Man accused of dismembering pregnant sister ruled competent to stand trial

HASTINGS, Minn. — A Twin Cities man accused of dismembering his pregnant sister in May has been deemed competent to stand trial.

A Dakota County judge made the ruling on Tuesday involving 23-year-old Jack Joseph Ball, who is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the death of 30-year-old Beth Ann Israel and her unborn child.

According to the criminal complaint , the mother of Ball and Israel called 911 on the night of May 23, 2024, believing her daughter had been killed inside her brother's Lakeville residence.

She told officers Israel went over to Ball's for dinner earlier in the evening and she became concerned after she hadn't heard from Israel.

The mother told investigators she went to the house to check on them and said Ball "just tore out of the house" when she arrived, the complaint states. She then looked inside the residence and "saw a substantial amount of blood."

Officers discovered "a bloody saw, hatched, and large, bloody knives" inside before finding "several dismembered body parts," according to the complaint.

Police were then called to Rosemount after a resident watched Ball on a doorbell camera allegedly place a body part on their front step.

Officers found Ball, covered in blood and suffering from an apparent self-inflicted knife wound to his neck, in a vehicle nearby. The complaint states Ball was coherent and able to tell officers the correct "date, time, and name of the current president." Investigators soon found more body parts in the area.

According to the complaint, investigators later found Ball's journals and other writings where he wrote he was "angry" at his sister for being pregnant and "no longer innocent."

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office later determined Israel was more than four months pregnant at the time of her death.

After Tuesday's ruling, Ball's attorneys said they are planning at trial to assert a defense of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

Ball's next court hearing is scheduled for Dec. 12. If convicted, he faces up to 80 years in prison.

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything.In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness , or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.