A 32-year-old Indiana woman has been accused of fatally stabbing her father and then carving out his heart, which she allegedly placed on his stomach. Serena Dolnics was found covered in blood inside the northwestern Indiana home she shared with her father, 69-year-old Gregory Dolnics, who was discovered dead on the floor.
Police responded to the home in Valparaiso on Sunday evening after family members reported they could not reach Gregory Dolnics. While a family member was on the phone with 911, calls and texts from a friend of Serena Dolnics indicated a grisly discovery had been made. Investigators found Gregory Dolnics with slash wounds to his head, face, neck, and back. His heart had been removed and was found on his stomach, according to charging documents. Serena Dolnics sustained slash wounds on her hands, which she attributed to gardening tools.
She told police that she and her father generally had a good relationship, despite occasional minor disagreements. However, she stated she did not observe her father as being injured or hurt. An autopsy confirmed that Gregory Dolnics died from multiple sharp force injuries, and his death was ruled a homicide. Three knives with blood on them were recovered from the residence.
Serena Dolnics was arrested and charged with murder. She appeared in court via video call wearing a suicide vest and pleaded not guilty. A judge ordered her held without bond, with her next hearing scheduled for August 1 to determine the status of her legal representation.
Court documents indicate Dolnics has a criminal record including pleas for substance abuse in 2024, driving while intoxicated in 2017, and public intoxication in 2016. Her sister, Jennifer Naccarato, has initiated a GoFundMe to cover funeral expenses, stating, "Recently my father was murdered by my sister. This incident came and took a complete toll on me and my family. We have no preparation or anything to start."