Jack Joseph Ball, Lakeville, Minnesota man murders and dismembers pregnant sister, Bethany Israel after claiming she was no longer innocent.
A Minnesota man is accused of murdering and then dismembering his pregnant sister because he believed she was ‘no longer innocent.’
Jack Joseph Ball, 23, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the death of his sister Bethany Israel, 30, and the woman’s unborn child.
Lakeville Police were called to the home of Ball in Lakeville, Minnesota, last Thursday after family members grew concerned after the sister (pregnant with her first child) failed to return after having dinner with her brother on Thursday, May 23.
Brother observed placing body part on resident’s front step
When a family member went to the residence where the siblings had eaten dinner, Ball was allegedly seen leaving the scene, prosecutors with the Dakota County Attorney’s Office stated. Inside the home, the family member found a ‘significant amount of blood’ and called the police according to a statement of probable cause .
Police responding to the home allegedly found a bloody knives, saw, hatchet, and large knives covered in blood and dismembered body parts they believed to belong to Israel, prosecutors stated.
Ball was found in Rosemount after a neighbor reported that a man placed a body part on their front step, prosecutors allege. Ball was arrested and had a wound on his neck that appeared to be self-inflicted.
According to the criminal complaint, police say they found journals belonging to Ball in which he allegedly wrote that he was upset his sister was pregnant and thus ‘no longer innocent.’
No known motive
A medical examiner ruled that Israel was between 17 and 18 weeks pregnant when she was killed.
‘The allegations in this case are deeply disturbing and horrific — words can’t describe what our law enforcement partners encountered during the investigation,’ County Attorney Kathy Keena wrote in a statement. ‘My office will work hard to ensure the victims receive justice and will provide the necessary support for the victims’ family.’
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death as being ‘complex homicidal violence’.
Neighbor Cindy Bond, who lives across the street, told KSTP: ‘My husband heard a female scream. Then a minute thereafter there was shouting and a car peel off.’
Read a GoFundMe started for Israel’s family, ‘Bethany was not only a cherished wife, daughter, sister, and an expectant mother but also a beloved figure in the volleyball community.
‘Bethany’s radiant spirit and unwavering kindness touched the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her. Her love for life, her family, and the friendships she nurtured are the legacies she leaves behind. As a beacon of warmth and generosity, Bethany’s absence leaves a void that cannot be filled.’
Ball is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, including one for the death of the unborn child.
On Tuesday, Ball appeared in Dakota County District Court through video conference from hospital. Bail was set in the amount of $2 million without conditions and $1 million with conditions by Judge Bryce Ehrman.
It is not immediately clear if the sibling had retained an attorney or entered a plea.
No known motive for the gruesome murder was immediately known.
