Pamela and Mark Novak, Nephew Adam Roring.Photo:GoFundMe; HENNEPIN COUNTY JAIL
GoFundMe; HENNEPIN COUNTY JAIL
A Minnesota man is facing murder charges after being accused of killing his uncle — a former mayor — and his aunt in their home in the middle of the night, say police.
Adam Garrett Roring, 44, of Savage, is charged with second-degree intentional murder in connection with the death of his uncle, Mark Novak, 74, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, theStarTribunereports.
He is also charged with attempted murder in connection to an attack on his aunt, Pamela Novak, 72,MPR Newsreports.
Pamela remains hospitalized with extensive injuries, including lacerations, broken bones on her hands and face, MPR News reports.
On Aug. 24, Bloomington police responded to a 911 call asking for help because “someone was inside their house,” the Bloomington Police Department said in a release. She told police she and her husband were asleep when they awoke to find a man beating them with an unknown object, police said, MPR News reports.
Upon arrival, officers found Pamela and Mark inside the house, suffering from apparent stab wounds and blunt force injuries, police said. At the same time, they spotted a man running away from the house and immediately took him into custody. He had a metal bar and part of a blood-covered nunchaku in his possession, according to the criminal complaint.
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The couple was rushed to a local hospital, where Mark was pronounced dead.
“Based upon the preliminary investigation, it is believed there is no known danger to the public at this time and this was not a random incident,” police said in the release.
Motive is unknown at this time.
Roring told detectives he had gone to his aunt and uncle’s house to return a key when he found an intruder inside, police said, MPR News reports.
He allegedly told detectives that the intruder “had nunchucks and a chain, and that he struggled with the unknown intruder and got the weapons before the unknown intruder escaped out the front door,” the criminal complaint states, according to theStarTribune.
He remains held without bail in Hennepin County Jail. It is unclear whether he has retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
“This is a horrific and tragic event, and we ask for thoughts and prayers for the victims and their family,” Chief Booker Hodges said in the release. “I am grateful for the excellent work of our dispatchers and police officers which led to the immediate apprehension of the suspect.”
Mark served as mayor of Janesville for one term from 2011 to 2012.
AGoFundMehas been set up for Pamela and her family.
“We are so incredibly grateful to still have Pam with us and know that she will recover,” organizer Shalon Fiala wrote. “Their family has been faced with the unimaginable task of picking up the pieces to help Pam recover while trying to grapple with the raw grief of losing Mark so tragically. Can you imagine? No. Nope. No one can. Not even when it’s happening. This. Can’t. Be. Real.
“Anyone who knows Mark and Pam knows them as friends," the statement continues. “They loved each other dearly and it spilled over to everyone they met. Their smiles, warmth, and kindness reached far and wide and never discriminated.”
Pam, she wrote, “faces an extended stay in ICU for her recovery and also due to limited room availability in next-level units. As you can imagine her medical bills now and moving forward will be tremendous.”
She faces “on-going physical therapy and mental health support, the restoration of her home and/or possible relocation, and support to help her live independently without her sweet husband.”
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
