29 August 2023
A Savage man was charged Monday with killing his 74-year-old uncle and attempting to kill his 72-year-old aunt in an attack inside the couple’s Bloomington home last week.
Adam Garrett Roring, 44, allegedly entered the home early Thursday morning and stabbed and beat Mark and Pamela Novak, who were married for 53 years.
Pamela and Mark Novak. (Courtesy of GoFundMe)
Mark Novak died later Thursday at the hospital. On Monday night, Pamela Novak was listed as being in satisfactory condition at Hennepin County Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Before moving to Bloomington, the couple lived in Janesville, a small town in south-central Minnesota where they volunteered in the community. Mark Novak served as mayor from 2011 through 2012.
A possible motive was not given in the criminal complaint, which gives the following account:
Police were sent to the couple’s home in the 1000 block of 105th Street West about 4:40 a.m. after Pamela Novak called 911 and said someone was inside their home and they needed help.
As officers attempted to gain entry to the house, they heard noises in the basement and then saw a man, later identified as Roring, crawling from the window. He ran, but was caught and arrested. He had with him a metal bar and partial nunchucks, both of which had blood on them. His car was parked near the home.
Mark Novak was found in the upstairs of the home with a “severe laceration” to his throat and injuries to his head, face and hands, including defense wounds and injuries.
Pamela Novak was found in the living room with “extensive injuries” to her head and face. While being treated on scene, she told officers that she had been in her bedroom with her husband when they were awakened by a male who kept beating them with an unknown object.
Police found a large chef knife in the kitchen sink and blood throughout the home.
Later, at the hospital, she said her husband was attacked in the bedroom but she escaped and was then pushed down stairs. She found her cellphone and identified Roring as the attacker.
Her injuries included multiple facial fractures, lacerations to both sides of her face, lacerations and trauma to the back of her head and a nearly severed finger.
Adam Garrett Roring (Courtesy of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)
In an interview with police, Roring said he went to the home to return a house key that belonged to the couple. However, he said, when he arrived, he discovered an intruder inside the home. He said he fought the intruder, who had nunchucks and a chain and escaped out the front door. He said he checked on his aunt, then fled out the window.
Roring, who was charged with second-degree intentional murder and attempted murder, remains at the Hennepin County jail ahead of a first appearance set for Tuesday.
Other than two misdemeanor driving offenses, Roring does not have a criminal history, according to Minnesota court records.
Janesville mourns
Janesville City Administrator Clinton Rogers said in a statement Monday that the Novaks “made many lifelong friends while living in Janesville … and supported the community in countless ways.”
Mark Novak served on the city’s economic development authority and with the chamber of commerce before his one term as mayor.
“Mark will be missed by many friends in our community,” Rogers said, adding “we hope for a speedy recovery for Pam.”
A post Monday on a CaringBridge page says her “swelling continues to go down and her bruising is still getting better.”
A GoFundMe page set up by the couple’s daughter-in-law says “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.”
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