In a chilling jailhouse interview, the man accused of a gruesome, religiously motivated murder of a beloved pastor in Arizona said he had committed the crime and revealed he had a broader hit list of religious leaders he intended to kill during his murderous rampage.
Adam Christopher Sheafe, 51, told True Crime Arizona Monday that he crucified 76-year-old Pastor William Schonemann, known in the community as “Pastor Bill,” inside his New River home in April.
Sheafe said the attack was part of what he claimed was a divine mission to punish religious leaders who, in his view, were misleading followers.
“I drove from there (Phoenix) to Bill’s house, like two in the morning on a Sunday night, and I executed him,” Sheafe told the correspondent Briana Whitney, who sat across the table from him.
Schonemann was found dead in his bed, covered in blood, on April 28 during a welfare check.
During the interview, Sheafe spoke about the disturbing scene, which included details about a crown of thorns, which he said he made from what he found in the woods, and placed on Schonemann’s head.
“Because what I’m saying is, what you’re preaching is not what God said,” Sheafe explained. “It’s the opposite of what God said.”
Sheafe revealed that Schonemann was not his only target. Prior to the murder, he said he had followed a priest home after Easter services in Phoenix with the intent to kill him — the first of 14 intended “executions” across the country.
“Starting in Arizona, where I was born,” Sheafe said. “Where it starts is where it ends, like the Garden of Eden.”
But he claimed to have stopped that first attempt when two women unexpectedly entered the priest’s garage.
“I’m not interested in executing anyone other than the pastors or the shepherds leading the flock astray,” he said.
After killing Schonemann, Sheafe said he traveled to Sedona, where he planned to murder two more religious leaders. He would later be identified as the suspect in a burglary which led to a high-speed chase with Sedona police.
But Sheafe evaded capture when he disappeared after crashing his car into another vehicle, police said. His abandoned car—later discovered to be stolen from Cave Creek—was recovered at a nearby trailhead.
Authorities say they found evidence inside the car that reportedly tied Sheafe to the New River killing.
He was finally arrested a few days later, during a manhunt related to the string of burglaries. Had he not been caught, Sheafe said he planned to continue his killing spree nationwide.
“From there, it was Las Vegas, Nevada; Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; Billings, Montana; Detroit, Michigan; New York, New York; Charlotte, North Carolina; Mobile, Alabama; Beaumont, Texas and El Paso, Texas,” he said. “So, four of them were going to get hit in Arizona.”
Sheafe claimed he was acting under what he believes is God’s law and that he expects to be forgiven.
He has maintained that violence wasn’t in his nature, stating: “Look, it’s not my heart to go around killing people.”
When asked how he would feel if someone crucified him, Sheafe replied, “Good luck trying.”
“I want the death penalty because I want to show that you can’t kill God’s son,” Sheafe said. “The whole story is B.S.”
When Whitney pointed out that executions often take years, Sheafe responded, “Well, I want to be executed quickly so we can get this show on the road and show exactly what I’m trying to do… All you gotta do is worship Jesus and you go to Heaven; your sins are forgiven. That’s not what God said.”
Asked if he believed God would forgive his sins, Sheafe said, “Absolutely he will forgive my sins. He is a forgiving God and loving God.”
Whitney challenged that logic: “How do you justify that? I mean, if you’re killing somebody or multiple people — attempted, how does that work?”
“It’s a commandment to rid Israel of evil,” Sheafe replied.
Told by Whitney that he would probably be spending the rest of his life in prison, Sheafe said: “That’s what you think.”
Sheafe remains behind bars at Coconino County Jail and is expected to be extradited to Maricopa County. Charges related to Schonemann’s murder are pending.
