WASHINGTON COUNTY, Neb. —

The 45-year-old man accused of killing a Nebraska priest pleaded guilty to four felonies on Tuesday.

Kierre Williams pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, using a deadly weapon to commit a felony, burglary, and possession of a weapon by a prohibited person in the killing of the Rev. Stephen Gutgsell .

Gutgsell was killed during a break-in at the rectory of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in December 2023, according to authorities.

What we know:

Deputies arrived and found Williams inside the church's rectory along with the priest.

According to court documents, when the responding deputy found Gutgsell near the kitchen in the rectory, he appeared to have a severe laceration and was bleeding profusely.

The deputy reported that Williams was lying with h

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