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American Morning
Priest Murdered, Man Charged with Crime Very Unlikely Suspect
Aired December 10, 2002 - 07:35 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We move on to other news. Members of a Roman Catholic church in Cleveland, Ohio still don't believe it. Their priest was murdered and the man charged with the crime is a very unlikely suspect.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the icy cold outside St. Stanislaus Church in Cleveland, these are the faces of grief and shock, maybe more shock. Over the weekend, they were told their beloved priest, 69-year-old Father William Gulas, died in a fire in his rectory office.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's going to be missed. Take him to god. Take him to god.
FLOCK: Then came word that when the Father's body was x-rayed, they found a bullet in his chest. He didn't die in the fire, he'd been murdered.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The one that murdered him has to suffer and he'll pay the price, not Father. Father is in peace. Father is with Jesus now.
FLOCK: Still reeling, parishioners got the final shock, word that a Franciscan brother in training, who had been an assistant at the church, was arrested for the murder. The 37-year-old man they knew as Brother Daniel Montgomery had been comforting parishioners on Sunday and was even interviewed by local TV crews.
DANIEL MONTGOMERY: As 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.
FLOCK: By Monday afternoon, arson investigators were building a case against Montgomery, carrying evidence from the rectory just before the congregation came together to pray for their priest and their church.
(on camera): Hundreds of people stood out in this freezing cold for a prayer service for Father Gulas. Many of the parishioners shocked to learn that the man who had served them communion on Sunday after Father Gulas' murder has now been charged with killing him.
(voice-over): Montgomery served mass to Dennis Terez (ph) and his daughter on Sunday.
(on camera): Does this doesn't make sense to you at all?
DENNIS TEREZ: Churches are here to bridge the spiritual to the human, human to the spiritual. Everyone in this parish has human frailties.
FLOCK (voice-over): Authorities say they don't have a motive, but a representative of the Franciscan order reportedly said Montgomery had just been told he was being dropped from their training program, adding they didn't believe he was cut out to be a brother.
I'm Jeff Flock, CNN, Cleveland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Suspect>
Aired December 10, 2002 - 07:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We move on to other news. Members of a Roman Catholic church in Cleveland, Ohio still don't believe it. Their priest was murdered and the man charged with the crime is a very unlikely suspect.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the icy cold outside St. Stanislaus Church in Cleveland, these are the faces of grief and shock, maybe more shock. Over the weekend, they were told their beloved priest, 69-year-old Father William Gulas, died in a fire in his rectory office.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's going to be missed. Take him to god. Take him to god.
FLOCK: Then came word that when the Father's body was x-rayed, they found a bullet in his chest. He didn't die in the fire, he'd been murdered.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The one that murdered him has to suffer and he'll pay the price, not Father. Father is in peace. Father is with Jesus now.
FLOCK: Still reeling, parishioners got the final shock, word that a Franciscan brother in training, who had been an assistant at the church, was arrested for the murder. The 37-year-old man they knew as Brother Daniel Montgomery had been comforting parishioners on Sunday and was even interviewed by local TV crews.
DANIEL MONTGOMERY: As 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.
FLOCK: By Monday afternoon, arson investigators were building a case against Montgomery, carrying evidence from the rectory just before the congregation came together to pray for their priest and their church.
(on camera): Hundreds of people stood out in this freezing cold for a prayer service for Father Gulas. Many of the parishioners shocked to learn that the man who had served them communion on Sunday after Father Gulas' murder has now been charged with killing him.
(voice-over): Montgomery served mass to Dennis Terez (ph) and his daughter on Sunday.
(on camera): Does this doesn't make sense to you at all?
DENNIS TEREZ: Churches are here to bridge the spiritual to the human, human to the spiritual. Everyone in this parish has human frailties.
FLOCK (voice-over): Authorities say they don't have a motive, but a representative of the Franciscan order reportedly said Montgomery had just been told he was being dropped from their training program, adding they didn't believe he was cut out to be a brother.
I'm Jeff Flock, CNN, Cleveland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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