A 24-year-old man from Minnesota has pleaded guilty to murdering his pregnant sister and her unborn child, with diary entries suggesting he believed she was 'no longer innocent' due to the pregnancy. Jack Joseph Ball admitted to killing Bethany Ann Israel, 30, who was 17 to 18 weeks pregnant, before dismembering her body and scattering parts on a neighbour's porch.
The crimes came to light on the night of May 23, 2024, when the siblings' mother drove to Ball's home in Lakeville after becoming concerned. She saw Ball fleeing the scene, entered the house, and discovered a large amount of blood, prompting her to call 911. Officers arriving at the scene found blood throughout the kitchen, a bloody saw and hatchet, and several dismembered body parts inside and outside the home.
Prosecutors said police later received a report from a resident who captured on home security a man placing what appeared to be a body part on the doorstep. Ball was found nearby with a self-inflicted neck injury and was hospitalised. Investigators recovered journals in Ball's handwriting that indicated he was angry at his sister because she was pregnant and thereby, in his view, no longer innocent.
Ball initially claimed a defence of mental illness, but in January 2025 he was indicted on two counts of premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of intentional second-degree murder. He later pleaded guilty to premeditated first-degree murder of his sister and her unborn child. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors have recommended a life sentence.
A court hearing on May 21 will determine whether the state can prove Ball was not suffering from a mental illness that prevented him from understanding his actions. If convicted, Ball faces a mandatory life sentence. Bethany's family described her as a cherished wife and expectant mother, saying her radiant spirit touched everyone who knew her.
