Lakeville Man Charged with Murder of His Sister and Her Unborn Child
LAKEVILLE, MINNESOTA – Jack Joseph Ball, a 23-year-old resident of Lakeville, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the tragic deaths of his sister, Bethany Ann Israel, and her unborn child. The charges were announced today by Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena.
These charges are in connection with the homicide investigation from the events that occurred late Thursday night on May 23, 2024, at a home located in the 17000 block of Encina Path in Lakeville, Minnesota. According to the press release, family members grew concerned after Ms. Israel, 30, failed to return home following dinner with her brother around 6 PM at his Lakeville residence. The family's concern escalated when a family member visited the residence and saw Ball quickly leaving his residence.
The family member then entered the home, discovered a significant amount of blood, and immediately called the Lakeville Police Department. Lakeville Police Department officers responded to the call, arriving around 11:11 PM. Inside the residence, they found bloody knives and hatchet, and several dismembered body parts, which they believed belonged to Ms. Israel.
An alert was put out by the Lakeville Police Department for Ball and his vehicle. Apple Valley and Rosemount Police Departments assisted in searching for Ball and his vehicle. Around 11:22 PM, Rosemount, Minnesota Police received a 911 call for suspicious activity in the 3700 block of 148th Street in Rosemount, Minnesota. The Rosemount resident reported seeing a man on their home security camera placing what appeared to be a body part on their front step. Officers quickly responded, and when officers arrived in the area, they found Ball’s empty vehicle. After a brief search, they found Ball in the backyard of a neighboring home. He was taken into custody with a self-inflicted neck injury and transported to M Health Regions Hospital in St Paul. Minnesota for care.
The press release states that the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed the cause of Ms. Israel's death as complex homicidal violence and determined that she was between 17 and 18 weeks pregnant at the time of her death. The criminal complaint states that law enforcement found journals and documents written by Ball that state he was angry his sister, Israel, was pregnant and “no longer innocent.”
“The allegations in this case are deeply disturbing and horrific — words can’t describe what our law enforcement partners encountered during the investigation,” said Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena. “My office will work hard to ensure the victims receive justice and will provide the necessary support for the victims’ family.”
Attorney Keena expressed gratitude to the Lakeville Police Department for their thorough investigation and the support from the Apple Valley Police Department, Rosemount Police Department, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Ball appeared in Dakota County District Court today via video conferencing from the hospital. Judge Bryce Ehrman set bail at $2 million without conditions or $1 million with conditions. Once Ball is medically cleared, he will be transferred to the Dakota County Jail. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 10 at 1:30 p.m. in Hastings, Minnesota.
We will continue to update this story as more information is available on the case.
In loving memory of Bethany Israel Provide by GoFundMe
A GoFundMe has been setup to help support the family during their challenging time:
In loving memory of Bethany Israel
Written by: Will Wight
Cover Photo Credit: Cover Photo by Max Fleischmann on Unsplash
