Suspect confesses to killing Arizona pastor; admits he had more targets
Adam Sheafe admits to Arizona pastor's murder
We're hearing from Adam Sheafe, the man who has confessed to killing beloved New River pastor, Bill Schonemann. He says he doesn't have any regrets about what happened, and planned to carry out more killings.
Adam Sheafe, accused of killing New River pastor Bill Schonemann, admitted on camera that he was responsible for the murder.
He says it was part of his plan to kill 14 Christian leaders in 10 states across the country.
Adam Sheafe
Pastor Bill Remembered:
Before we get into the details of what was shared, it’s important to talk about the life taken.
Pastor Bill was a beloved pastor at New River Bible Chapel. He was known to help those who needed it most.
A neighbor previously told FOX 10 that Schonemann was friendly, always waved at others and had a passion for building trucks.
Suspect Has No Regrets:
On June 24, Sheafe, 51, admitted at the Coconino County Jail that he killed the pastor, whose body was found on April 28. Sheafe is in Coconino County being held on charges unrelated to Pastor Bill's death.
Sheafe has not been charged in Pastor Bill's death, but the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is working on it with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
He showed no remorse or regret after being led into the room in shackles.
When asked if he killed Schonemann, he replied, "Yes."
He justified his actions with religion, citing his belief that Christian pastors are leading people onto a false path by following Jesus. He said Pastor Bill was the first in a plot he called "Operation First Commandment."
He was aiming to "crucify" 14 pastors across the country, and he admitted that he was about to kill two priests at the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona before he was arrested by police.
"The day I was going to execute that priest, I tried getting into the back of his car. There was like a little lady on a bike that got in my way, and I was just going to get in the back seat and tell him to drive to his house," Sheafe said.
He was asked if he was ever victimized by anyone in the Christian faith. He said no, that his family is Christian, and that he had a good childhood.
He denied being mentally unwell. He also said he was not sorry for what he says he did.
"Will I apologize for my actions? Absolutely not," he said.
Sheafe said that he had a history of drug use, but he didn’t believe that impacted his mental state.
He says he's OK with being executed.
When asked if he regretted anything, he said, "nothing."
Sheafe reportedly placed a crown of thorns on Schonemann's head after he was killed.
"In the desert. There's, you know, trees that, you know, have thorns, and so I cut it, and I made the crown of thorns," he said.
Why did he kill Schonemann specifically?
"Because he was first up. I was going to start in Phoenix and end in Phoenix, and circle the nation," he said. "10 cities, 14 pastors, 10 states."
He says he doesn't regret the impact on the New River community that he had, instilling fear.
Sheafe says he was planning to target people of different faiths.
"Christian, Catholic, Mormon. Anyone preaching that Jesus is God, essentially, the Trinity, a concept created by man, by Paul. He's not God. God, the father alone, is God," he said.
He says he doesn't hate Christians.
"I don't hate Christians. I'm after the pastors that are leading them astray," he said.
He says he will apologize to Schonemann's family, but there's a caveat.
"I will apologize to them in that aspect. I'm sorry that they got caught in the crossfire. Will I apologize for my actions? Absolutely not. I'm defending my father," Sheafe said.
Family releases a statement
The family of Pastor Bill released a statement on June 24.
"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. We are quite surprised by his ability to freely message with county supplied devices. 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. We see the surge of media attention and his ability to communicate freely as a very serious threat to that end."
New River pastor murder: New details on background of suspect as court records reveal financial troubles
New details emerging about Adam Sheafe, the suspect in Pastor Bill Schonemann's murder in New River. FOX 10's Justin Lum investigates the background of Sheafe as court records reveal financial troubles.