COXS CREEK, Ky. — The search for the body of Crystal Rogers continued for a third day Thursday at a property in Cox's Creek in Nelson County.
From above the SKY11 Drone captured the intricate operation underway on Whitesides Drive, which is property formerly owned by Anna Whitesides. She was the grandmother of Brooks Houck, one of three people charged in Rogers' death.
On Thursday, special agents in FBI T-shirts and sun hats were seen walking the grounds with tarps and tools in-hand. The focus continued to center on a small area near the property's tree line.
On Wednesday that spot was covered by a tent. Agents were seen 24 hours later with buckets in the same spot.
Backhoes were again digging up land behind the house.
Whitesides' involvement in the case was called into question eight years ago when police pointed to her car as a possible piece of evidence. She invoked her Fifth Amendment right and refused to testify before a grand jury.
She has since died.
Rogers is the missing mother of five from Bardstown. She was last seen alive Fourth of July weekend in 2015.
Three men have been arrested in the case: Brooks Houck, Steve Lawson and Joseph Lawson. Houck is the prime suspect and is charged with murder.
The property being searched in Cox's Creek was tied to the Houck family for years.
According to the Nelson County Sheriff's Office, the family that owns the home now is not connected to the Houck's and is fully cooperating with the investigation. They granted the FBI full access to search the premises.
Every search warrant in this case has been sealed in court, but the sheriff said Wednesday they are looking for Rogers' body.
Louisville attorney Nick Mudd spoke to WHAS11 Wednesday and explained the lack of a body helps the defense.
"Having the body is of utmost importance so that a forensic exam can be done, which kind of lets you piece together the past of what actually happened to this young lady," he said. "Any prosecutor in any sort of homicide case has to piece together the past for the jury. A person starts innocent until proven guilty. It becomes very difficult for a prosecutor to prove what actually happened without having those remains."
Officials have said they finished searching the property, and will be back on Friday to clean up.
The next court date in the Crystal rogers case is scheduled for October.
WHAS11 has a crew stationed near the property. This story may be updated.