The murder of New River pastor Bill Schonemann, which has puzzled authorities since April 28, is now believed by investigators to be religiously motivated. The 76-year-old pastor was found dead in his home, his demise marked by a chilling crime scene that Maricopa County Sheriff's Office officials have opted not to fully disclose out of respect for his family. Adam Christopher Sheafe, 51, currently in custody at the Coconino County Detention Center, faces multiple charges and is the prime suspect in the case.
According to The Christian Post, Sheafe’s list of alleged crimes in the Sedona area includes second-degree burglary and possession of a stolen vehicle. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Capt. David Lee has revealed that their information points toward Sheafe acting with religious intent and had identified other potential victims. Arrested after a manhunt through rugged terrain, Sheafe was already on authorities' radar for suspicious activities observed near New River Bible Chapel.
As FOX 10 Phoenix reports, not only do court records describe Sheafe's personal ordeal with financial hardships, but the suspected murderer had also expressed his struggle with a gambling addiction in an unsuccessful lawsuit against brokerage firm NinjaTrader. Once enjoying employment at a Carlsbad restaurant in Oceanside, California, after going through a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, Sheafe admitted to having "lost everything I had owned and had worked for."
Investigators believe that the suspect moved to Arizona by April 2025. Unfortunately, in late April, during a burglary in the area of Schonemann’s church when law enforcement was arriving, MCSO was unable to apprehend him at that time. In a statement obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix, Randy Schonemann, the victim's son, expressed a desire to understand the motive behind the seemingly targeted attack on his father among the several churches that punctuate New River's landscape.
Adding to the complexity of Sheafe's profile, his father, Chris Sheafe, shared with Arizona Family the troubled individual's history of substance abuse and his fixation on the Old Testament. "He said, 'Just tell police to come and talk to me. And I'll sit them down and tell them everything that I've done.'" Chris Sheafe recounted his son's willingness to cooperate with the authorities in the aftermath of the tragic events that unfolded. While formal charges specifically concerning Schonemann's murder have yet to be filed, MCSO has confirmed that they will pursue these once Sheafe is transferred to their jurisdiction.
