Latest news with #OperationFirstCommandment
American Military News
11-07-2025
- American Military News
Pic: Man crucified Arizona pastor, planned to ‘execute' other Christian leaders
A suspect recently admitted to crucifying a pastor in Arizona and planning to 'execute' a total of 14 religious leaders. According to Fox 10, 51-year-old Adam Sheafe was arrested on June 24 after William 'Bill' Schonemann, a 76-year-old pastor at New River Bible Chapel, was found dead in his home in New River, Arizona, on April 28. The outlet noted that while the 51-year-old suspect has not yet been charged with murdering Schonemann, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is currently working on charging him. In an interview with 12 News, Sheafe claimed that Schonemann was the first of 14 Christian leaders in 10 different states that he intended to 'execute' and 'crucify.' Sheafe confirmed that all of the allegations against him 'are correct' and explained that the murder of Schonemann was motivated by his religious beliefs. The suspect described his plan as 'Operation First Commandment' and claimed that the Bible's New Testament teachings about Jesus Christ go against the biblical commandment that says, 'You shall have no other gods before me.' Sheafe stated, 'His commandments have been annulled by this character called Jesus, a human being who I believe is the son of Satan.' READ MORE: 70 Christians beheaded by terrorists in 'massacre': Report In his interview, Sheafe claimed that he was on a crusade for God and denied being mentally ill. 'No, maybe I'm the one that sees truth, and maybe it's everybody else that is deceived by Satan,' Sheafe said. 'So if that makes me mentally ill for following what God says, then so be it.' Sheafe admitted that he traveled to Arizona, stole a vehicle, found Schonemann, and stalked the pastor outside his church. 'I saw that he had a Wednesday evening Bible study, so I sat there and waited for them to arrive, so that I could locate which one was the priest, and then I just followed him,' Sheafe stated. 'And then I returned on Sunday to execute and crucify him to this wall.' Sheafe also admitted that he traveled to Sedona and intended to kill two priests who served at the Chapel of the Holy Cross before he was arrested by Sedona Police Department officials. 'I set up a tent right next to that church so that I could watch those priests and identify what vehicles they were driving. And then I got into a high-speed chase with the police and escaped, got in a car crash, got out, ran up a mountain and escaped,' Sheafe said. 'And I was just determined to get those two priests.' According to Fox 10, Sheafe said he would 'absolutely not' apologize for his actions. Asked why he targeted Schonemann, the suspect said, 'Because he was first up. I was going to start in Phoenix and end in Phoenix, and circle the nation. 10 cities, 14 pastors, 10 states.' A picture of Sheafe has been shared on X, formerly Twitter. A 51-year-old man with a Hebrew neck tattoo was arrested after crucifying a Christian pastor in Arizona and placing a crown of thorns on his head. Adam Christopher Sheafe admitted to planning the ritualistic killing of 14 Christian leaders across 10 states. Obsessed with the… — AF Post (@AFpost) June 26, 2025
Roya News
30-06-2025
- Roya News
'To rid Israel of evil': Man crucifies pastor in Arizona citing divine mission
Adam Christopher Sheafe, 51, has confessed to the murder of New River pastor Bill Schonemann, revealing a disturbing plot to "execute" and "crucify" at least 14 Christian leaders across 10 states in what he called "Operation First Commandment". Sheafe, who showed no remorse, stated his actions were part of a "divine mission" to "rid Israel of evil" and punish pastors he believed were misleading their followers. Pastor Schonemann, 76, a beloved figure at New River Bible Chapel, was found dead in his home on April 28. Sheafe was apprehended on April 30 in Sedona. In a jailhouse interview on June 24, Sheafe admitted to the killing, explaining his motive stemmed from a belief that Christian pastors preach a false doctrine regarding Jesus and the Trinity. He confessed to placing a crown of thorns, made from desert trees, on Pastor Schonemann's head after the killing, a symbolic act to signify the pastor's preaching was contrary to his beliefs. Pastor Schonemann was found dead in his bed, not physically crucified. Sheafe's "Operation First Commandment" targeted 14 pastors and priests, starting and ending in Arizona. His alleged hit list included cities in Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Alabama, and Texas. He claimed he was about to kill two priests in Sedona before his arrest. The New River community is mourning Pastor Schonemann, remembered for his kindness and willingness to help. His family expressed alarm over Sheafe "enjoying the attention" and his continued public messaging from jail, viewing it as a "very serious threat". Sheafe has not yet been formally charged with Pastor Schonemann's murder but is currently held in Coconino County Jail on unrelated burglary charges, including two burglaries in Sedona, unlawful flight, aggravated assault, and theft of a stolen vehicle. His criminal history includes a 2013 domestic violence arrest and federal prison time for bank fraud and identity theft. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is working to prepare formal murder charges.
NDTV
27-06-2025
- NDTV
Christian Priest Crucified In US, Suspect Confesses He Had 14 More On List
New Delhi: The man accused of crucifying an elderly pastor in Arizona confessed to the crime in a jailhouse interview. The 51-year-old Adam Christopher Sheafe added that he had a longer list of religious leaders he intended to kill. In an interview with FOX 10, Sheafe claimed to have killed Pastor Bill Schonemann, 76, who was the leader of the New River Bible Chapel in New River, Arizona, in April. Schonemann, who was referred to as "Pastor Bill" in the neighbourhood, was discovered dead in his bed on April 28. His arms were pinned to the wall behind him and stretched wide, in the form of a crucifixion. According to Sheafe, the brutal attack was a part of a spiritual mission that he titled 'Operation First Commandment,' to punish religious leaders who he believed were deceiving followers. Sheafe told FOX 10 that he believed Christian churches were misguiding their members by encouraging them to follow Jesus, a false God, and that his goal was to crucify 14 more pastors or priests of no particular religion. Police apprehended Sheafe in the vicinity of the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona, where he intended to kill two priests. He is currently being held at the Coconino County Jail and has been charged with first-degree murder in Maricopa County. In his interview with True Crime Arizona on Monday, the 51-year-old suspect discussed the unsettling image, including the crown of thorns he claimed to have created from items he gathered in the woods and placed on pastor Schonemann's head. Sheafe said he had planned to follow a priest to his home in Phoenix after Easter services in order to kill him prior to the Schonemann murder. This was the first of 14 planned "executions" that would have taken place across the country. Following Schonemann's murder, Sheafe claimed to have travelled to Sedona with the intention of killing two more religious leaders. He eventually was found to be the suspect in a break-in, which prompted Sedona police to pursue him faster. Despite the gruesome crime, Adam Sheafe resolutely declined to offer an apology for the purported murder. He claimed that he was behaving in accordance with what he considered to be God's law and that he expected redemption.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Yahoo
Pastor's crucifixion murder suspect says on video he planned to kill 14 more
The man accused of brutally crucifying a rural Arizona pastor has not only admitted to the alleged crime, but said that he planned to kill more than a dozen other Christian leaders. Adam Sheafe, 51, told Fox 10 in an interview that he murdered Pastor Bill Schonemann, 76, head of the New River Bible Chapel in New River, Arizona. On April 28, Schonemann was found dead in his bed with his arms spread wide and pinned to the wall behind him. The bizarre display left the community reeling. Arizona Pastor Found Dead With Hands Pinned To Wall In Homicide At Home Sheafe's plan was to crucify 14 more Christian leaders of no particular denomination, he told FOX 10, ascribing his motive to a belief that Christian churches were leading their congregants astray by teaching them to follow Jesus, whom he says is a false God. He titled his mission "Operation First Commandment." Read On The Fox News App Sheafe was captured by police near the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona, where he planned to kill two priests, he said. Kansas Catholic Priest Was Shot 'Intentionally And With Premeditation,' Prosecutor Alleges "The day I was going to execute that priest, I tried getting into the back of his car. There was like a little lady on a bike that got in my way, and I was just going to get in the back seat and tell him to drive to his house," Sheafe said. He later defiantly refused to apologize for the alleged killing. In an interview with 12News, Sheafe explained further how he planned Schonemann's killing. "I saw that he had a Wednesday evening Bible study, so I sat there and waited for them to arrive, so that I could locate which one was the priest, and then I just followed him," Sheafe said. "And then I returned on Sunday to execute and crucify him to this wall." He also said he wanted to be executed. "Put me on death row, set the execution date for right now," Sheafe said. "The victims want it. The victim's families want it. I want it, and the taxpayers want it." Sheafe has been charged with first-degree murder in Maricopa County, but remains in the custody of the Coconino County Jail. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office told Fox News Digital that the case is under review, and that generally, any first-degree murder convict is subject to the death penalty. It is unclear whether he has an attorney, but Fox News Digital reached out to the public defender's article source: Pastor's crucifixion murder suspect says on video he planned to kill 14 more
Telegraph
26-06-2025
- Telegraph
Pastor ‘crucified by religious fanatic'
A pastor was crucified and had a crown of thorns placed on his head by a religious fanatic. The blood-soaked body of William 'Bill' Schonemann, 76, was found on his bed with his hands nailed to the wall in a house in New River, Arizona, on April 28. Adam Sheafe, 51, confessed to the killing in a jail cell interview in which he revealed he was attempting to recreate the crucifixion scene, as part of what he dubbed 'Operation First Commandment'. He claimed to have found the crown of thorns in the desert. Sheafe planned to execute 14 clergymen whom he believed were leading their 'flock astray'. With Hebrew lettering tattooed on his neck and wearing dark blue prison fatigues, Sheafe said he had a hit-list starting in Arizona, where he was born. He added: 'From there, it was Las Vegas, Nevada; Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; Billings, Montana; Detroit, Michigan; New York, New York; Charlotte, North Carolina; Mobile, Alabama; Beaumont, Texas; and El Paso, Texas.' 'Where it starts is where it will end, like the Garden of Eden,' he told True Crime Arizona. Sheafe arrived in Arizona and followed the pastor home on Easter Sunday. As Schonemann pulled into the garage, two women appeared, but they were spared. 'I'm not interested in executing anyone other than the pastors.' From there, he drove 117 miles to Sedona, where he planned to slaughter his next two victims. Sheafe was arrested two days after killing Schonemann following a manhunt linked to a string of burglaries in the area. He said he had no regrets. 'Not only do I have zero remorse, I plan on fulfilling what I started. If my father puts me in an authoritative position on this earth, I will execute every single priest and burn every church to the ground.' He said he wanted the death penalty – and as soon as possible. 'Well, I want to be executed quickly so we can get this show on the road and show exactly what I'm trying to do ... All you gotta do is worship Jesus and you go to Heaven; your sins are forgiven. That's not what God said.' Sheafe is being held in Coconino jail on charges unconnected with the killing, including burglary and possession of a stolen vehicle. 'This case is probably one of the most bizarre cases I have ever seen in my 40 years with the Maricopa Sheriff's Office,' said Sheriff Jerry Sheridan. Schonemann's family condemned the decision to broadcast an interview in a statement. 'What we have seen over the last week is this suspect enjoying the attention. His side of the story is half of the whole story, and we see the need to cover it, however challenging that may be for us,' the family said in a statement seen by Fox 10, although they criticised the granting of a platform to Sheafe. 'We are quite surprised by his ability to freely message with county-supplied devices. We are concerned about his increasing notoriety and possibly gaining a following.'
