Current:Home > MyMan accused of killing a priest in Nebraska pleads not guilty-InfoLens
Man accused of killing a priest in Nebraska pleads not guilty
View Date:2024-12-23 20:38:54
BLAIR, Neb. (AP) — A man accused of killing a priest in a small Nebraska town pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other charges on Thursday.
Kierre Williams, 43, of Sioux City, Iowa, also is accused of using a deadly weapon to commit a felony, burglary and possession of a weapon by a prohibited person. His next court date is March 5, KETV-TV reported.
Prosecutors have said there doesn’t appear to be any connection between Williams and the Rev. Stephen Gutgsell, who was fatally stabbed on Dec. 10 inside the rectory for St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska.
Williams’ attorney has declined to discuss the case.
The priest’s death came four months after another seemingly random home invasion killing in the town of 1,100 and shook residents’ confidence in their safety.
At a hearing last month, Washington County Deputy Brady Tucker testified that he found Williams lying crossways on top of Gutgsell, whose face was covered with blood. Williams didn’t have a weapon, but investigators later found a broken knife with a serrated blade lying in a blood stain on the floor of Gutgsell’s bedroom, authorities said.
Williams has several felony convictions in other states.
veryGood! (163)
Related
- Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid Enjoy a Broadway Date Night and All that Jazz
- NFL preseason games Thursday: Matchups, times, how to watch and what to know
- Bachelor Nation's Hannah Godwin Details Marrying Best Friend Dylan Barbour
- The rise of Oliver Anthony and 'Rich Men North of Richmond'
- Wisconsin authorities believe kayaker staged his disappearance and fled to Europe
- Billy McFarland went to prison for Fyre Fest. Are his plans for a reboot legal?
- Reneé Rapp says she was body-shamed as the star of Broadway's 'Mean Girls'
- As research grows into how to stop gun violence, one city looks to science for help
- Prosecutor failed to show that Musk’s $1M-a-day sweepstakes was an illegal lottery, judge says
- Fantasy football: Tua Tagovailoa, Calvin Ridley among riskiest picks in 2023 drafts
Ranking
- Inflation ticked up in October, CPI report shows. What happens next with interest rates?
- North Carolina woman lied about her own murder and disappearance, authorities say
- Lego releasing Braille versions of its toy bricks, available to public for first time ever
- Terry Dubrow Reveals Romantic Birthday Plans With Wife Heather After Life-Threatening Blood Clot Scare
- Sports are a must-have for many girls who grow up to be leaders
- Terry Funk, WWE wrestling icon, dies at 79
- Dispatcher fatally shot in Arkansas ambulance parking lot; her estranged husband is charged
- Kansas judge seals court documents in car chase that ended in officer’s shooting death
Recommendation
-
Kennesaw State football coach Brian Bohannon steps down after 10 seasons amid first year in FBS
-
Nike to sell replicas of England goalkeeper Mary Earps' jersey after backlash in U.K.
-
What exactly is colostrum, the popular supplement? And is it good for you?
-
Anthony Richardson's potential, pitfalls on display in Colts' preseason win vs. Eagles
-
Ready-to-eat meat, poultry recalled over listeria risk: See list of affected products
-
World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg has decided to retire, AP source says
-
See you on Copacabana? Unusually balmy weather hits Brazil in a rare winter heat wave
-
Plane crash believed to have killed Russian mercenary chief is seen as Kremlin’s revenge