Find the murder weapon.
Montgomery's confession, typed by a detective after nearly eight hours of interrogation, says the friar bought the loaded gun for $40 from a clerk at a corner store. After shooting Gulas in the chest, he tossed the weapon in the pastor's office and used a candlelighter to ignite papers on Gulas' desk, the statement says.
In the 24 hours between his call to 911 and his detention, Montgomery had been with other friars or parishioners. He attended a service at the church and spent the night in the parish convent. No one saw him leave the grounds.
In the pastor's office, arson investigators rake the debris, shovel it into small cans, then dump the contents into larger containers. At each stage, a different officer sifts the remains, all with the same result: no gun.
A detective has Montgomery pulled from the county jail and brought to police headquarters. Tell us again: Where is the gun? he asks. Montgomery says to check the pastor's office, or other rooms on that first floor.
Back at the rectory, officers search the hallway, other offices, then the bedrooms. They remove Montgomery's journal, clothing, and computer. They see the candlelighter in its usual spot, on a hallway bookshelf. Still, no gun.
The next day, dozens of cops and firefighters arrive. Their search extends under the building and around the block. They look in the sewers and burrow in neighbors' flower pots.
The result doesn't change. No gun.
On the third day, detectives return to Montgomery in jail.
Tell us where it is, they plead. Don't let this weapon fall into the hands of a child, or another criminal. Don't let someone else get hurt.
Montgomery again agrees to cooperate and starts spitting out locations. Look in the rectory garage, he tells them. Try the bell tower. Or the patio between the church and rectory.
Each suggestion proves to be a dead end. They stop searching.
