Innocent plea entered in priest's killing

Accused was training to become Franciscan brother

Daniel Montgomery stands between defense attorneys Henry Hilow, left, and Kevin Spellecy during his court appearance.

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VIDEO CNN's Jeff Flock reports Franciscan brother trainee Daniel Montgomery pled not guilty to a charge of murdering a Roman Catholic priest (December 10) PLAY VIDEO

CLEVELAND, Ohio (CNN) -- A man who was training to be a Franciscan brother appeared in court Tuesday morning and pleaded innocent to a charge of murdering a Roman Catholic priest.

Daniel Montgomery, 37, training at St. Stanislaus Church, was charged with aggravated murder and aggravated arson in the death Saturday of the church's spiritual leader, the Rev. William Gulas, 68.

Police say Montgomery fatally shot Gulas and then set fire to the rectory of the church, leaving Gulas' body inside. Investigators believe he acted alone.

Authorities say they don't know a motive.

A judge denied Montgomery bond Tuesday, and a prosecutor said the death penalty was an option.

Two attorneys, Kevin Spellecy and Henry Hilow, said they will represent Montgomery.

Gulas' body was found in the ruins of the church's rectory, Police Chief Edward Lohn said Monday. The church has served a largely Polish community since it was built more than a century ago.

At first, authorities believed the priest had died in the fire, Lohn said, but an X-ray revealed the presence of a bullet in his body, Lohn said. "At that time, the homicide unit was notified."

As investigators obtained statements from potential witnesses and collected evidence from the section of the brick structure affected by the fire, Montgomery was asked "to come down to police headquarters and help the investigation," Lohn said. He was arrested Sunday night.

A letter hangs on the fence surrounding the rectory of St. Stanislaus Church.

The killing stunned parishioners at St. Stanislaus, where Gulas had served more than a decade. The charges against Montgomery were a further shock, as he had offered comfort to parishioners after Gulas' death.

He had told local TV crews, "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."

Montgomery had served communion Sunday to parishioners, including Dennis Terez.

"Churches are here to bridge the spiritual to the human, human to the spiritual," Terez said after learning of the charges against Montgomery. "Everyone in this parish has human frailties."

Cleveland Mayor Jane L. Campbell said "We are confident that we have charged the person that is responsible for this heinous crime ... our safety forces wasted no time in getting to the bottom of this matter."

Montgomery's next court appearance is scheduled for January 14.

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