Suspect in Nebraska Priest's Stabbing Death Faces Possible Death Penalty

Kierre Williams, with a lengthy multi-state criminal history, held without bond as prosecutors consider capital punishment.

Kierre Williams, 43, is accused of fatally stabbing Rev. Stephen Gutgsell in the rectory of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska.
Williams, who has a lengthy criminal history in multiple states, was ordered held without bond as he awaits trial on charges of first-degree murder, burglary, and two felony weapons counts.
Prosecutors have confirmed that there was no known connection between Williams and Gutgsell or the small town of Fort Calhoun where the crime occurred.
The murder charge alone carries a possible death sentence, a fact that seemed to surprise Williams during his court hearing.
County Attorney Scott VanderSchaaf has confirmed that the case is eligible for the death penalty, but a decision on whether to seek capital punishment will be made at a later date.