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Accused killer of Kansas priest declared not competent at murder trial

September 5, 2026 · 1 min read

A man accused of murdering a priest in Kansas was declared not competent at a court hearing this week, authorities said.

Gary Hermesch was declared incompetent to stand trial in Nemaha County Court on Sept. 3. Hermesch had been charged with first-degree murder in the April 3, 2025 shooting death of Father Arul Carasala in the small city of Seneca.

A spokesman with the state attorney general’s office confirmed the court ruling to EWTN News. The spokesman added that the court “ordered involuntary commitment proceedings [to] be initiated.”

The suspect was arrested the day after the shooting. He reportedly turned himself in to authorities and confessed to the crime.

TKansas City Archbishop Joseph Naumann said in a Facebook post after the shooting that Carasala “was a devoted and zealous pastor” who “faithfully served our archdiocese for over 20 years.”

“His love for Christ and his Church was evident in how he ministered to his people with great generosity and care,” the archbishop said.

Carasala’s obituary described him as a “beloved priest” who was “grounded, compassionate, and deeply community-oriented.” He was born in Kilacheri, Tamil Nadu, India, and attended…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

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Hannah Hall

Such a sad thing for that little town of Seneca. I keep thinking about Father Carasala turning up in Kansas all the way from Tamil Nadu and giving twenty years to the archdiocese like the archbishop said. Praying the commitment helps Gary Hermesch get the help he clearly needs.

Екатерина Новикова

Yes, Seneca is a very small town, such stories are especially difficult to bear there. Father Arul came from Tamil Nadu and served for twenty years, that means a lot. It’s good that the court ordered compulsory treatment, maybe Germesh will get help after all.

Gregory Mitchell

Yeah, Seneca's the kind of place where everybody knows everybody, so this had to hit hard. The part that sticks with me is how Father Carasala came all the way from Tamil Nadu and still spent over twenty years being that steady, community-oriented pastor they described. Hoping the commitment order actually gets Hermesch the treatment he needs instead of just cycling through the system.

Paul Davis

Yeah, small-town places like Seneca really feel it when something like this happens. Father Carasala's twenty-plus years there after coming from Tamil Nadu stuck out to me too—sounds like he put down real roots. I hope the treatment order leads to something that actually helps Hermesch instead of just warehousing him.

Elizabeth Hall

Such a long way from Tamil Nadu to end up in a place like Seneca. The commitment order sounds like the right call for Hermesch if he's that unwell. I wonder if the parish has set up any regular memorial masses for Father Carasala yet.