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Crime, Law and Justice
Andrew Krueger

Lakeville man charged with killing pregnant sister

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A Lakeville man was charged Tuesday with two counts of second-degree murder after allegedly killing his sister and her unborn child last week.

23-year-old Jack Joseph Ball is charged in Dakota County. He’s accused of killing and dismembering 30-year-old Bethany Ann Israel of Bloomington, who was more than four months pregnant.

“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 news release announcing the charges.

Ball, who reportedly had self-inflicted injuries when he was arrested, is being held on $1 million bail. He remained in a hospital on Tuesday, and will be transferred to the Dakota County Jail once he’s medically cleared. Ball’s next court hearing is June 10.

Prosecutors on Tuesday asked for a high bail because of evidence the crime “may have been premeditated.”

According to court documents, Ball allegedly killed Israel after the two met for dinner last Thursday at a home in Lakeville.

The criminal complaint states that family members became concerned when Israel didn’t return home from the dinner. A relative went to the home and saw Ball quickly leave; that relative then found blood in the home and contacted police.

According to the complaint, responding officers found a large amount of blood in the residence along with body parts and knives.

As authorities were searching for Ball that night, a 911 caller in Rosemount reported that a man left what appeared to be a body part at their front door. Officers located Ball in a backyard nearby, covered in blood.

The complaint alleges that investigators found several journals and other writing by Ball, in which he “wrote that he was angry (his sister) was pregnant and ‘no longer innocent.’”

An online fundraiser for Israel’s family described Israel as “not only a cherished wife, daughter, sister, and an expectant mother but also a beloved figure in the volleyball community.”

“Bethany’s radiant spirit and unwavering kindness touched the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her,” the fundraiser organizers wrote.