Adam Roring (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office), Mark and Pamela Novak (GoFundMe)
A man from Savage, Minnesota, stands accused of murdering his uncle, a former mayor in the city of Janesville, and severely injured his aunt in a brutal assault involving a large chef’s knife, “a metal bar, and a partial nunchuck.”
Adam Garrett Roring, a 44-year-old with misdemeanor convictions on his record for speeding and driving without a license, now faces a murder and attempted murder case in the death of 74-year-old Mark Novak and wounding of Pamela Novak.
The couple, who had been married for more than 50 years, awoke in the early morning hours last Thursday in their 105th Street home in Bloomington to a man, allegedly Roring, “who kept beating them with an unknown object.”
According to the Bloomington Police Department, cops responded around approximately 4:40 a.m. after receiving a 911 call from Pamela Novak, who was allegedly beaten and pushed down the stairs in her own home but was still able to tell police who the suspect was, what he did, and where he was located.
“Upon arrival officers observed a female on the ground inside the home and observed a male running from the home, the adult male was taken into custody. A second victim was also located in the home,” cops said, noting that both victims sustained “apparent stab and blunt force injuries.”
Tragically, Mark Novak was pronounced dead at Hennepin County Medical Center and Pamela Novak remains there in critical but stable condition, local NBC affiliate KARE reported.
“This is a horrific and tragic event, and we ask for thoughts and prayers for the victims and their family,” Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said in a statement. “I am grateful for the excellent work of our dispatchers and police officers which led to the immediate apprehension of the suspect.”
More Law&Crime coverage: Wisconsin man who played video games all day, lied about SpaceX job, and dismembered his parents heads to prison for life
When Roring was found, he had a bloody partial nunchuck and metal bar on his person, according to details of the criminal complaint reported by the Star Tribune.
Read Related Also: Police Search Backyard in Case Of Missing People’s Court Mom Michelle Parker
The defendant allegedly explained his possession of the bloody chef’s knife and metal chain links in the sink by blaming the deadly attack on an “unknown intruder” armed with nunchucks. The reported details of the complaint said that Roring claimed he only had those bloody items because he took them from the “unknown intruder” during a struggle. The suspect also allegedly offered an explanation as to why he was at the residence in the early morning hours.
Roring allegedly claimed that he happened upon the attack in progress while he was returning house keys to the victims.
A GoFundMe campaign started four days ago has raised more than $12,000 to help the Novak family with Mark’s funeral expenses, Pam’s medical recovery, and helping the grieving widow rebuild her life “independently without her sweet husband.”
“In the early morning hours of Thursday, August 24, 2023, Mark and Pam Novak were attacked in their home by a known assailant. Mark devastatingly lost his life and Pam was severely injured and is now in ICU. We are so incredibly grateful to still have Pam with us and know that she will recover,” a GoFundMe post said. “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,” the message added.
Sadly, it is all too real.
Authorities have not released any details about a possible motive, but they did allege Roring’s car was found parked near the scene.
Jail records reviewed by Law&Crime indicate that Roring was scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday. He remains in the custody of the Hennepin County Jail.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
