Iowa Man Arrested After Killing Catholic Priest in Nebraska Church Residence

Gutsgell pleaded guilty to theft in 2007.

Kierre L. Williams, an Iowa man, was arrested after killing Rev. Stephen Gutgsell, a Catholic priest, in a Nebraska Church residence on Sunday.

According to the statement, Gutgsell was assaulted during an invasion of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, the archdiocese of Omaha. Fort Calhoun, with a population of about 1,000 people, is roughly 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Omaha.

Williams Arrested After Killing Gutsgell

GERMANY-CRIME-JUSTICE-TERRORISM-TRIAL
Handcuffed defendant Abdullah A (C), accused of stabbing a German tourist to death in Dresden, is led by court officials into the hearing room of his trial at the Higher Regional Court in Dresden, eastern Germany, on April 12, 2021. - The trial of a Syrian jihadist who stabbed a German tourist to death in an apparently homophobic attack last year began in the eastern city of Dresden on April 12. The 21-year-old, named by German media as Abdullah A., is charged with murder, attempted murder and dangerous bodily harm for attacking two men who had travelled to Dresden from North Rhine-Westphalia with a knife on October 4. SEBASTIAN KAHNERT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Gutsgell was taken to a hospital in Omaha, who suffered multiple injuries from stabbing. Police received a 911 call about an attempted break-in at the church after 5 am. Washington County Sheriff Mike Robinson said that the officers found Gutsgell injured and a suspected attacker inside the church as soon as they arrived.

Williams was arrested on charges of homicide and using a weapon to commit a felony. Robinson added that the case was still an ongoing investigation and the manner of death will not yet be released.

The officials still have not cleared if Williams has a lawyer. A message left at the county jail was not immediately returned.

Gutsgell pleaded guilty to theft by deception for embezzling $127,000 from an area church in 2007. He was sentenced to probation and was required to pay restitution.

Later, he was transferred to another church, and the church leaders defended Gutsgell, saying that he had learned his lesson, admitted his wrongdoings, and asked for forgiveness.

Michael Gutsgell, his fellow priest and brother, who served as chancellor of the Omaha archdiocese from 1994 until 2003, also pleaded guilty to theft charges.

Robinson said that the authorities did not believe Gutsgell's death was related to his criminal history. The Associated Press asked Robinson questions about the case on Sunday, but he did not respond.

Archdiocese of Omaha spokesperson Riley Johnson also declined to comment to confirm that Stephen and Michael were brothers.

GERMANY-CRIME-JUSTICE-TERRORISM-TRIAL
Handcuffed defendant Abdullah A (C), accused of stabbing a German tourist to death in Dresden, is led by court officials into the hearing room of his trial at the Higher Regional Court in Dresden, eastern Germany, on April 12, 2021. - The trial of a Syrian jihadist who stabbed a German tourist to death in an apparently homophobic attack last year began in the eastern city of Dresden on April 12. The 21-year-old, named by German media as Abdullah A., is charged with murder, attempted murder and dangerous bodily harm for attacking two men who had travelled to Dresden from North Rhine-Westphalia with a knife on October 4. SEBASTIAN KAHNERT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Killing of Catholic Priests in the Philippines

In December 2018, three Catholic priests were killed in the Philippines. The political leaders in the Philippines continued to condemn the country's impunity culture.

Fr Jerome Secillano, a spokesman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, said in an interview with Al Jazeera, "We should be alarmed."

He added that killing was a form of violence, and they did not want violence to dominate the society. Instead, they want a violence-free society with citizens who are free to roam around with a sense of security and safety.

Richmond Nilo was the latest member of the Catholic clergy to be killed by unidentified gunmen while he was preparing for a church service in the northern province of Nueva Ecija.

Secillano noted that he did not see a pattern of Catholic priests being targeted. However, he admitted that the culture of impunity has continued and paved the way for the killing of Nilo and other priests.

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