A Dakota County judge on Monday accepted a guilty plea from Jack Joseph Ball for the 2024 killing and dismemberment of his pregnant sister, 30-year-old Bethany Ann Israel, whose body parts were found in and around a Lakeville neighborhood after a late-night attack that authorities say he justified by claiming she was “no longer innocent.”
Prosecutors said Ball, now 24, admitted to first-degree murder for Israel’s death and first-degree murder of an unborn child, an agreement that carries a life sentence under Minnesota law. The plea ends a case that began with a frantic search on May 23, 2024, and grew into a widely followed investigation involving a grisly crime scene, surveillance video and journal entries describing Ball’s anger over his sister’s pregnancy. Officials said formal sentencing paperwork will be filed this week. The medical examiner previously determined Israel was about 17 to 18 weeks pregnant. Family members and neighbors filled the courtroom as the plea was entered.
Investigators said Israel had dinner with Ball the evening of May 23 and did not return home. When relatives went to Ball’s house the next day, they found a large amount of blood and called police. Officers discovered knives, a saw and a hatchet inside the kitchen area, according to charging documents. Within hours, neighbors reported seeing a man later identified as Ball placing a package on a doorstep; officers recovered human remains there and at other nearby locations. “This was a horrific and deliberate act,” Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena said in a statement after the plea. Ball was arrested later with a neck wound believed to be self-inflicted and was treated before he was booked into jail.
Court records say Ball told investigators that his sister’s pregnancy meant she was “no longer innocent,” a phrase prosecutors highlighted as they upgraded the case over time from second-degree counts to first-degree murder. A grand jury returned a first-degree indictment in January 2025. In October 2024, a judge found Ball competent to stand trial following mental health evaluations. Evidence outlined in public filings includes doorbell video showing a suspect depositing a bundle on a neighbor’s steps, location data from Ball’s phone, and handwritten journal entries referencing anger at his sister. Authorities said there was no evidence anyone else was involved.
Israel, who lived with her husband in Bloomington, was remembered by relatives as a warm, dependable presence who was excited about her pregnancy. Photos shared publicly showed her smiling at family gatherings and volunteering at church events. Friends said Israel worked in customer service and often looked after younger cousins. In Lakeville, a memorial grew near the quiet residential block where police first responded, with flowers and candles along the sidewalk and a handwritten board with her name. Residents said squad cars and crime scene vans were common on the street for days as technicians processed the home and surrounding yards.
Authorities said the immediate hours after Israel was reported missing were crucial. Lakeville police secured the residence, the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension assisted with forensic processing and the medical examiner’s office coordinated recovery of remains from multiple sites. The charging narrative describes blood evidence in the kitchen and bathroom and tools consistent with dismemberment. A search of Ball’s electronic devices yielded messages and notes that prosecutors characterized as focused on Israel’s pregnancy. Investigators said Israel suffered fatal sharp- and blunt-force injuries before her body was cut apart. The unborn child was listed as a second victim under Minnesota statute.
The case advanced in stages common in major homicides: initial second-degree murder charges in late May 2024; a competency review that fall; then a grand jury indictment on Jan. 9, 2025, for premeditated first-degree murder and first-degree murder of an unborn child. Pretrial hearings stretched through 2025 as attorneys argued over admissibility of statements and digital records. With jury selection approaching this month, Ball notified the court he would plead guilty, prosecutors said. The plea spares Israel’s family a trial but requires a full factual basis in court, including Ball’s acknowledgment that he caused both deaths intentionally.
Minnesota law mandates life imprisonment for first-degree murder; judges typically set the formal sentence in a brief hearing after a presentence investigation is filed. Prosecutors did not discuss parole timelines in court, and defense counsel declined to comment after the plea. The judge said a written judgment would be entered once paperwork is complete. The case file will remain under the jurisdiction of Dakota County District Court, with an automatic review window for any post-conviction filings under state rules. Authorities said property seized during the investigation will be retained until appellate deadlines pass.
Outside the courthouse, a small group of neighbors from Lakeville said the plea brought relief. “It doesn’t bring Bethany back, but it’s something,” one woman said, clutching a paper cup against the cold. In Bloomington, friends gathered at a church to remember Israel, sharing stories about her kindness and humor. A family spokesperson said donations and messages had poured in since 2024, helping cover funeral costs and counseling. On the block where evidence was first found, several residents replaced weathered ribbons at a small memorial. “We still think about that night when the squad lights lit up the street,” a neighbor said.
As of late Monday, Ball remained in Dakota County custody pending a formal sentencing entry that will impose a life term. Prosecutors said a brief hearing would be scheduled after the presentence report is finalized. Officials said no further arrests are expected in the case.
Author note: Last updated January 27, 2026.