PHOENIX, Ariz. — Adam Sheafe, the man accused of killing a beloved New River pastor in April, admitted during a jailhouse interview that the crime was part of a broader plan to carry out religiously motivated killings.
In a conversation with ABC15 through a jail-issued electronic device, Sheafe, 51, confessed to the murder of 76-year-old Pastor William Schonemann, known to his congregation at New River Bible Chapel as “Pastor Bill.” He described arriving in the area during the early morning hours and said he “just went in there and did it.”
Sheafe said he believed Christianity was fundamentally wrong and claimed his goal was to crucify over a dozen pastors and priests in several states. He characterized religious leaders as “leading the flock astray” and mentioned an earlier, failed attempt to target someone else on Easter Sunday.
Schonemann’s body was found at his home on April 28. Sheafe was arrested two days later in Sedona on unrelated charges, including burglary and vehicle theft. Investigators later tied him to the pastor’s death and formally named him a suspect in June.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said Sheafe has an extensive record of violent offenses. Authorities are still investigating whether he had other specific targets in his planned series of attacks.
