12 December 2023 , 12:42
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A Catholic priest who was horrifically stabbed to death in his rectory had previously stolen $125,000 (£100,000) from his parish, it has emerged.
Stephen Gutgsell, 65, was fatally stabbed on Sunday at the St. John the Baptist rectory in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, after he had called police to report a break-in before he was discovered brutally wounded.
Suspect Kierre L. Williams, 43, from Sioux County, Iowa, was arrested and charged with homicide and use of a weapon to commit a felony. Police have not revealed a motive behind the attack, and it is not known whether the men knew each other before the stabbing.
"He is not from the area. He is not from Fort Calhoun or even Nebraska as far as we know about," sheriff's officials said of Williams.
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Kierre L. Williams has been arrested in connection to the stabbing (Washington county sheriff office)However, according to court documents, it has been revealed in 2007, the priest was arrested for stealing from his Omaha congregation.
He reached a deal in the case that saw him sentenced to probation instead of 20 years in prison. He was also forced to pay $40,000 in restitution after stealing more than $125,000 over three years from his Omaha parish.
The priest had built huge credit card debts before turning to theft, according to court documents. Little information is provided by police but at the time he was placed on administrative leave during the investigation after he turned himself in to police in February 2007.
He eventually reached a deal with prosecutors which saw him placed on probation for five years instead of being jailed for 20 years. Gutgsell was also ordered to carry out 500 hours of community service and dispatched to Canada for a residential treatment program for religious offenders.
His lawyer Jim Schaeffer said the priest was 'ashamed of his conduct.' "He knows he was wrong and he's asking forgiveness from his parishioners and the church," Schaeffer said. He was also ordered to pay the Archdiocese of Omaha around $40,000 in restitution. At the end of his probation in 2012, he had almost $13,000 left to pay but remained friendly with the church.
Crime tape surrounds St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (AP)The Archdiocese of Omaha told the court the priest had '"agreed to continue making payments" on the amount owed and had no concerns about his probation ending. A former parishioner, Joe Coliano, described him as 'a good priest who, in a weak moment, made some bad decisions 15 years ago' but said he owned up, 'got help' and remained in good standing with the church.
According to court documents, earlier this year Gutgsell's brother Fr. Michael Gutgsell reached a plea deal with prosecutors after being charged with stealing nearly $200,000 from an elderly priest. Fr. Michael managed to steal the money after obtaining power of attorney for 'vulnerable' Fr. Ted Richling, whom he was accused of exploiting. The was later dropped in March 2022 after he repaid the money.