The Sedona Police Department, working with other law enforcement agencies, apprehended 49-year-old Adam Christopher Sheafe near Gambel Lane in the Chapel area at approximately 9:49 p.m., on Wednesday, April 30, following a multi-hour manhunt.
Sheafe has now been named as a suspect in the murder of 76-year-old Pastor William “Bill” Schonemann, who was found dead in his home in the 1900 block of Calvary Road in New River around 7:30 p.m., on Monday, April 28, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner ruled Schonemann’s death a homicide on Thursday, May 1. MCSO believes Schonemann was killed the day before he was found.
MCSO made the connection prior to Sheafe’s arrest in Sedona on April 30 but the MCSO and FBI were investigating possible links to other crimes.
On June 6, MCSO issued a statement that “investigators have identified a suspect connected to the murder. The individual is currently in custody on unrelated charges in another jurisdiction. Coordination between agencies is ongoing as we work to move the investigation forward. We continue to ask for the public’s assistance. If you have any information that could assist in this case, please contact our tip line (602) 876-TIPS. You can remain anonymous. Every piece of information helps.
“We anticipate having more releasable details in the coming weeks, which we hope will provide additional clarity and progress in the case. At this time, no further information is available for release. Collaboration efforts with federal and state law enforcement agencies continues, and the release of any further information can jeopardize our investigative efforts.
“This development marks a significant step toward justice for the victim and their family. We are committed to seeing this case through and thank the community for its continued support and cooperation.”
Pastor Bill Schonemann
A Navy veteran who served in Vietnam, Schonemann co-founded the New River Bible Chapel in 2009 in New River, an unincorporated community in the Phoenix metro area surrounded by Cave Creek, Phoenix and Anthem.
According to news reporting from Phoenix-area news outlets, Schonemann was a popular figure in the community known as “Pastor Bill” who loved to work on cars and planes and regularly attended car shows and airshows. He was a regular at the weekly Red Devil’s Hot Rod Club in West Phoenix. Schonemann’s wife Kathy Schonemann died in 2022.
New River Homicide
The MCSO held a press conference at 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 12, and formally connected Scheaf to the murder of Schonemann.
Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan said the murder case was “tragic and bizarre.” MCSO also stated that Schonemann’s murder was religious in nature but declined to provide specifics.
Sheridan said other future victims were planned, some in Arizona, but MCSO had been in contact with those potential victims.
MCSO did not provide details as to why Shaefe was camping near the Chapel of the Holy Cross in the Chapel area, home of three churches and a synagogue.
Sheafe has not yet been indicted in Maricopa County. He remains in custody at the Coconino County Detention Center in Flagstaff.
Sedona Burglaries
Sedona officers responded at 9:50 a.m. on Tuesday, April 29, to a report of a burglary in progress. The owner of a house in the 100 block of Rufous Lane called 911 to report that she could see a male subject, later identified as Sheafe, walking around in the house through interior cameras.
Neighbors in the area stated that the then-unidentified suspect was a white man wearing a cowboy hat and a light blue short-sleeved shirt over a long white-sleeved shirt and black jogger pants. The suspect reportedly entered the area at 9:34 a.m. and left at 9:53 a.m. He was carrying bolt cutters and driving a red, four-door truck with a full cover over the truck bed.
According to Sedona Patrol Cmdr. Christopher Dowell, on the afternoon of April 29, a Sedona police officer spotted the truck Sheafe was driving, prompting a vehicle pursuit southbound on State Route 179, ultimately leaving Sedona city limits. Sheafe was weaving in traffic around vehicles during the chase and collided with another motorist, causing minor damage to that vehicle, Dowell stated. The Sedona officer terminated the pursuit due to public safety considerations.
Sheafe pulled into Yavapai Point Trailhead and fled into the wilderness. While the officer was checking the registration on the abandoned vehicle, Sedona police determined it had been stolen out of Cave Creek.
Dowell stated that the MCSO informed Sedona police on the morning of April 30 that Sheafe might be linked to the active Schonemann homicide case.
At approximately 6:22 p.m. on April 30, Sedona officers responded to a reported burglary at a home registered as a short-term rental on Gambel Lane, Dowell stated. Rufous Lane is parallel to and south of Gambel Lane in the Chapel area.
The Gambel Lane homeowner, who was remotely monitoring his security cameras, witnessed Sheafe rummaging through items in the garage. His appearance matched that of the suspect from the similar burglary the day prior on Rufous Lane.
Arrest by SPD
Sedona police initially issued a Nixle alert for the area at 7:58 p.m., Wednesday, April 30, warning that the suspect was in the area. At the time, the suspect was described as a white man, 6 feet 2 inches tall with short hair, blue shirt, black pants and possible neck tattoo — Sheafe has a tattoo reading “יהוה,” or “YHWH” in Hebrew characters, across his throat.
When Sedona officers arrived minutes later, Sheafe had fled, Dowell stated. Sedona police quickly established a perimeter and conducted a large-scale search effort and requested additional officers due to Sheafe’s prior history with law enforcement. SPD’s Quick Response Team, Verde Valley Regional SWAT Team, a Cottonwood Police Department drone operator and two CPD K-9 support units responded.
Sheafe was believed to be camping in the area and police located a campsite during the search. Around 9:20 p.m., Sheafe was located hiding in thick brush by members of the QRT, Dowell stated.
He again attempted to flee, leading officers and deputies on a lengthy foot pursuit through rugged terrain in the Coconino National Forest north and east of the residential area.
Sheafe was eventually tracked back into a residential area by drone, where Sedona officers — assisted by a Yavapai County Sheriff’s deputy — used a Taser to safely take him into custody.
Another Nixle alert at 10:08 p.m. notified the public that a suspect, who was unnamed in the alert, had been arrested.
“Although Sheafe’s exact intentions in Sedona remain unclear, his conduct and the circumstances suggest that law enforcement intervention may have averted a more serious incident,” Dowell stated.
Sheafe faces multiple charges from these incidents, including second-degree burglary, unlawful flight from a pursuing law enforcement vehicle, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, leaving the scene of an accident with an injury, criminal damage, theft or control of stolen property, first-degree trespassing, possession of a stolen vehicle and resisting arrest.
Sheafe was arraigned in Coconino County Superior Court on May 1 and indicted on May 8 and remains in custody at the Coconino County Detention Center in Flagstaff, where he is being held on a $150,000 bond.
“This arrest would not have been possible without the swift actions and vigilance of Sedona residents,” Dowell said. “Concerned community members not only reported suspicious activity but also captured critical video footage that directly aided officers in identifying and locating the suspect. Their cooperation was vital to the safe resolution of this high-risk incident.”
“The Sedona Police Department extends its sincere appreciation to the involved agencies — and especially to the members of the public — whose quick actions and cooperation were crucial to this successful apprehension,” Dowell said. “The Sedona Police Department encourage all residents to promptly report suspicious activity. This case demonstrates the significant impact citizens can have on ensuring the safety and security of their community.
Adam Sheafe’s Previous Convictions and Prison Term
Sheafe was arrested in January 2013, by Oro Valley police outside Tucson for domestic violence, aggravated assault and kidnapping after he choked a woman and held her against her will. Sheafe turned himself in after a warrant was issued.
Five years later,on Nov. 1, 2018, Sheafe was sentenced to 94 months in prison after he was found guilty by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft following after an investigation by the U.S. Postal Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sheafe reportedly stole around $500,000 using credit card numbers obtained from co-conspirators to process hundreds of transactions through merchant accounts at Bank of America and Compass Bank.
While Sheafe was due to be released in September 2026, he was released from prison early in February 2023 after serving 51 months of the 94-month sentence. He subsequently moved to an address in Oceanside, Calif., north of San Diego.
He requested a name change to “Adam Christopher Sheaf” in a San Diego court in 2023, which was denied.
