A 23-year-old Minnesota man, Jack Joseph Ball, has been charged with two counts of murder for the brutal killing of his pregnant sister, Bethany Israel, 30, and her unborn child. The Dakota County Attorney, Kathryn Keenan, confirmed that the unborn child was approximately 18 weeks old at the time the incident.
Ball was apprehended last week in a neighbor’s yard after being caught on a Ring camera disposing of dismembered body parts on the neighbor’s front step and around the yard. Upon his arrest, Ball was found with a self-inflicted slash wound on his throat and was covered in blood.
Authorities discovered a bloody saw, hatchet, and knives in Ball’s residence, believed to be the tools used in the gruesome act. Investigators also found several journals in Ball’s possession, one of which contained entries expressing anger towards his sister for being pregnant and “no longer innocent.”
Keenan described the case as “deeply disturbing and horrific,” adding that words could not adequately describe the gruesome scene encountered by law enforcement during the investigation.
Prior to the horrific incident, Israel had dinner with her brother. Her mother raised the alarm when she failed to return home. When the mother visited Ball’s home, he hastily left the premises. Inside the house, police discovered a large pool of blood in the kitchen and the bloody tools likely used in the dismemberment.
Ball was eventually located after a neighbor reported the dumping of body parts on their front steps. Despite his self-inflicted throat wound, Ball survived and made his first court appearance on Tuesday. His bail has been set at $2 million without conditions and $1 million with conditions.
Once medically cleared, Ball will be transferred to the Dakota County Jail to await his next hearing scheduled for June 10.
In the wake of the tragedy, a GoFundMe page has been established to support Israel’s husband, Josh, and her family. As of Wednesday afternoon, the fundraiser had collected over $28,000. The page describes Israel as having a “radiant spirit and unwavering kindness” that touched the lives of all who knew her.