A suspect accused of killing an elderly pastor in his Arizona in April admitted to the gruesome murder that he said involved crucifying the beloved Christian leader. He also placed a crown of thorns onto the pastor’s head after he was killed.
After being asked point blank by told Fox 10 News in a jailhouse interview if he killed 76-year-old New River pastor William Schonemann, the 51-year-old murder suspect, Adam Christopher Sheafe, curtly replied, “Yes.”
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Sheafe went on to cite religious reasons for the murder, claiming Christian pastors are leading people down a false road by encouraging them to follow Jesus Christ.
Schonemann was beloved in his community, with those who knew him saying the pastor “would do anything” to help another person in need, Fox 10 News reported.
Sheafe told the outlet that Pastor Schonemann was the first Christian leader he had planned to kill in a plot he called “Operation First Commandment,” which involved the goal of murdering and crucifying fourteen Christian leaders in ten states across the country.
“Christian, Catholic, Mormon — anyone preaching that Jesus is God, essentially,” Sheafe said of his murder goals, adding, “I don’t hate Christians. I’m after the pastors that are leading them astray.”
The 51-year-old suspect also admitted that his next stop was the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona, where he planned to murder two priests — but he was arrested before he could carry out the additional ghastly killings.
“The day that I was going to execute that priest, I tried getting into the back of his car, and there was an older lady that was on a small, little bicycle that got in my way, and I was just going to get in the backseat and tell him to drive to his house,” Sheafe said of his foiled murder plot.
After being asked if he was ever “victimized” by anyone of the Christian faith, Sheafe replied, “No,” adding that his family is Christian and that he had a good childhood. The suspect also insisted he is not mentally unwell.
Fox 10 News reporter Lauren Clark told Sheafe that those who knew and loved Schonemann said the pastor was known for helping others, citing one occasion in which the Christina leader “helped a woman who was living out of her car go into a house and get her life back on track.”
“Do you think what you took was precious or valuable in any way?” Clark asked.
Sheafe reportedly answered the question by going on a hard-to-follow religious rant, adding that he was not sorry for what he did.
After being asked if he regretted anything, the suspect replied, “Nothing.”
Sheafe also said he would apologize to Schonemann’s grieving family, claiming, “I’m sorry that they got caught in the crossfire.”
“I will apologize to them in that aspect,” he told Fox 10 News, adding, “Will I apologize for my actions? Absolutely not.”
Sheafe also disclosed that he is okay with being sentenced to death.
The interview took place at the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, where Sheafe is currently being held on charges unrelated to Schonemann’s killing.
While Sheafe has not been yet charged with killing the New River pastor, he is expected to soon be extradited to Maricopa County.
Schonemann’s body was reportedly found on April 28 in his bed, covered in blood with his hands nailed to the wall. Sheafe also reportedly placed a crown of thorns on the pastor’s head after he was killed.
“This case is probably one of the most bizarre cases I have ever seen in my 40 years with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office,” Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan said in a June 12 press conference.
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“The Sedona Police Department was involved in this case, and because of their involvement, probably saved some lives in apprehending this individual as quickly as they did — on a separate charge, however,” Sheridan continued, noting that the FBI is also involved in the investigation.
“This case is tragic and bizarre,” Sheridan reiterated, adding, “And by ‘bizarre,’ I mean the way the crime occurred, and what happened after the crime.”
On Tuesday, Pastor Schonemann’s family released a statement telling Fox 10 News, “What we have seen over the last week is this suspect enjoying the attention.”
“His side of the story is half of the whole story, and we see the need to cover it however challenging that may be for us,” the pastor’s family continued.
“We are quite surprised by his ability to freely message with county supplied devices,” they added. “We are concerned about his increasing notoriety and possibly gaining a following. He has clearly stated his intentions to continue his mission.”
“From the beginning, our focus has been to stop the suspect before anyone else got hurt,” the statement read. “We see the surge of media attention and his ability to communicate freely as a very serious threat to that end.”
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
