UPDATE - Suspect in custody after bizzare killing of beloved priest

An arrest has been made in the suspected murder of a popular Catholic priest in the Northern California town of Eureka, a case which has stunned a community and the nation.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Police say they have made an arrest of a man who they believe murdered Catholic priest, the Rev. Eric Freed in Eureka on New Year's day. Gary Lee Bullock has been identified as the suspect in the case and police say he is now in custody. They also stated that he was in police custody that same morning of the murder.

Bullock, the suspect was arrested early on New Year's Eve for public intoxication but behaved to erratically for jail. He was taken to a hospital where deputies say he had to be physically restrained. He was then booked into jail at 4:30 PM on New Year's Eve and spent the night in jail. He was released just after noon on Jan 1.

Within two hours, police in Eureka say they were called to investigate a suspicious person at St. Bernard Church in Eureka. Police found Bullock there, found him intoxicated, but not sufficiently so to detain him. Officers referred him to a local shelter.

Later, Bullock was spotted on church property by a security guard and was asked to leave. After that, it was Church staff who found Fr. Freed's body. Police located a parishioner who was also a doctor who pronounced Freed dead, likely as a result of blunt force trauma. Police say they saw evidence of a forced entry on the premises.

Police went searching for Bullock who fled the premises in Fr. Freed's car.

Bullock ended up at a relative's house about an hour away. It was one of Bullock's relatives that contacted police.

Police have said they have to question that Bullock is the suspect who committed the murder. They added they think it was a crime of opportunity.

Now, the community is in mourning for a priest that was widely respected and beloved. Fr. Freed was described as very friendly, warm, and jovial. Fr. Freed was also a professor at nearby Humboldt University where he taught religious studies.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'