A Catholic priest in Nebraska died on Sunday following an assault at his church as the suspect who stabbed him was identified, according to officials. Kierre L. Williams, 43, of Sioux County, Iowa, was arrested for the alleged murder of Rev. Stephen Gutgsell, 65, during a break-in at the rectory of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, police said.
The Washington County Sheriff's office announced that Williams has been charged with homicide and the use of a weapon to commit a felony. Gutgsell was assaulted at the church's rectory and was rushed to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.
Stabbed to Death
Gutgsell, 65, made a 911 call around 5 am reporting an attempted break-in at the rectory. When the police arrived, they found Gutgsell injured and an alleged attacker, Williams, inside. The motive behind Williams's killing of Gutgsell remains unclear.
After sustaining stab injuries, Gutgsell was transported to an Omaha hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, as reported by church officials.
The suspect, Williams, was arrested and taken to Washington County Jail. The sheriff's office said that the investigation is still ongoing.
"He is not from the area. He is not from Fort Calhoun or even Nebraska as far as we know about," sheriff's officials said.
The statement from the local church read: "The Washington County Sheriff's Office is investigating, and there are no further details at this time."
"Please join Archbishop George Lucas in prayer for the repose of Father Gutgsell, for his family and for the St. John the Baptist parish community in this tragic time," the church's statement read.
Motive Unclear
Although an investigation has been launched, it is still unclear what led to Gutgsell's horrific murder. According to local media reports, Williams dragged Gutgsell out of his room and took him to the church's rectory and then stabbed him multiple times.
Mike Fitzgerald, a parishioner at St. John the Baptist, mentioned that the regular 8:30 am service at the church was canceled. He conveyed to the Omaha World Herald, "Father Gutgsell has been here for 11 years, and I thought he was a very holy man."
"He did a lot of things for the community. He always made sure that the (church) bulletin had everything in it that we needed to know about things going on at the church."
The sheriff's office has said that there is no threat to the community and emphasized that the investigation is still ongoing.
