Topline: Prosecutors say the killings unfolded over several hours after Bethany Ann Israel arrived at her brother’s home and family members later went searching for her.
Published: January 27, 2026 12:25 pm ET
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Background: Bethany Israel with her husband, Josh (via GoFundMe). Inset: Jack Ball (via Dakota County Sheriff's Office).
LAKEVILLE, MN — A 24-year-old Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to killing his pregnant sister and her unborn child.
Jack Joseph Ball entered guilty pleas to premeditated first-degree murder and premeditated first-degree murder of an unborn child in the deaths of his sister, 30-year-old Bethany Ann Israel, according to a news release from the Dakota County Attorney’s Office.
County Attorney Kathy Keena announced the pleas, which resolve two of the four counts Ball has faced since his indictment.
The guilty pleas stem from a Dakota County grand jury indictment returned in January 2025. Prosecutors originally charged Ball with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of intentional second-degree murder in connection with the May 2024 killings, according to court records.
Authorities say the case began on the evening of May 23, 2024, when Israel went to her brother’s home in Lakeville for dinner. Several hours passed without contact, prompting concern from family members, according to charging documents cited in a previous release from the county attorney’s office.
At about 11 p.m., Israel’s mother drove to the residence to check on her daughter. She told investigators she saw Ball “tear out of the house” as she arrived. When she went inside, she discovered a large amount of blood and called 911, according to court documents.
Lakeville police responding to the scene found bloody knives, tools, and dismembered body parts inside the home, authorities said. Not long after, police received a separate 911 call from a Rosemount resident who reported seeing a man place what appeared to be a body part on their front step, according to the Dakota County Attorney’s Office.
Following a brief search, officers located Ball hiding in the backyard of a nearby home. He had a self-inflicted injury to his neck and was taken to a local hospital for treatment, authorities said.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office later determined Israel died from complex homicidal violence and confirmed she was between 17 and 18 weeks pregnant at the time of her death, according to court records.
Earlier reporting by KSTP detailed that police also recovered additional body parts near a shed close to where Ball was found. Charging documents cited by the station said journals and handwritten papers belonging to Ball suggested he was angry about his sister’s pregnancy because she was “no longer innocent.”
Although Ball has now admitted to the murders, he has asserted a defense of mental illness. Under Minnesota law, a person is not criminally responsible if a mental illness rendered them unable to understand their actions or know they were wrong at the time of the offense. A court trial focused on that defense is scheduled for May 21 at 9 a.m., when prosecutors will litigate the claim, according to the county attorney’s office.
If convicted of the first-degree murder charges, Ball faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. He remains held at the Dakota County Jail while the case proceeds.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Court Records: Man Called Pregnant Sister “No Longer Innocent” Before Killing Her
Prosecutors say the killings unfolded over several hours after Bethany Ann Israel arrived at her brother’s home and family members later went searching for her.
By Jacob Charles
Published: January 27, 2026 12:25 pm ET
Background: Bethany Israel with her husband, Josh (via GoFundMe). Inset: Jack Ball (via Dakota County Sheriff's Office).
LAKEVILLE, MN — A 24-year-old Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to killing his pregnant sister and her unborn child.
Jack Joseph Ball entered guilty pleas to premeditated first-degree murder and premeditated first-degree murder of an unborn child in the deaths of his sister, 30-year-old Bethany Ann Israel, according to a news release from the Dakota County Attorney’s Office.
County Attorney Kathy Keena announced the pleas, which resolve two of the four counts Ball has faced since his indictment.
The guilty pleas stem from a Dakota County grand jury indictment returned in January 2025. Prosecutors originally charged Ball with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of intentional second-degree murder in connection with the May 2024 killings, according to court records.
Authorities say the case began on the evening of May 23, 2024, when Israel went to her brother’s home in Lakeville for dinner. Several hours passed without contact, prompting concern from family members, according to charging documents cited in a previous release from the county attorney’s office.
At about 11 p.m., Israel’s mother drove to the residence to check on her daughter. She told investigators she saw Ball “tear out of the house” as she arrived. When she went inside, she discovered a large amount of blood and called 911, according to court documents.
Lakeville police responding to the scene found bloody knives, tools, and dismembered body parts inside the home, authorities said. Not long after, police received a separate 911 call from a Rosemount resident who reported seeing a man place what appeared to be a body part on their front step, according to the Dakota County Attorney’s Office.
Following a brief search, officers located Ball hiding in the backyard of a nearby home. He had a self-inflicted injury to his neck and was taken to a local hospital for treatment, authorities said.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office later determined Israel died from complex homicidal violence and confirmed she was between 17 and 18 weeks pregnant at the time of her death, according to court records.
Earlier reporting by KSTP detailed that police also recovered additional body parts near a shed close to where Ball was found. Charging documents cited by the station said journals and handwritten papers belonging to Ball suggested he was angry about his sister’s pregnancy because she was “no longer innocent.”
Although Ball has now admitted to the murders, he has asserted a defense of mental illness. Under Minnesota law, a person is not criminally responsible if a mental illness rendered them unable to understand their actions or know they were wrong at the time of the offense. A court trial focused on that defense is scheduled for May 21 at 9 a.m., when prosecutors will litigate the claim, according to the county attorney’s office.
If convicted of the first-degree murder charges, Ball faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. He remains held at the Dakota County Jail while the case proceeds.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Court Records: Man Called Pregnant Sister “No Longer Innocent” Before Killing Her
Prosecutors say the killings unfolded over several hours after Bethany Ann Israel arrived at her brother’s home and family members later went searching for her.
By Jacob Charles
Published: January 27, 2026 12:25 pm ET
Background: Bethany Israel with her husband, Josh (via GoFundMe). Inset: Jack Ball (via Dakota County Sheriff's Office).
LAKEVILLE, MN — A 24-year-old Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to killing his pregnant sister and her unborn child.
Jack Joseph Ball entered guilty pleas to premeditated first-degree murder and premeditated first-degree murder of an unborn child in the deaths of his sister, 30-year-old Bethany Ann Israel, according to a news release from the Dakota County Attorney’s Office.
County Attorney Kathy Keena announced the pleas, which resolve two of the four counts Ball has faced since his indictment.
The guilty pleas stem from a Dakota County grand jury indictment returned in January 2025. Prosecutors originally charged Ball with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of intentional second-degree murder in connection with the May 2024 killings, according to court records.
Authorities say the case began on the evening of May 23, 2024, when Israel went to her brother’s home in Lakeville for dinner. Several hours passed without contact, prompting concern from family members, according to charging documents cited in a previous release from the county attorney’s office.
At about 11 p.m., Israel’s mother drove to the residence to check on her daughter. She told investigators she saw Ball “tear out of the house” as she arrived. When she went inside, she discovered a large amount of blood and called 911, according to court documents.
Lakeville police responding to the scene found bloody knives, tools, and dismembered body parts inside the home, authorities said. Not long after, police received a separate 911 call from a Rosemount resident who reported seeing a man place what appeared to be a body part on their front step, according to the Dakota County Attorney’s Office.
Following a brief search, officers located Ball hiding in the backyard of a nearby home. He had a self-inflicted injury to his neck and was taken to a local hospital for treatment, authorities said.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office later determined Israel died from complex homicidal violence and confirmed she was between 17 and 18 weeks pregnant at the time of her death, according to court records.
Earlier reporting by KSTP detailed that police also recovered additional body parts near a shed close to where Ball was found. Charging documents cited by the station said journals and handwritten papers belonging to Ball suggested he was angry about his sister’s pregnancy because she was “no longer innocent.”
Although Ball has now admitted to the murders, he has asserted a defense of mental illness. Under Minnesota law, a person is not criminally responsible if a mental illness rendered them unable to understand their actions or know they were wrong at the time of the offense. A court trial focused on that defense is scheduled for May 21 at 9 a.m., when prosecutors will litigate the claim, according to the county attorney’s office.
If convicted of the first-degree murder charges, Ball faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. He remains held at the Dakota County Jail while the case proceeds.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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