Suspect pleads guilty to murder of Nebraska Catholic priest

(OSV News) -- The suspect in the 2023 murder of a Nebraska priest has pleaded guilty and now faces a possible life sentence in prison.

Kierre Williams entered the plea Oct. 28 in Washington County, Nebraska, District Court, admitting to first-degree murder in the 2023 stabbing death of Father Stephen Gutgsell.

The attack, which was part of a break-in, took place in the rectory of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, where the priest was serving as pastoral administrator.

The 45-year-old Williams also pleaded guilty to charges of the use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, burglary and possession of a weapon by a prohibited person.

Initially, Williams had maintained his innocence, later filing a December 2024 notice of intent to plead not guilty by reason of insanity. Court records show that Williams was convicted in Florida in 2008 of cocaine possession and flight from law enforcement.

Williams, who will be formally sentenced Nov. 12, faces possible life imprisonment. He was initially reported to be from Sioux City, Iowa, although authorities later said while he had apparently worked at a meatpacking plant in that city, his fixed address was uncertain.

Father Stephen Gutgsell was scheduled to celebrate Mass for the Second Sunday of Advent on Dec. 10, 2023, when he was found "suffering from injuries sustained during an assault" in the rectory of St. John the Baptist Church.

According to a press release from Washington County Sheriff Mike Robinson that same day, the county's 911 emergency dispatch received an emergency call at approximately 5:05 a.m. reporting an attempted break-in at the rectory.

According to the statement, deputies arrived within six minutes and found Williams inside the residence with the injured priest.

Local media reports stated that Father Gutgsell had been stabbed in the face and back, and had dialed emergency services himself.

The priest was transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Local media reported that tributes poured in at a vigil held that Sunday, with parishioners mourning a priest known as a "wonderful person" and "brilliant man" who held Bible studies, loved to see the altar decorated with flowers, and was known for devoting himself to the needs of others.

According to the Omaha Archdiocese's website, Father Gutgsell had served as both St. John the Baptist's pastoral administrator and chaplain of the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals in Omaha, Nebraska, which provide care for brain and spinal cord injuries as well as complex medical conditions.

Father Stephen Gutgsell's final message in the bulletin to his flock concerned the patron saint of their parish, noting the Second Sunday of Advent -- the Mass he was supposed to celebrate that day -- could be called "St. John the Baptist Sunday" with its theme "Prepare the way of the Lord."