Details continue to emerge in the chilling case of a New River pastor's murder after the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) identified 51-year-old Adam Christopher Sheafe as the suspect in custody for the homicide of 76-year-old William Schonemann, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix and Arizona's Family. Officials believe the murder was religiously motivated, stating that Sheafe had targeted Schonemann randomly and had plans for additional victims, some within Arizona, and they assert that this revelation points to a larger, nefarious scheme aimed at religious figures.
According to Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan, the series of events leading to Sheafe's arrest involved an attempted burglary and a stolen car in the New River area, before the discovery of Schonemann's body on April 28 during a welfare check; Sheafe later engaged in suspicious activities at a church, prompting his apprehension, while the Sedona Police Department played a crucial role in pursuing Sheafe after a burglary, and following a car chase that was aborted for public safety, they found evidence connecting Sheafe's abandoned vehicle to Schonemann's murder, however, it wasn’t until Sedona homeowners noted a trespasser matching Sheafe’s description that authorities were able to apprehend the suspect.
The MCSO refrained from disclosing specific details about the crime scene out of respect for the pastor's family but emphasized the heinous nature of the crime. Investigators confirmed that no robbery or theft took place during the incident, implying that Schonemann was indeed targeted for his religious affiliation, as FOX 10 Phoenix obtained from MCSO officials. The suspect, Sheafe, is said to have a history of criminal activity in both Arizona and Nevada, with charges pending for Schonemann's murder while he remains in custody in northern Arizona.
Randy Schonemann, son of the late pastor, expressed a mix of relief and an absence of hatred in an interview with Arizona's Family, stating, "Yes, we have a face, we have a person, we have background. It doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want to let that build anger. I don’t want that to build hatred. I don’t want to let that take joy out of my life going forward," acknowledging the scale of the suspect’s purported hit list was unsettling but focusing on preventing further harm to others being seen as a positive development. MCSO has been in touch with individuals being believed to be future targets of Sheafe’s purported scheme, actively working to prevent any more tragedies.
