A motion filed by Steven Lawson’s attorneys to delay his upcoming trial for testing of two hairs found in Crystal Rogers’ car has been denied.
Judge Charles Simms III issued the ruling on Friday, April 18. In his ruling, Simms wrote that he believes Lawson is attempting to further delay the trial, which is scheduled to begin on May 27 in Bowling Green. Lawson is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with evidence in the death investigation of Rogers.
Prosecutors allege Lawson helped his son, Joseph, move Rogers’ car after her apparent murder. During the 2015 investigation, two strands of hair were found inside her car.
A motion was filed in March 2025 to have the hair DNA tested. Lawson’s attorneys argued the hairs could link someone else to the case. The Commonwealth’s attorney said testing will delay the trial, which violates the rights of the Rogers family. They also argued that even if they do find another person, they can’t say that person is a suspect.
In Judge Simms’ ruling on Friday, he wrote, “Even if DNA testing successfully revealed who the hairs belonged to, this information would not exclude Lawson’s alleged involvement herein.” In addition, “Another issue is the unlikeliness of these hairs bearing any relation to Rogers’ disappearance. As grounds, this state’s highest court has recognized that because hair is easily and readily shed in the course of day-to-day activities, and there is, as of yet, no way to determine when a hair was deposited in any particular instance, it tends to have minimal exclusivity value.”
However, Judge Simms said the DNA profiles could still be tested to find a match.
Source: WAVE
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