Crystal Rogers.Photo: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Crystal Rogers

In the latest update in theCrystal Rogersmurder case, prosecutors are looking into a possible connection between the deaths of the missing Kentucky mother of five and her father, who was shot and killed one year after she disappeared.

While the woman’s remains have yet to be found, Houck was arrested last month on “charges stemming from the Crystal Rogers investigation,” the FBI Louisville office wrote in a Sept. 27post on X (formerly Twitter.)

Now, eight years after Rogers disappeared, prosecutors believe Houck may be tied to the murder of her father, Tommy Ballard, whose 2016 murder remains unsolved.

Nick was fired from the local police department after being accused of interfering with the investigation,the Kentucky Standardreported.

Ballard had never stopped looking for his daughter, his wife, Sherry Ballard,told PEOPLE in 2020.No arrests have been made in connection with his death.

Houck was identified as a primary suspect in Rogers' disappearance at the start of the investigation, perthe Kentucky Standard, but no charges were filed against him until recently.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

It’s unclear how Houck and Lawson are allegedly connected.

“At this time we ask for privacy as this is another step forward for justice for Crystal,” the statement read, in part, per WLKY. “Continue to pray that justice is served and we bring Crystal home.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

source: people.com