Fatally stabbed elderly man found with his heart cut out; victim's daughter charged with murder

An Indiana woman is accused of fatally stabbing her elderly father, who was found late last month with his heart cut out, authorities said.

According to Porter County court records cited by USA Today, 32-year-old Serena Dolnics was charged with murder July 28 in the death of her father.

'Recently my father was murdered by my sister.'

USA Today obtained a probable cause affidavit noting that deputies with the Porter County Sheriff's Office conducted a welfare check at a Valparaiso home July 26 and found 69-year-old Gregory Dolnics dead.

The affidavit stated that law enforcement responded to the property after a relative calling 911 was unable to make contact with Dolnics.

Citing court documents, WTHR-TV reported that a family member informed a police dispatcher that the deceased man's daughter, Serena Dolnics, was living with her father.

When a family member asked the daughter to speak to Gregory Dolnics, the daughter made "odd statements," according to court documents.

WTHR added that while a family member was on the phone with 911, Serena's boyfriend allegedly sent text messages and made phone calls to the family, saying he was at Gregory Dolnics' home and that Serena was "covered in blood."

Court docs also indicate that the boyfriend sent text messages saying he believed Serena stabbed her father and that she was suicidal.

The boyfriend told police that Serena had locked him out of the house and told him that she was "covered in blood," according to court records.

Court documents said an officer peered through the windows of the home and noticed blood drops on the floor and a body on the floor covered in dried blood.

The affidavit said police forced entry into the home and discovered a body on the floor with multiple stab wounds to the head, neck, hands, and arms.

The body also had an open chest wound that "appeared to be empty, as if something was removed," according to court documents.

Police noted that what appeared to be his heart was "laying on his stomach."

Officers found Serena in a bedroom with blood on her feet and legs, and she was wearing a tank top that "contained a large amount of blood," court documents stated.

Serena was transported to a local hospital because she had multiple injuries on both of her hands that were "consistent with being from a knife slipping through a hand," according to court docs.

Police found three bloody knives in the home, the affidavit said.

WTHR reported that three bloody footprints that apparently were made by a barefoot person were found near Gregory Dolnics' body.

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Court documents said Serena told police that her dad "wasn't feeling too good" and he "laid around" while she was watching the "Game of Thrones" TV show.

Charging documents indicate that Serena told investigators she and her father got along, that she didn't see him hurt, and that her hand injuriesn were while she was gardening with a weed whacker or a small saw, the Times of Northwest Indiana reported.

Police noted, "There was no garden, no bloody shears, or small saw located on the property."

An autopsy ruled Gregory's death a homicide caused by multiple sharp-force injuries, according to the Times.

Serena was booked at the Porter County Jail and is being held without bond, according to Porter County Sheriff's Office arrest records.

The New York Post reported that Serena pleaded not guilty Thursday.

Citing court records, the Times reported that Serena has previous convictions involving methamphetamine possession, operating while intoxicated, and public intoxication.

Serena's sister, Jennifer Naccarato, launched a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for her father's funeral expenses.

"Recently my father was murdered by my sister," the campaign said. "This incident came and took a complete toll on me and my family."

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