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A chilling case unfolded in Minnesota, where a man admitted to murdering his pregnant sister and abandoning her dismembered remains at a nearby doorstep. The motive behind this gruesome act was his belief that she was “no longer innocent.”
Jack Joseph Ball, aged 24, confessed to charges of premeditated first-degree murder and the premeditated murder of an unborn child on January 21. These charges relate to a tragic incident that occurred at his residence in Lakeville in 2024, as detailed in a statement by Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena. For further information, refer to the official announcement.
Court documents obtained by Oxygen reveal that the victim, Bethany Ann Israel, 30, had gone to her brother’s house for dinner on the evening of May 23, 2024.
Worry set in among her family when Bethany didn’t make contact for several hours. Her mother decided to check on her around 11 p.m. that night. Upon arriving at Ball’s house, she witnessed him hastily leaving. Once inside, she discovered “a substantial amount of blood” and immediately contacted the authorities, as outlined in the complaint.
The Lakeville Police Department responded to the emergency call and found a scene of horror. Inside the home were large knives and tools stained with blood, along with body parts, as reported by prosecutors.
Lakeville Police officers arrived at the scene and discovered large knives and tools inside the house, covered in blood, along with body parts, prosecutors said.
“Officers entered the residence and observed a large pool of blood on the kitchen floor under the sink and on the sink cabinets,” officers noted in the complaint. “Additionally, they observed a bloody saw, hatchet, and large, bloody, knives.”
A medical examiner concluded that Israel—who was between 17 and 18 weeks pregnant at the time of her death—died as the result of “complex homicidal violence,” prosecutors said.
After fleeing his own home, Israel’s mother told police she thought Ball may have fled to a cemetery in Rosemount, where the family had relatives buried.
Around that same time, police received a call from a homeowner in Rosemount reporting that a man was spotted on their surveillance camera leaving “what appeared to be a body part on their front step,” per the complaint. Ball’s car was discovered parked nearby.
After searching the area, they found Ball near a shed in the backyard of an area home.
Authorities noted in the complaint that he was “covered in blood on his head, shirt, arms, legs, and pants” and had what appeared to be a self-inflicted knife wound to his throat. Police also discovered “several dismembered body parts” in the area.
At the time of his arrest Ball—who was taken to the hospital for his injuries—was able to tell officers the “date, time, and name of the current president,” according to a criminal compliant.
As part of the investigation, authorities discovered journals and writings at the crime scene that Ball had written describing his anger at his sister for getting pregnant because he felt she was “no longer innocent,” per the compliant.
“The allegations in this case are deeply disturbing and horrific,” Keena said in a statement after the arrest. “Words can’t describe what our law enforcement partners encountered during the investigation.”
Jack Ball to Face Defense of Mental Illness Trial
Although he’s pleaded guilty to the charges against him, Ball has asserted a defense of mental illness. Under Minnesota law, a person may not be criminally held responsible if they are unable to understand right from wrong or understand their actions at the time of the crime.
A trial date on the defense of mental illness has been set for May 21.
reached out to the public defender’s office, who is representing Ball, but did not receive an immediate reply. Keena also did not reply to a request for comment.
If he’s convicted, Ball—who is currently being held at the Dakota County Jail—will face a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
