SENECA, Kan. —

A defense attorney is asking a Nemaha County judge to order a mental competency evaluation for a man accused of killing a Catholic priest in Seneca earlier this year.

Attorney Jason W. Belveal filed the motion Tuesday, requesting the evaluation for Gary Lee Hermesch. Advertisement

The filing states Hermesch “may not be competent to stand trial.”

According to an affidavit, authorities say Hermesch admitted to shooting Father Arul Carasala, a priest at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, on April 3, 2025.

After the shooting, court documents state Hermesch went to the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office, confessed, and asked to be arrested.

A gun was found in Hermesch’s vehicle, and witnesses said they saw a man shoot the priest multiple times before driving away.

A heari

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