FORT CALHOUN, Neb. (ChurchMilitant.com) – A Catholic priest was fatally stabbed early Sunday in a church rectory in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska.
Kierre L. Williams
Washington County Sheriff’s Office
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office reported an arrest in the case.
Deputies responded to a 911 call around 5:05 a.m. about an attempted break-in at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. They found Fr. Stephen Gutgsell with stab wounds and a suspect, identified as Kierre Williams of Sioux City, Iowa, inside.
Gutgsell, who recently served in both the Fort Calhoun parish and St. Francis Borgia in the nearby city of Blair, was transported to Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, where he died, church officials said.
According to news reports, Williams was arrested on charges of homicide and using a weapon to commit a felony. The motive for the attack remains under investigation, and authorities have not linked the crime to Gutgsell’s past.
Media accounts further noted that in 2007, Gutgsell had admitted to embezzling over $100,000 from a previous parish, leading to a probation sentence and restitution orders. His brother, Fr. Michael Gutgsell, was also involved in a separate theft case in 2021.
The archdiocese of Omaha requested prayers for Gutgsell, his family and the parish community. Archbishop George Lucas addressed the incident during Sunday Mass at St. Francis Borgia. St. John the Baptist Church is temporarily closed.
Sheriff Mike Robinson emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and that the present incident appears to have no immediate connection to Gutgsell’s prior legal issues.
The archdiocese, reeling from the tragic event, continues to support the community during this difficult time.