Lakeville Man, 23, Dismembered His Pregnant Sister: Indictment

LAKEVILLE, MN — A Dakota County grand jury indicted a Lakeville man in the death of his pregnant 30-year-old sister, Bethany Ann Israel, and her unborn child, announced Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena.

Jack Joseph Ball, 23, faces two counts of premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of intentional second-degree murder.

If convicted, Ball faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, a mandatory term for the conviction of premeditated first-degree murder. He is in custody at the Dakota County Jail.

On May 23 at about 6 p.m., Israel went to have dinner with her brother at his residence in Lakeville, according to authorities. Several hours had passed and family members were concerned as they had not heard from Israel.

At about 11 p.m., the mother drove to the Lakeville home to check on her. When she arrived, she witnessed Ball "tear out of the house," according to authorities. She then entered the home, saw a large amount of blood, and called 911.

The Lakeville Police Department responded and found several tools and large knives, all covered in blood, and several dismembered body parts within the home, authorities said.

Police then received a 911 call from a Rosemount resident reporting they observed a man on a home security camera place what appeared to be a body part on their front step.

Ball was found in the backyard of a neighboring home. He had a self-inflicted injury to his neck and was transported to a local hospital.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of death as a result of complex homicidal violence and confirmed Israel was between 17 and 18 weeks pregnant.