Suspect indicted for murder of New River pastor

PHOENIX — The suspect in the death of a New River pastor was indicted Friday, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) announced.

Adam Sheafe, 51, was indicted on multiple charges, including one count of first-degree murder, three counts of attempt to commit first-degree murder, one count of burglary in the second degree, one of count burglary in the first degree, one count of kidnapping, one of count of theft of means of transportation and one count of criminal trespass in the second degree, according to a release from MCAO.

Sheafe was arrested in April in Coconino County for unrelated crimes. Authorities last month identified him as a suspect in connection with the April murder of Pastor William Schonemann, the pastor at New River Bible Chapel.

The pastor’s body was discovered by two members of his congregation and was positioned with the arms outstretched, similar to a crucifixion.

Why was Sheafe indicted in connection with New River pastor’s murder?

Detectives with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) reportedly connected Sheafe to the pastor’s murder through evidence at the victim’s home.

Sheafe also allegedly broken into a Cave Creek home two days before the pastor’s murder and stole a pickup truck. That stolen pickup truck was then found by Sedona police who were investigating a burglary in which Sheafe and the truck were captured on surveillance video.

MCAO said that the 51-year-old was caught the next day breaking into another Sedona home.

There was reportedly also evidence discovered from the Cave Creek burglary and items found in Sheafe’s backpack and the stolen truck.

According to MCAO, pastor Schonemann’s death was part of a larger plot by Sheafe to kill 14 Christian leaders around the country.

Sheafe reportedly admitted to plotting these religiously motivated murders and the crucifixion of Schonemann during a June interview with ABC 15.

“I just drove there like two in the morning, maybe, and parked,” Sheafe said during a segment aired by the Phoenix TV station. “And then I just went in there and did it.”

Sheafe said he believed Christianity was wrong and he intended to kill priests and pastors in multiple states for “leading the flock astray.”

He said he traveled from his home in California to Arizona to carry out his plot. He also described an aborted attempt targeting a different victim on Easter Sunday, a week before Schonemann’s murder.

Sheafe also told ABC 15 he confessed to the FBI and wants to be executed for killing the New River pastor.

“I told the FBI agent, ‘Look, I want the death sentence. I’ll plead guilty right now, on the spot. … And I want the execution date right now,’” he said.

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