A 23-year-old man killed and dismembered his pregnant sister in Lakeville, Minnesota last week because he believed she was “no longer innocent,” according to authorities.
Jack Joseph Ball is charged with two counts of second-degree murder for the slaying of Bethany Israel, 30, and her unborn child, prosecutors said Tuesday.
“The allegations in this case are deeply disturbing and horrific—words can’t describe what our law enforcement partners encountered during the investigation,” Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena said in a press release.
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A criminal complaint relays how Israel vanished after going over to Ball’s home to have dinner with him last Thursday. Her family became worried after she didn’t return home that night, and a relative drove over to Ball’s home, where they observed him fleeing the scene. The relative entered the house and called police after encountering a “significant amount of blood,” according to the affidavit.
Officers who responded to the call discovered “bloody knives and several dismembered body parts” believed to be Israel’s, the affidavit states. Another apparent body part was later found on a neighbor’s front porch.
Ball was eventually found in the backyard of a nearby home, bloodied and apparently suffering from a self-inflicted wound to the neck, according to the complaint. He was transported to a hospital for treatment.
Israel’s death was determined to have been the result of “complex homicidal violence,” according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner. She was somewhere between 17 and 18 weeks pregnant.
Also found at Ball’s home by investigators were several journals. In one of them, Ball had scrawled that he was furious his sister had become pregnant, as it meant she was “no longer innocent,” according to police.
Ball remained hospitalized on Tuesday, with plans having been made to transfer him to the Dakota County Jail once he is medically cleared. His bail has been set at $2 million without conditions and $1 million with conditions, according to online records. His next court date is set for June 10.
A GoFundMe started for Israel’s family had raised more than $30,000 as of Wednesday.
“Bethany was not only a cherished wife, daughter, sister, and an expectant mother but also a beloved figure in the volleyball community,” the fundraising page reads. “Bethany’s radiant spirit and unwavering kindness touched the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her.”
