The following comes from a March 1 North Coast Journal article by Thaddeus Greenson:
Jury selection is underway for the trial of Gary Lee Bullock, who faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted on charges that he tortured and murdered St. Bernard’s pastor Fr. Eric Freed on New Year’s Day 2014.
Because of the notoriety of the crime and the projected length of the trial — it’s expected to stretch into April — it will likely take some weeks to empanel the 12-member jury and a handful of alternates.
Bullock has entered dual pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity in the case, in which he faces charges and allegations of murder, carjacking, burglary, theft, arson and torture. Prosecutors allege Bullock, within hours of being released from jail after a public intoxication arrest, broke into the St. Bernard’s Catholic Church rectory and beat Freed to death before attempting to burn down the residence and stealing Freed’s car.
The insanity pleas in the case mean the trial will be broken into two phases. In the first, the jury will be asked to determine if Bullock is guilty of the charged crimes. If convicted, Bullock would then enter the sanity phase of the trial during which the jury would determine if he was legally sane at the time of the crimes. If deemed insane at the time of the crimes, Bullock would be committed indefinitely to a state mental institution.
Father Freed was a wonderful priest. R.I.P.
Maybe…maybe not.
Say that again, without your screen in front of you. Why don’t you bother to look up facts about his life instead of stirring up nonsense?
maybe, maybe not. as a victim of brutal childhood rape, i can tell you, the rage inside me at one time would have caused me to do the same this dude did.
Fr. Freed was a late vocation. He was not a priest when the alleged murderer was a boy. I don’t understand the red herrings thrown out in the comment threads.
I echo Andrew Rutledge’s comment at the Facebook comments for those who have thrown out the scurrilous idea that Fr. Freed had molested Mr. Bullock in his youth.