Shock as man begs for death penalty for HIMSELF after pinning dead pastor's hands to wall and targeting other religious leaders
A religious self-admitted murderer begged a judge for the death penalty after he was accused of heinously killing and crucifying an elderly pastor in his Arizona home.
On Thursday, Adam Sheafe, 51, appeared in Maricopa County Superior Court and pleaded 'no contest' to charges of allegedly murdering 76-year-old Pastor William Schonemann in New River on April 28, 2025.
Sheafe was indicted in July on nine charges, including first-degree murder, three counts of attempting to commit first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, and kidnapping, among several others.
After the alleged killer, who is representing himself in court, was denied pleading no contest, he impatiently changed his plea to guilty, hoping to speed up the court procedures.
'We're dragging this out in the interest of justice,' said Sheafe to the judge. 'What about the victim's families? What about me? What about my family? We want closure so we can move on with our lives.'
'If there's at least one aggravating factor and no mitigating factors, a guilty defendant is to be sentenced to death. So sentence me.'
Sheafe claims to have no mental health issues and told True Crime Arizona correspondent Briana Whitney in June: 'I want the death penalty because I want to show that you can't kill God's son.'
He also revealed that he had a list of 14 additional intended targets across several states, all religious leaders.
Adam Sheafe, 51, appeared in Maricopa County Superior Court on Thursday and pleaded 'no contest' on murder charges of a pastor in Arizona
76-year-old Pastor William Schonemann was found dead and covered in blood, with his body spread out and hands pinned to the wall, at his New River home on April 28, 2025
Sheafe begged the judge to speed up the process so his family and the victims can have closure and get on with their lives
Most of the planning, as Sheafe described, took place while he was broke and camping in the Arizona desert after his release from federal prison.
The self-admitted killer explained the pastor's death in horrific detail.
After allegedly executing Schonemann, he placed a crown of thorns, crafted from materials he gathered in the woods, on the elderly man's head.
The pastor was found on his bed, arms spread and hands pinned to the wall.
'I was going to put the Ten Commandments in order on each of the priests,' he chillingly said during the interview.
Among his murder charges, police also accused him of breaking into a home in Cave Creek and stealing a pickup truck.
He admitted stealing a car and breaking into homes, though he denied doing so for valuables.
He also revealed during an interview from jail before he begged for the death penalty that he had a list of 14 additional intended targets across several states, all religious leaders
In that same interview, Sheafe also described the disturbing scene deputies found at the pastor's home -including a crown of thorns, crafted from materials he gathered in the woods, placed on Schonemann's head
He managed to avoid capture for some time, evading police in a high-speed chase at one point where he crashed his car into another vehicle and disappeared, leaving his vehicle behind.
The abandoned car, found near a trailhead, had been stolen from Cave Creek. Inside, authorities reportedly found evidence linking Sheafe to Pastor Schonemann's murder.
Sheafe was caught days later after a manhunt for multiple burglaries. He claims he planned to continue his nationwide spree of religious killings if not caught.
Just days after his capture, Sheafe reportedly sent a letter to the FBI, confessing details that only someone who had witnessed the bloody crime scene could know.
'I told the FBI agent, look, I want the death sentence,' Sheafe said. 'I'll plead guilty right now, on the spot... I want the death sentence, and I want the execution date right now.'
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office intends to seek the death penalty, according to a filing cited by Law & Crime.
Sheafe is scheduled to appear back in court in April.
