A Catholic priest was fatally stabbed early Sunday, December 10, in the rectory of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call around 5:05 a.m. regarding an attempted break-in at the church. Deputies, upon their arrival, found Father Stephen Gutgsell with multiple stab wounds. Also present at the scene was the assailant.
Kierre L. Williams, a 43-year-old from Sioux City, Iowa, was apprehended at the location. Williams faces charges including homicide and using a weapon to commit a felony. Father Gutgsell, aged 65, was quickly transported to Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, located approximately 17 miles away, where he later died from his injuries.
Father Gutgsell had been an associate pastor within the Archdiocese of Omaha, serving both the Fort Calhoun parish and St. Francis Borgia in Blair.
Archbishop George Lucas of the Archdiocese of Omaha conducted a service at St. Francis Borgia, speaking to the congregation about the incident.
The incident has shed light on Father Gutgsell’s previous legal troubles. In 2007, he admitted guilt in embezzling $127,000 from another parish, which resulted in probation and an order for restitution. He was subsequently reassigned, with church officials confident in his rehabilitation. Additionally, in 2021, Father Gutgsell’s brother, Michael, also a priest, was found guilty of theft from a retired priest’s estate.
Despite these earlier controversies, Sheriff Mike Robinson of Washington County stated that there seems to be no connection between Father Gutgsell’s past and his murder. The investigation into the stabbing and related circumstances is still active, with no further details released by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is currently closed, with parishioners redirected to St. Francis Borgia for services. Parishioner Mike Fitzgerald remembered Gutgsell as a deeply religious individual who had a significant impact on both the community and the church.
