Man accused of dismembering pregnant sister said she was ‘no longer innocent,’ cops say

A man accused of killing his sister who was four months pregnant was angry her pregnancy meant she was “no longer innocent,” Minnesota authorities say.

The discovery of the woman’s dismembered body, made May 23 by the victim’s mother, led to murder charges against Jack Joseph Ball, Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena said May 28.

He is accused of killing 30-year-old Bethany Israel, who according to a GoFundMe was expecting her first child. She was 17 to 18 weeks pregnant.

Israel’s mother called 911 on May 23 when she found her daughter had been killed inside a Lakeville home, according to a statement of probable cause. She went to the home concerned when she had not heard from Israel, who police said went to dinner that night with Ball.

“He just tore out of the house,” the mother said of Ball, who abandoned the home that featured a “substantial amount of blood,” authorities said.

Inside the house, officers said they found bloody knives along with a saw and hatchet. They said they also discovered parts of Israel’s dismembered body.

As officers began searching for Ball, a resident in nearby Rosemount said they observed on their Ring camera a man place “what appeared to be a body part on (their) front step,” according to the court documents. The body part was believed to be of Israel’s.

Ball’s vehicle was found nearby, and he was located near a shed in the backyard of a home, authorities said.

“Defendant was covered in blood on his head, shirt, arms, legs and pants,” police said. “They also observed what appeared to be a self-inflicted knife wound across his throat.”

Several other body parts of the dismembered victim were also found in the area, according to the statement of probable cause.

As officers continued their investigation, they uncovered several handwritten journals from Ball.

“In his writings, defendant wrote that he was angry (Israel) was pregnant and ‘no longer innocent,’” authorities said.

Ball, 23, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder. He was jailed on a $2 million bond, the county attorney said.

Keena said the details of the case are “deeply disturbing and horrific.”

“Words can’t describe what our law enforcement partners encountered during the investigation,” she said.

Israel was described in a GoFundMe as a “cherished wife, daughter (and) sister,” who was active in the volleyball community.

“Bethany’s radiant spirit and unwavering kindness touched the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her,” loved ones said. “Her love for life, her family and the friendships she nurtured are the legacies she leaves behind. As a beacon of warmth and generosity, Bethany’s absence leaves a void that cannot be filled.”

According to the Pioneer Press, the homicide is the first in Lakeville since January 2023. That killing, McClatchy News reported, also involved a pregnant woman.

Lakeville is about a 25-mile drive south from Minneapolis.

This story was originally published May 29, 2024 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Man accused of dismembering pregnant sister said she was ‘no longer innocent,’ cops say."