LAKEVILLE, Minn. (Court TV) — A Minnesota man is accused of brutally murdering his sister and her unborn child before dismembering her body.
Jack Ball is charged with the murders of his sister and her unborn child. (Dakota County Sheriff’s Office)
Jack Joseph Ball, 23, is facing two counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of his sister, Bethany Ann Israel, 30, and her unborn child. At the time of her death, Israel was 17 or 18 weeks pregnant.
According to documents obtained by Court TV, the victim’s mother called police just after 11 p.m. on May 23, saying that her daughter had gone to have dinner with her brother at a home in Lakeville, but failed to return home. When the mother went to the residence to investigate, she told police she saw Ball and “he just tore out of the house.” When she approached the residence she saw blood and feared for her daughter’s life.
When police arrived they found a large pool of blood on the kitchen floor and on the cabinets. They also found a bloody saw, a hatchet and large knives covered in blood. While looking through the home, they also found “several dismembered body parts” believed to belong to Israel.
Police began to search the area and surrounding communities for Ball, and while doing so received another 911 call from a resident who saw the suspect placing “what appeared to be a body part” on their front step. Police confirmed there was a body part left outside the home and found Ball nearby covered in blood. Investigators also found other body parts near the property.
“The allegations in this case are deeply disturbing and horrific,” Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena said. “Words can’t describe what our law enforcement partners encountered during the investigation. My office will work hard to ensure the victims receive justice and will provide the necessary support for the victims’ family.”
While Ball was suffering what was believed to be a self-inflicted wound to his neck, he was able to clearly communicate with officers and accurately tell them the date, time and name of the current president. Ball was taken to the hospital to be treated and appeared via video conference in court where his bail was set for $2 million without conditions ($1 million with conditions).
Investigators who searched Ball’s belongings found journals and handwritten papers in which he allegedly wrote that he was angry with the victim because she was pregnant and “no longer innocent.”
An online fundraiser created in Israel’s name describes her as a “cherished wife, daughter, sister and an expectant mother” as well as “a beloved figure in the volleyball community.”
Ball is scheduled to appear in court on June 10.
