Priest may face manslaughter charge

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- A judge will decide whether a priest will stand trial in the death of a University of Pittsburgh football player during a church drinking party.

The Rev. Henry Krawczyk, 50, faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment in the June 18 death of Billy Gaines, 19, who was killed when he fell from a crawl space in the rafters above the sanctuary, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said.

Six youths, including Gaines, Pitt teammate David Abdul, and four others had attended the party. Gaines and Abdul had ventured into the crawl space 25 feet above the sanctuary when Gaines fell through the thin flooring to his death.

An earlier manslaughter charge against Krawczyk was dismissed after the coroner ruled there was insufficient evidence. Of the new charges, defense attorney Robert Stewart accused the prosecution of "confusing morally wrong with legally wrong."