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Cleveland Priest Possibly Murdered by Trainee
Aired December 10, 2002 - 13:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: First this hour, the alleged murder of a priest in Cleveland. It was shocking enough to learn of the killing and even more stunning when police named a priest trainee as the suspect. And get this: just hours after the killing, he helped distribute communion. He even told reporters he had tried to save the priest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN MONTGOMERY, SUSPECT: I saw the fire, I tried to put it out. I could not, so I called 911, but unfortunately it was too late when the fire department got here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Today, Dan Montgomery appeared in court to answer charges of arson and murder.
CNN's Jeff Flock was there. He joins us live from Cleveland -- Jeff.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Kyra, live at what they call the Justice Center behind me here in Cleveland. Daniel Montgomery, 37 years old, appeared here today in court to enter a plea of not guilty. The charge is aggravated murder and aggravated arson.
I want to show you Mr. Montgomery. He was a man who was in training to wear the brown robe of a Franciscan friar. Instead today showing up in court in the white jumpsuit of a jailed prisoner.
Now, Mr. Montgomery was, as we said, in training to be a Franciscan brother, had spent about seven years in training in fact, and was doing an internship here at St. Stanislaus Church, which is the sizable Polish community here in Cleveland.
Apparently it wasn't working out very well. Parishioners were not aware of it, but apparently the order had decided to transfer him away from the church, and perhaps even drop him from the training program. He knew about that. It was to take place this week. He was essentially fired.
What sort of role Father William Gulas, the 69-year-old priest who was shot, as it turns out, played in all of this, at this point, we do not know.
It's been a real shock to all of the parishioners here, though, because as you point out, Kyra, Brother Montgomery, after the fire, said that he had tried to save Father Gulas. He had called 911, he said, and then, on the Sunday after it, he served communion to many of the parishioners. I talked to one of them at a memorial service for Father Gulas last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENNIS TERREZ, CHURCH MEMBER: Churches are here to bridge spiritual to the human, human to the spiritual. Everyone in this parish has human frailties.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLOCK: Perhaps you heard Dennis Terrez there, his name. He is a man -- his father and mother were married in the church, his grandmother and grandfather were married in the church, and he is a member of the church. It is a great loss in Cleveland's Slavic community, Slavic Village is what they call it where the church is located.
No more from Mr. Montgomery until January. That is his next court appearance. He will be held, Kyra, without bond. Back to you.
PHILLIPS: Jeff Flock, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 10, 2002 - 13:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: First this hour, the alleged murder of a priest in Cleveland. It was shocking enough to learn of the killing and even more stunning when police named a priest trainee as the suspect. And get this: just hours after the killing, he helped distribute communion. He even told reporters he had tried to save the priest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN MONTGOMERY, SUSPECT: I saw the fire, I tried to put it out. I could not, so I called 911, but unfortunately it was too late when the fire department got here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Today, Dan Montgomery appeared in court to answer charges of arson and murder.
CNN's Jeff Flock was there. He joins us live from Cleveland -- Jeff.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Kyra, live at what they call the Justice Center behind me here in Cleveland. Daniel Montgomery, 37 years old, appeared here today in court to enter a plea of not guilty. The charge is aggravated murder and aggravated arson.
I want to show you Mr. Montgomery. He was a man who was in training to wear the brown robe of a Franciscan friar. Instead today showing up in court in the white jumpsuit of a jailed prisoner.
Now, Mr. Montgomery was, as we said, in training to be a Franciscan brother, had spent about seven years in training in fact, and was doing an internship here at St. Stanislaus Church, which is the sizable Polish community here in Cleveland.
Apparently it wasn't working out very well. Parishioners were not aware of it, but apparently the order had decided to transfer him away from the church, and perhaps even drop him from the training program. He knew about that. It was to take place this week. He was essentially fired.
What sort of role Father William Gulas, the 69-year-old priest who was shot, as it turns out, played in all of this, at this point, we do not know.
It's been a real shock to all of the parishioners here, though, because as you point out, Kyra, Brother Montgomery, after the fire, said that he had tried to save Father Gulas. He had called 911, he said, and then, on the Sunday after it, he served communion to many of the parishioners. I talked to one of them at a memorial service for Father Gulas last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENNIS TERREZ, CHURCH MEMBER: Churches are here to bridge spiritual to the human, human to the spiritual. Everyone in this parish has human frailties.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLOCK: Perhaps you heard Dennis Terrez there, his name. He is a man -- his father and mother were married in the church, his grandmother and grandfather were married in the church, and he is a member of the church. It is a great loss in Cleveland's Slavic community, Slavic Village is what they call it where the church is located.
No more from Mr. Montgomery until January. That is his next court appearance. He will be held, Kyra, without bond. Back to you.
PHILLIPS: Jeff Flock, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
