Jack Joseph Ball, 24 of Lakeville, pleaded guilty today to the murder of his sister, Bethany Ann Israel and her unborn child, announced Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena.
Ball pleaded guilty to counts one and three of the indictment — premeditated first-degree murder and premeditated first-degree murder of an unborn child.
On Jan. 9, 2025, a Dakota County grand jury indicted Ball on two counts of premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of intentional second-degree murder. Circumstances of the case can be found in a previous media release.
Ball has asserted a defense of mental illness. 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. A court trial is scheduled for May 21 at 9 a.m. where the State will litigate Ball's defense of mental illness.
If convicted, Ball faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. Ball remains in custody at the Dakota County Jail.