FORT CALHOUN, Neb. — The man accused of killing a Nebraska priest during a 2023 break-in has pleaded guilty and now faces a possible life sentence, prosecutors said.
Kierre Williams, 45, entered his guilty plea on Oct. 28 in Washington County District Court, admitting to first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of Father Stephen Gutgsell, the pastoral administrator of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun.
Williams also pleaded guilty to use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, burglary, and possession of a weapon by a prohibited person. He is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 12 and could receive life in prison.
Authorities said the attack occurred during a break-in at the church rectory early on Dec. 10, 2023. Father Gutgsell, who had been preparing to celebrate Mass for the Second Sunday of Advent, called 911 himself around 5:05 a.m. to report the intrusion.
Deputies arrived within six minutes and found Williams inside the rectory along with the wounded priest. Father Gutgsell, who had been stabbed multiple times in the face and back, was taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where he died from his injuries.
Williams initially pleaded not guilty and filed notice of intent to claim insanity, but later changed his plea. Court records show he had prior convictions in Florida for cocaine possession and fleeing law enforcement in 2008.
Father Gutgsell was remembered by parishioners as a “wonderful person” and “brilliant man” who led Bible studies, loved decorating the altar with flowers, and dedicated himself to helping others.
In his final church bulletin message, Father Gutgsell reflected on the meaning of Advent, writing that the Second Sunday of Advent could be seen as “St. John the Baptist Sunday” — a time to “Prepare the way of the Lord.”
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