Editor’s note: This article refers to details that some readers might find disturbing.
The man who has confessed to the April murder of Arizona Pastor Bill Schonemann—whose arms were pinned to the wall to resemble crucifixion—has revealed that he targeted the pastor specifically because Schonemann was teaching people that Jesus is the Son of God and equal to God.
In interviews with reporters, Adam Sheafe explained that when he killed Schonemann, he placed a crown of thorns on Schonemann’s head and drove a leather strap through the pastor’s right ear.
Speaking from jail to True Crime Correspondent Briana Whitney, Sheafe said he had planned to “execute and crucify” 14 pastors total because there are 13 tribes of Israel and Adam is the son of God, created in God’s image.
After Sheafe killed the “priests,” a term he seemed to apply to any Christian church leader, Sheafe planned to “put one of the tribes of Israel in each of their right ears, which I did with this priest [Schonemann].”
Adam Sheafe Describes How He Decided To Kill Arizona Pastor Bill Schonemann
When Pastor Bill Schonemann of New River Bible Chapel in New River, Arizona, was found dead in his home in late April, there were few details released at the time about his apparent murder.
Nevertheless, the little that was known was enough to shock and disturb the community. Schonemann’s death was ruled a homicide, and it was reported that his hands were pinned to the wall and that he had “significant injuries.”
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At the time, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said that Schonemann’s death was an isolated incident and that there was “no further risk or safety concerns for the community.”
It is now known that prior to being arrested, Sheafe was moving forward with plans to kill two church leaders in Sedona, Arizona, which is about an hour-and-a-half drive from New River, according to Google Maps.
Sheafe has admitted to murdering Schonemann, answering in the affirmative without hesitation when multiple reporters asked him directly if Sheafe killed the pastor. As ChurchLeaders previously reported, Sheafe had planned to “crucify” more church leaders in Alabama, Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.
Fox 10 Phoenix’s Lauren Clark also interviewed Sheafe in jail and reported that he planned to kill 14 pastors as part of “Operation First Commandment.” Sheafe stated that his specific reason for doing so was that “Christian pastors are leading people into a false path by following Jesus.”
