MINNEAPOLIS — A 44-year-old Twin Cities man is now charged with first-degree murder after being indicted in the stabbing and beating death of a relative last summer.
Adam Garrett Roring was indicted by a Hennepin County grand jury on two counts of first-degree murder in the death of 74-year-old Mark Novak of Bloomington. Roring was also indicted for second-degree attempted murder for allegedly attacking and trying to kill Novak's wife Pam.
Bloomington police were called to a multi-unit building in the 1000 block of 105th Street around 4:40 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, after dispatchers received a call from someone saying a person was inside their residence. Squads arrived to find a woman lying on the floor of the home and soon spotted a man fleeing through a basement window. Officers chased him down on foot and took the suspect, identified as Adam Roring, into custody.
Police say Roring was carrying a metal bar and nunchucks that both appeared to have blood on them. The defendant was found to have marks and injuries on his chest, back and knees.
A search of the home located Novak, former mayor of the community of Janesville in southern Minnesota. Novak had suffered a severe laceration to his throat and other injuries on his head, face, and hands, including defense wounds.
Novak was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
The victim's wife Pam Novak, age 72, suffered severe injuries to her head and face but was able to tell officers what had happened. She reportedly told police that she and Mark Novak had been sleeping in their bedroom when they were awakened by Roring, who repeatedly beat them with an unknown object. Pam Novak told investigators she escaped the bedroom while her husband was being attacked, but Roring caught up to her and pushed her down the stairs.
Novak was able to locate her cell phone and call 911.
Court documents say when questioned by police, Roring claimed he went to the home intending to return a house key but discovered an intruder already in the home. Roring reportedly told detectives he struggled with the intruder and took the metal bar and nunchucks from that person before they escaped out the front door.
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