By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Thursday, March 19, 2026

The Rev. John Zak, a beloved deacon from Omaha, Nebraska, who adopted several of the 13 children he raised with his wife, Mary, is now being mourned by the St. Peter Catholic Church community, where he served for decades, after one of his adopted sons was charged with his murder. He was 69.

“The tragedy is not only in the violence of what happened, but also in the loss of a man whose life was so deeply given over to God, to family, and to others,” St. Peter Catholic Church pastor, the Rev. John P. Broheimer, said in a statement posted on the church’s website. “We grieve because a wife lost her husband, children have lost their father, and this parish has lost a Deacon whose service touched so many lives. The wound is real, and the sorrow is heavy.”

The Omaha Police Department said in a statement Friday that they charged Zak’s 36-year-old adopted son, Martin Zak, with his murder.

Police found the deacon dead in his home on March 11, after they received a call about a missing person around 11:30 p.m. local time.

Lt. Nicholas Andrews told KETV7 that Martin Zak was arrested after trying to evade investigators the following day. John Zak and his wife reportedly adopted Martin Zak when he was 3 months old.

He was denied bond in court on Monday and formally charged with first-degree murder for killing his father, WOWT reported.

Prosecutors told the court that John Zak was found with stab wounds to the chest, back and head, and knives were found in the dishwasher at the home. A missing person report was filed for the late deacon after he failed to show up for work at CHI Health, where he was a respiratory therapy supervisor. He also did not show up for a youth group at his church that evening.

Mary Zak told police that she also went to work on March 11 and dropped off Martin Zak for “mental health programming,” according to court records. She said Martin Zak lived at home with them, but he did not have a key and wasn’t allowed in the home if they weren’t present.

She told police that when she got home that day, the back door of her house was damaged, and she tried to call her husband, but his phone rang in Martin Zak’s pocket.

Investigators found blood leading to Martin Zak’s room in the basement as well as on the back door before discovering the deacon's body.

According to WOWT, a lawyer representing the state of Nebraska also said in court that “officers searched the house and found a tote under the porch with a lid. The tote contained a dismembered torso of the victim. Other body parts were located in and outside of the home.”

Kevin and Cindy Engelkamp, who told KETV7 that they met John and Mary Zak and their 13 children through the St. Peter Catholic Church community, said they were aware of Martin Zak’s mental health struggles but didn’t think he would kill his father.

“Mary and John were trying to be very careful and set boundaries, but still loved him. He was their son and wanted to help him,” Cindy Engelkamp said. “I didn’t think he would go that far, but the kids were concerned for the parents’ safety before this happened."

CHI Health, where John Zak worked for 38 years, said they are “heartbroken” by the tragedy.

"We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of one of our colleagues. John Zak served as a respiratory therapy supervisor at our hospital for 38 years. He devoted his career to caring for patients and supporting his team," the hospital said in a statement cited by KETV7. "We are also focused on supporting our staff who are grieving this loss."

St. Peter Catholic Church said a vigil for John Zak will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday at the church. His funeral mass is also set for 10 a.m. on March 21 at the church.

Pastor Broheimer said John Zak was a devout, dedicated family man who served his church for 40 years.

“As we continue to mourn the tragic death of our beloved Deacon John Zak, we do so with heavy hearts. His sudden and violent death has brought deep sorrow to his wife and children, to all who loved him, and to the whole parish family of St. Peter,” he said. “The circumstances of his death make the loss all the more painful. We cannot overlook that tragedy, nor should we pretend that such a loss does not wound us deeply. It does. And yet even in the face of such grief, we remember him not only in the sorrow of his death, but in the quiet strength, fidelity, and sacrificial love which marked his life.”

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/community-mourns-omaha-deacon-as-adopted-son-charged-with-murder.html