Man Admits Killing, Dismembering His Pregnant Sister, Claiming She Was ‘No Longer Innocent’

A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to killing and dismembering his pregnant sister, after investigators said he once told police he decided to murder her because he believed she was “no longer innocent.”

Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena announced last Wednesday that Jack Joseph Ball pleaded guilty in connection with the late-May 2024 deaths of his sister, Bethany Ann Israel, and her unborn child.

Ball, 24, pleaded guilty to premeditated first-degree murder and premeditated first-degree murder of an unborn child, according to Keena. He now faces the possibility of life in prison, the county attorney’s office said.

Officers were called on the night of May 23, 2024, after family members reported they were concerned Israel—who was expecting—had not returned home from a dinner she planned to attend with her brother.

Police who responded to the home where the siblings allegedly ate dinner reported finding bloody knives and dismembered body parts. A family member reportedly saw Ball fleeing the scene, and officers later located him at another site, where he was found bloodied, with additional body parts and a neck wound that authorities said appeared self-inflicted.

Investigators also said they recovered journals allegedly written by Ball indicating he wanted to kill his sister because he believed she was “no longer innocent,” according to a criminal complaint.

A medical examiner determined Israel was between 17 and 18 weeks pregnant at the time of the killings, the complaint states.

Keena previously described the case as “deeply disturbing and horrific,” adding, “Words can’t describe what our law enforcement partners encountered during the investigation.”

Israel’s family remembered her in a GoFundMe as “a cherished wife, daughter, sister, and an expectant mother” and a well-loved member of the volleyball community.

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

Keena said last week that Ball “has asserted a defense of mental illness” and is expected to stand trial in late May 2026, where prosecutors will challenge that claim.

“Minnesota law states that a person is not criminally responsible if a mental illness made the person unable to understand what they were doing or know that it was wrong at the time the offense was committed,” Keena noted.

If convicted at that trial, Ball would face a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, the county attorney said.

Ball remains in custody at the Dakota County Jail.