Funeral held for Catholic priest killed in Nebraska church
- A Catholic priest was fatally stabbed inside a Nebraska church
- Services for Rev. Stephen Gutgsell were held Monday in Omaha
- Kierre Williams faces charges connected to Gutgsell’s death
(NewsNation) — Funeral services were held Monday for a Catholic priest who was killed inside a Nebraska church.
The Rev. Stephen Gutgsell was fatally stabbed during a Dec. 10 invasion of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. The town has a population of about 1,000 people and is around 20 miles north of Omaha.
Authorities arrested Kierre L. Williams, 43, on charges of homicide and using a weapon to commit a felony. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said law enforcement found Williams inside the church while responding to a 911 call about an attempted break-in.
Gutgsell’s funeral at St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha was livestreamed on the church’s YouTube page.
In 2007, Gutgsell pleaded guilty to theft by deception for embezzling $127,000 from an area church. He was sentenced to probation and ordered to pay restitution. Investigators do not believe his death was connected to his criminal history.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.