An Indiana woman was arrested after she allegedly killed her father, cut out his heart and told authorities that she sustained her injuries from gardening.
Serena Dolnics was taken into custody on July 26 and was charged with murder, according to jail records. She is being held in custody at the Porter County Sheriff’s Office’s jail without bond and has since pleaded not guilty, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Dolnics, 32, faces accusations that she attacked her father, Gregory Dolnics, according to a Porter County Sheriff’s Office press release. He was discovered with stab wounds on his head, hands and arms.
Police learned of the situation when they were asked to do a welfare check on Gregory, 69, at his residence in Valparaiso, Indiana, around 8 p.m. on July 26.
A family member contacted police and said that Serena allegedly admitted to stabbing her father and was covered in blood.
Officers then reported to Gregory’s home, where they found his body with laceration wounds. Additionally, a shirt was rolled up to his chest and an organ that was suspected to be his heart was lying on his stomach, according to court documents obtained by WTHR.
Police wrote that there was blood everywhere and that his body had an open chest wound that “appeared to be empty, as if something was removed.”
Officers searched the home and found Serena inside of a bedroom, and she was then taken into custody. At the time, she was allegedly wearing a tank top that “contained a large amount of blood” and police said that her legs were also soaked in blood.
Serena was taken to a nearby hospital and doctors noted that she had injuries to her hands, which appeared to track with a knife slipping through her hand. Additionally, police noted that they found handles of three knives with blood on them at the time.
While speaking to authorities, Senera was asked about her injuries and she allegedly said they came from working in the garden as she used a weedwacker or a small saw. However, authorities noted that they did not find any garden on the property.
Following the discovery, Gregory was ruled dead as a result of homicide.
It is not currently clear if Serena retained legal counsel following her arrest. Authorities also did not share if they believe she had a motive in the killing.
The Porter County Sheriff’s Office had no additional updates to share when contacted by Us about the case.
