Latest news with #OperationFirstCommandment
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- 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
6 hours ago
- 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.'
Fox News
7 hours ago
- Fox News
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. 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." Sheafe was captured by police near the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona, where he planned to kill two priests, he said. "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 office.
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Suspect chillingly admits to crucifying elderly pastor, reveals Christian leader hit list in deranged jailhouse interview
A suspect accused by police of crucifying an elderly pastor in his Arizona home has given a chilling jailhouse interview confessing to his alleged crimes — and revealing a hit list of other targets across the country he reportedly planned to murder before he was caught. Adam Christopher Sheafe, 51, confessed to killing 76-year-old William Schonemann, whose body was found in his bed covered in blood with his hands nailed to the wall on April 28, during an interview with Fox 10 News at the Coconino County Sheriff's Office, where he is being held on charges unrelated to the killing of the beloved New River pastor. Sheafe was previously named as a suspect in Schoneman's murder, in what was described as the most 'tragic and bizarre' case ever handled by Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan in a press conference on June 12. 4 Adam Christopher Sheafe confessed to murdering and crucifying an elderly Arizona pastor. AZFamily He described driving from Phoenix at around 2 in the morning on Easter Sunday before he allegedly 'executed him' and then placed a crown of thorns on his head in a sick crucifixion ritual in the interview from prison. Sheafe calmly said he planned to kill 14 Christian leaders in 10 states across the US using the same gruesome method of crucifixion. 'I was going to start in Phoenix and end in Phoenix, and circle the nation. Ten cities, 14 pastors, 10 states,' he said. He was on his way to kill two priests in Sedona when he was arrested by police, he told his interviewer. Justifying his sickening actions with religion, Sheafe claimed that Christian pastors were leading people onto a false path by following Jesus, and that Schonemann was the first in his plot that he called 'Operation First Commandment,' he said. 4 William Schonemann was found in bed with his hands nailed to the wall and a crown of thorns on his head. Courtesy Schonemann Family 'Christian, Catholic, Mormon. Anyone preaching that Jesus is God, essentially, the Trinity, a concept created by man, by Paul. He's not God. God, the father alone, is God,' he said. Asked whether he was ever victimized by a Christian, he replied no, and said his family is Christian and that he had a good childhood. 'I don't hate Christians. I'm after the pastors that are leading them astray,' he said. 4 Sheafe sat down for a chilling jailhouse interview. AZFamily Denying that he was mentally unwell, he added that he was not sorry for what he said he had done. 'Will I apologize for my actions? Absolutely not,' he said, although he added that he would apologize to Schonemann's grieving family, but with a caveat. 'I will apologize to them in that aspect. I'm sorry that they got caught in the crossfire. Will I apologize for my actions? Absolutely not. I'm defending my father,' Sheafe said. Asked if he regretted anything, he said 'nothing,' adding that he had a history of drug use, but that he didn't believe it had impacted him. He also said he was OK with being executed. Sheafe said he gathered the thorns that he used to make the crown from the desert, and that he placed it on Schonemann's head after he allegedly murdered him. 4 Sheafe claimed he planned to murder 14 other pastors across the country. AZFamily Sheafe is being held in Coconino County Jail on charges unrelated to the death of Schonemann. He has not been charged with killing the pastor, but is expected to be extradited to Maricopa County. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office did not respond immediately to requests for clarification. Schonemann's family released a statement in the wake of Sheafe's alleged killer making his sickening 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 criticized 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,' the statement continued. 'He has clearly stated his intentions to continue his mission. From the beginning, our focus has been to stop the suspect before anyone else got hurt. We see the surge of media attention and his ability to communicate freely as a very serious threat to that end.'
