Thursday, August 28, 2003
Priest charged in alcohol-related death of Pitt player
College football notebook
The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH - A Catholic priest was charged Wednesday with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a drunken Pitt player who fell through a church ceiling after a cookout. The priest is accused of serving alcohol to underage drinkers.
The Rev. Henry Krawczyk resigned last month as pastor of St. Maximilian Kolbe parish in Homestead, Pa. Billy Gaines, 19, a sophomore wide receiver, died about 20 hours after falling June 18 at St. Anne Church, part of Krawczyk's parish.
Krawczyk was charged with six counts of furnishing alcohol to minors, one count of reckless endangerment and one count of involuntary manslaughter. Gaines' blood-alcohol content was 0.16 percent; the state's legal limit is 0.1 percent.
Krawczyk's attorney, David Cercone, did not return a call for comment.
Gaines was staying at St. Anne Church after a fire destroyed his apartment.
WASHINGTON STATE: Backup quarterback Chris Hurd will miss the season to undergo surgery to fix a hole in a femur, the result of a congenital knee problem.
BYU: Former Cougar Steve Young will have his jersey retired at halftime of tonight's opener against Georgia Tech, even though his No. 8 is being worn by starting quarterback Matt Berry this season.