Nephew charged with murder, attempted murder of aunt and uncle inside their Bloomington home

A 44-year-old man is charged with entering his uncle and aunt's Bloomington home late last week and using various weapons to kill him and leave her critically injured, though a motive in the deadly attack remains unclear, according to charges filed Monday.

Mark Novak, 74, died and Pamela Novak, 72, remains in intensive care following the predawn attack Thursday. Their nephew Adam Roring of Savage is accused of entering the Novaks' home on 105th Street where both were beaten and stabbed. The Hennepin County Attorney's Office charged Roring with second-degree intentional murder and attempted murder.

Pamela Novak called 911 shortly before 5 a.m. Officers arrived and saw her lying on the floor. As they tried to get inside the home, officers heard noises coming from the basement and spotted Roring climbing out a window and attempting to flee, charges say.

Roring remained held without bail at the Hennepin County jail. He has a first court appearance Tuesday and an attorney for him is not yet listed.

According to the criminal complaint:

Roring's jacket, pants and gloves appeared to have blood on them upon his arrest. He also had in his possession a metal bar and part of a blood-covered nunchaku. During the search of the Novaks' home, police found metal links that were likely from the nunchaku and they also recovered a large chef knife in the kitchen sink covered in blood.

Mark Novak suffered a severe laceration to his throat and injuries to his head, face and defense wounds on his hands. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. Pam Novak was treated for injuries to her head, face and neck.

She told police that they were in their bedroom "when they were awoken by a male who kept beating them with an unknown object." She escaped the bedroom and was pushed down the stairs before she was able to call 911 and identify Roring as the assailant.

Roring told police that he went to the Novaks to return house keys belonging to them. But when he arrived, he alleged that an "unknown 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." He claims to have checked on his aunt before he fled out the basement window. Roring's vehicle was also parked near the Novaks' home.

Blood found throughout the home was consistent with Pamela Novak's account.

Attempts to reach Roring's family members were unsuccessful. Other relatives either declined to comment or did not respond to messages seeking comment.

The city of Janesville, Minn., issued a statement Monday on the death of Mark Novak, who was elected mayor for one term from 2011 through 2012. City Administrator Clinton Rogers said in a phone call Monday that he's in shock — a sentiment shared by many who know the Novaks.

"Both were very active in the community by volunteering in many ways for various community events," Rogers said in a statement. "Mark will be missed by many friends in our community. We hope for a speedy recovery for Pam."

"The words still do not feel real and the loss of Mark is immense," their niece, Kate Munson of Minneapolis shared in a Facebook post.

"If you know Pam and Mark, you know they are two of the warmest, kindest and most genuine people in the world. You also would know that they loved each other so dearly and are the sweetest of soulmates. Our hearts are broken but we are also unbelievably grateful that Pam is still with us right now."

A CaringBridge site for Pam Novak said Sunday she had some tubes removed and her swelling has improved as she remains hospitalized.

"In a cruel and senseless attack our patriarch Mark was stolen from us, leaving Pam in the ICU, and all of us in unbelievable pain. We understand many of you have a million questions, and we do too," the site read.

A GoFundMe for the Novaks established by their daughter-in-law looks to cover funeral expenses and help Pam recover in her extended ICU stay "while trying to grapple with the raw grief of losing Mark so tragically."

"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," the fundraiser states.

The Novaks have been married since 1970. In their retirement, Pam took up textile art and sold her work at area craft shows, which Mark thought was "totally awesome," according to Facebook exchanges.

Pam recently shared that Mark had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, which is extra cerebral fluid on the brain. She updated loved ones on doctor visits and developments. Meanwhile, Mark shared a lot of memes and photos of their 13-year-old deaf cat, whom he called Queen.

He graduated from Bloomington's former Lincoln High School in 1967 and retired from CenterPoint Energy in 2014. His Facebook page bio reads "I love being a 'Papa' to 5 beautiful grandchildren!"

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Staff writer Josie Albertson-Grove contributed to this report.