Judge rejects insanity plea, convicts Lakeville man of double murder
A judge rejected an insanity defense and convicted Jack Joseph Ball, 25, of first-degree premeditated murder in the killings of his sister and her unborn child on Tuesday.[1]
The judge found Ball spent months planning the attack and arranged to be alone with his sister.[1] Court records show he hid weapons and kept journals describing fantasies of killing and dismemberment.[1] The judge said the writings, which included necrophilia and cannibalism fantasies, showed he understood his actions were criminal and wrong.[1]
Ball pleaded guilty on Jan. 21, 2026, to two counts of first-degree premeditated murder but raised a mental-illness defense in phase two of the trial.[1] Prosecutors say he killed Bethany Ann Israel in a Lakeville home on May 23, 2024, dismembered her and deposited additional remains in a Rosemount neighborhood.[1]
Sentencing is set for Thursday, and Minnesota law requires life in prison for first-degree murder.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- Defendant: Jack Joseph Ball, 25, convicted of first-degree premeditated murder in the killing of his sister, Bethany Ann Israel, 30, and her unborn child
- Location and date of crime: Lakeville home on May 23, 2024, with additional remains deposited in a Rosemount neighborhood
- Procedural posture: Ball pled guilty Jan. 21, 2026, to two first-degree counts, then pursued a mental illness defense in phase two of a court trial
- Judge’s finding: Ball spent months planning the killing, arranged to be alone with his sister, hid weapons, and kept journals fantasizing about killing, dismemberment, necrophilia and cannibalism, demonstrating he knew it was criminal and wrong
- Next step: Sentencing set for Thursday, with Minnesota’s mandatory penalty of life in prison for first-degree murder
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