Man Who Allegedly Crucified Pastor in Brazen Crime Names the Penalty He Wants
Adam Christopher Sheafe allegedly murdered an Arizona pastor in April 2025 by crucifying him — even putting a crown of thorns on his head.
Now, apparently frustrated with the slowness of the legal process, he’s requesting the death penalty for himself.
In comments made during court proceedings on March 12, Sheafe admitted that he had wanted the murder to be shocking, and asked if the court could simply move along to deciding on capital punishment, per a report from KSAZ-TV.
“I have no mitigating factors and I can see that there are two aggravating factors,” he said. “I mean, it’s an undisputable fact that the victim, Pastor Bill Schonemann, was over 70 years old. It’s an undisputable fact that the crime was heinous in nature.”
Sheafe made clear that “I intended it to be heinous.”
“That’s why I’m saying, why do we have to drag this on and on and on? Why can’t we just go to sentencing? I’m not contesting anything,” he added.
Sheafe noted that he “gave a full confession to the FBI” and “did four interviews with four separate media outlets” after the alleged murder.
Adam Christopher Sheafe told the judge he wants the death penalty after killing 76-year-old pastor William Schonemann. pic.twitter.com/JUJTfA3oNu
— Drilliam Shakespeare (@DrilliamS) March 16, 2026
“These are the reasons why I did this, and I’m not contesting anything. And my speedy trial rights went from five months to basically two and a half years,” he said. “And we’re dragging this out in the interest of justice.”
Interestingly, he expressed a desire for closure not only for himself, but for others involved in the case.
“What about the victim’s families? What about me? What about my family? We want closure so we can move on with our lives,” he continued.
The pastor who Sheafe allegedly murdered was William “Bill” Schonemann of New River Bible Chapel, per a report from KATV.
Schonemann, 76, was discovered “positioned with the arms outstretched, similar to a crucifixion,” in his home when two church members went to check on him.
Sheafe allegedly planned to murder 14 Christian leaders across the country.
In his mugshot, Sheafe can be seen grinning, with the Hebrew word for “Yahweh” tattooed on his neck.
Sheafe has said he does not have mental health problems and knows his actions were wrong.
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