NEW RIVER, AZ — The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has announced a suspect in the murder investigation of "Pastor Bill" in New River.
Last month, investigators identified a "person of interest" in the murder of William Schonemann, who was found dead in his home, near 20th Street and Calvary Road, on April 28.
He has been identified as 50-year-old Adam Sheafe.
MCSO held a news conference Thursday about the murder investigation update. Hear from officials in the player below.
During the news conference, authorities say Sheafe left his home out of state and traveled to Arizona, where he committed a series of crimes, including theft, burglary and vehicle theft.
In late April, a community member spotted Sheafe in the area of the New River Bible Chapel, where Schonemann was a pastor, and noted his "suspicious behavior," MCSO announced.
In the days following, detectives believe Sheafe committed a burglary in the area but took off as law enforcement was arriving. He was not apprehended at this time.
Schonemann was last seen alive on April 27.
On April 28, a welfare check was performed at Schonemann's home, where he was found dead.
Detectives processed Schonemann's home and church for two days and determined that robbery or theft were not motives in the case.
On April 29, Sedona police were called to an area to investigate a series of crimes, including burglary, unlawful flight from law enforcement, and a minor hit-and-run crash involving the vehicle stolen by Sheafe.
Sheafe was not apprehended at that time; however, the vehicle was.
MCSO says items collected from the vehicle suggested a link to Schonemann's murder scene.
On April 30, MCSO was alerted about the previously observed suspicious behavior by Sheafe at the New River Bible Chapel. This reportedly allowed MCSO to link Sheafe to the murder scene and the Sedona scene.
MCSO began working with Sedona PD, who was then able to take Sheafe into custody.
According to Sedona PD, officers and Yavapai County deputies arrested Sheafe just before 10 p.m. on April 30 near Gambel Lane following an extensive and exhausting search.
Detectives say there is no known link between Sheafe and Schonemann.
MCSO says he was targeted at random. They say Sheafe acted alone and the crime was "religious in nature," and there were several other planned victims in Arizona.
MCSO is in contact with those potential victims and is continuing to investigate.
Sheafe has a lengthy criminal history that includes crimes across different counties in Arizona, Nevada, and California.
Oro Valley Police say they arrested Sheafe in 2013 for domestic violence after he allegedly choked a woman and held her against her will.
Other crimes include bank fraud and ID theft after he was found guilty in federal court. Court records show Sheafe and co-conspirators used stolen credit card numbers to process hundreds of transactions that resulted in over $500,000 in losses.
Sheafe was sentenced to 94 months in federal prison, but got out early.
Court records show that, in California, Sheafe applied for a name change that proposed dropping the "e" from his last name.
Sheafe remains in custody in Coconino County, but officials are working to get him extradited to Maricopa County, where multiple charges are expected to be submitted against him.
