The brutal murder of a beloved pastor in Arizona led to the arrest of a man who was plotting to attack 14 Christian leaders, according to an interview with the man in jail.
The remains of 76-year-old Pastor William Schonemann of the New River Bible Chapel were found in his home by police on a welfare check in April of last year.
He said that he had zero remorse and that God would allow him to continue his plan to kill priests and ‘burn every church to the ground.’
Police said they found Schonemann covered in blood, and he had been posed with his hands positioned above him, similar to a crucifixion, and pinned to a wall.
Investigators zeroed in on 51-year-old Adam Sheafe as a suspect after Sedona police caught him breaking into a home while using a truck stolen from a home in Cave Creek. He was captured on surveillance video with the truck at the site of another burglary.
Evidence gathered at Sheafe’s home connected him to the murder of the pastor, as well as evidence found in the truck, in his backpack, and at the burglary scene in Cave Creek, according to prosecutors.
Sheafe was indicted in July on nine counts that included first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, criminal trespass, and kidnapping.
On Wednesday, Sheafe pleaded no contest to the charges.
In a bizarre interview with Briana Whitney of KTVK-TV, Sheafe explained why he wanted to murder 14 priests.
“There’s 13 tribes of Israel, so what I wanted to do was execute and crucify 13 priests and put one of the tribes of Israel in each of their right ears,” he said. “Which I did with this priest — I put the tribe of Benjamin.”
He went on to say that he believed priests had violated the most important commandment by preaching that Jesus is God. Sheafe explained in detail how he picked Schonemann to be his first victim. He said he had wanted to kill another priest for a total of 14.
Sheafe said he used a stud finder to find where to screw Schonemann’s hands to the wall and then put a crown of thorns on his head.
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He also said that God would not allow him to be executed, so he asked for his execution date to be scheduled quickly. He said that he had zero remorse and that God would allow him to continue his plan to kill priests and “burn every church to the ground.”
Sheafe may get his wish and face the death penalty.
Schonemann was a beloved pastor who was a Navy veteran that had served in the Vietnam War.
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William schonemann murder, Adam sheafe murderer, Religious murders, Crime, Crucifixion of a pastor