New River pastor murder suspect Adam Sheafe asks to plead guilty, requests death penalty
Adam Sheafe intends to plead guilty; wants quick sentencing
The man accused of brutally killing a beloved New River pastor asked a judge to enter a guilty plea and move the case along quickly.
PHOENIX - The man accused of brutally killing a beloved pastor in New River nearly a year ago was back in court today. Adam Sheafe, who is representing himself, is asking the judge to enter a guilty plea and move the case along quickly.
Sheafe is accused of murdering and mutilating the body of Pastor William Schonemann in April 2025.
In a jailhouse interview with FOX 10 last year, Sheafe claimed the killing was part of a plot targeting more than a dozen Christian leaders across the country.
Adam Sheafe pleads not guilty to killing New River pastor William Schonemann
In an interview with FOX 10, Adam Sheafe admitted to killing New River pastor William Schonemann, saying it was party of a plan to kill more than a dozen Christian leaders in multiple states.
Sheafe initially filed a petition to plead "no contest," but the state objected.
What they're saying:
Prosecutors argued that such a plea is usually reserved for defendants who cannot remember their crime due to intoxication or other reasons. Sheafe then told the judge he would plead guilty to all counts in exchange for a bench trial.
In court, Sheafe stated, "I have no mitigating factors and I can see that there are two aggravating factors. I don't even need to read that. I mean, it's an undisputable fact that the victim, Pastor Bill Schonemann, was over 70 years old. It's an undisputable fact that the crime was heinous in nature. I intended it to be heinous. So they're two aggravating factors. And I have no mitigating factors. That's why I'm saying, why do we have to drag this on and on and on? Why can't we just go to sentencing? I'm not contesting anything. Before I was even indicted, I gave a full confession to the FBI. I did four interviews with four separate media outlets. From day one, I've said I did this. These are the reasons why I did this, and I'm not contesting anything. And my speedy trial rights went from five months to basically two and a half years. And we're dragging this out in the interest of justice. What about the victim's families? What about me? What about my family? We want closure so we can move on with our lives."
What's next:
Sheafe has asked for the death penalty and wants the court process expedited. No decision on that request was made in March. He is scheduled to be back in court April 24.