.” One of Houck’s last calls after his conviction was again with his sister, Rhonda.
Houck told her he had tried to reach his brother, Nick Houck, but couldn’t get ahold of him. Rhonda told him that he was standing with her, so the two then talked over the phone.
“I can’t really even believe what’s happened. You know, I felt good going in there,” Houck told his brother. “I can’t believe that I’ve misread things like I did, you know?”
