The man who murdered and mutilated the body of a New River pastor last year as part of a suspected plot targeting multiple faith leaders appears to have avoided the death penalty by accepting a plea deal that would have him sentenced to natural life in prison.
Adam Sheafe, 51, was dressed in striped jail garb issued to Maricopa County inmates as he cogently affirmed his guilt for the 2025 murder of 76-year-old William Schonemann, who was known locally as “Pastor Bill,” along with other felonies during a Maricopa County Superior Court hearing June 5.
Maricopa County Sheriff's Office investigators said the murder was both random and religiously motivated. Schonemann was found dead on April 28, 2025, and investigators deemed his death a homicide a few days later.
This file screenshot from a video shows Adam Sheafe when he was booked into the Maricopa County jail following his extradition to Arizona.
Schonemann’s body was discovered by two members of his New River Bible Chapel congregation, his arms outstretched as if he were crucified, the County Attorney's Office said. According to the County Attorney's Office, Sheafe planned to kill 14 other Christian leaders nationwide.
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Sheafe filed a handwritten motion on Jan. 29 from a Maricopa County jail saying he wished to forgo a trial altogether and skip straight to sentencing — something almost unheard of in a capital case.
“The Defendant pleads no contest to all charges as he openly admits to committing all offenses charges against him,” the Jan. 29 motion states. “The defendant waives his right to all trials, which includes the penalty phase in capital crimes cases.”
William Schonemann was known locally as "Pastor Bill."
When prosecutors objected to Sheafe pleading no contest during a hearing on March 12, arguing that such a plea was appropriate only for people who don't recall committing the crime they're accused of due to mental illness or being under the effects of drugs or alcohol, Sheafe changed his plea to guilty on all charges.
While he initially appeared to have no qualms about being executed, Sheafe later changed his mind after his father and stepmother were killed in a plane crash at Marana Airport on April 8.
Chris Sheafe and his wife, Jacque Sheafe, died after their single-engine Piper PA-32R-301T went off the runway while attempting to land and caught fire. Chris Sheafe was a longtime member of the Rio Nuevo Board, a tax increment finance district created by voters in 1999 to revitalize downtown Tucson.
Although Sheafe has represented himself throughout the case, defense attorneys on an advisory council sent the request for a plea offer two weeks after the fatal crash.
Maricopa County prosecutors confirmed during an April 24 status conference they received the request but needed more time to confer with victims and leadership at the Maricopa County Attorney's Office before making a decision.
Sheafe ultimately accepted the plea offer during the June 5 hearing. But he objected to his sentencing being scheduled on Aug. 14 — past the 60-day limit typically allowed.
Jennifer Linn, a prosecutor with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, said she was scheduled to undergo surgery soon and that Aug. 14 was the earliest date that worked for all victims wishing to attend Sheafe's sentencing.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Patricia Starr said she understood Sheafe's sentiments and initially suggested dates within the 60-day range but eventually decided extraordinary circumstances warranted her setting the sentencing at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 14 to comply with victims' rights guidelines.
