Chip Chick
But on July 5th, Crystal’s mom decided she needed to file a missing persons report as nobody had any contact with Crystal since the 3rd, and her loved ones were starting to grow concerned.
“The same day Crystal was reported missing, her car was found abandoned with a flat tire at mile marker 14 on the Bluegrass Parkway,” the FBI explained.
“Crystal’s keys, phone, and purse were still inside her red Chevrolet Impala.”
Now, Crystal would never just up and disappear or decide to go any place without bringing her children along with her.
“Sadly, while most families were enjoying the Fourth of July celebrations over that weekend, Crystal’s family was instead left wondering as to her whereabouts,” a website created by the FBI to raise awareness for Crystal’s disappearance reads.
Although the authorities and Crystal’s loved ones desperately searched for her, there simply was no sign of this young mom anywhere.
In the aftermath of Crystal’s disappearance, her dad Tommy Ballard was especially involved in the hunt for her and made it his mission to get the community involved.
Strangely enough, less than a year and a half after Crystal vanished, Tommy wound up dead.
“On the morning of November 19, 2016, sixteen months after Crystal’s disappearance, Ballard was preparing for a hunting trip with his 12-year-old grandson on family property next to Bluegrass Parkway in Bardstown, Kentucky,” the FBI shared.
“An unknown subject fired one shot and hit Ballard in the chest and instantly killed him.”
Authorities ruled out Tommy taking his own life, and they ruled out Tommy’s grandson being the culprit.
