A deranged man who carried out an act of pure evil last Spring is now begging the judge to give him the death penalty. In April 2025, Adam Christopher Sheafe killed 76-year-old Pastor William Schonemann and then “crucified” him by pinning him to a wall and putting a crown of thorns on his head. Sheafe fully confessed to the horrific ritual murder and told authorities that he had planned to kill 13 other Christian leaders in the same way. Now, during his most recent court hearing, Sheafe asked the judge to make his trial speedy by hurrying up and sentencing him to death. Watch this: NEW: Man who crucified a pastor in AZ and planned on doing the same to about a dozen others, begs judge for the death penalty. 76-year-old pastor Bill Schonemann was found in his bed with his arms stretched wide, pinned to the wall with a crown of thorns. Christopher Sheafe,… pic.twitter.com/0mkDroPxGO — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 15, 2026 NEW: Man who crucified a pastor in AZ and planned on doing the same to about a dozen others, begs judge for the death penalty. 76-year-old pastor Bill Schonemann was found in his bed with his arms stretched wide, pinned to the wall with a crown of thorns. Christopher Sheafe, who is reportedly obsessed with the Old Testament, previously admitted to the horrific killing and said it was part of a larger plot to kill 14 Christian leaders. Sheafe is now begging for the death penalty. “Before I was even indicted, I gave a full confession to the FBI. I did four interviews with four separate media outlets,” he said. “It’s an undisputable fact that the crime was heinous in nature. I intended it to be heinous.” Video 1: @BrianaWhitney We’ll likely find out if Sheafe’s plea for death is answered during his next court date, which is scheduled for the end of next month. Per Fox 10 Phoenix: In court, Sheafe stated, “I have no mitigating factors and I can see that there are two aggravating factors. I don’t even need to read that. I mean, it’s an undisputable fact that the victim, Pastor Bill Schonemann, was over 70 years old. It’s an undisputable fact that the crime was heinous in nature. I intended it to be heinous. So they’re two aggravating factors. And I have no mitigating factors. That’s why I’m saying, why do we have to drag this on and on and on? Why can’t we just go to sentencing? I’m not contesting anything. Before I was even indicted, I gave a full confession to the FBI. I did four interviews with four separate media outlets. From day one, I’ve said I did this. These are the reasons why I did this, and I’m not contesting anything. And my speedy trial rights went from five months to basically two and a half years. And we’re dragging this out in the interest of justice. What about the victim’s families? What about me? What about my family? We want closure so we can move on with our lives.” What’s next: Sheafe has asked for the death penalty and wants the court process expedited. No decision on that request was made in March. He is scheduled to be back in court April 24. In case you are wondering, those are Hebrew letters tattooed onto Sheafe’s neck. They spell out ‘YHWH’ — or Yahweh, the name of God in the Hebrew Bible. Adam Sheafe’s family says that before he carried out the disturbing murder, he became obsessed with the Old Testament. He believed that Christian pastors were leading people down the wrong path, so he plotted to kill them. The New York Post has more: Law enforcement said Sheafe drove from Phoenix to New River on April 28, 2025, to gruesomely execute Schonemann as part of a larger plot to murder 14 Christian leaders. Schonemann, who was the beloved leader of New River Bible Chapel for 25 years, was found dead with his arms spread out in his bed and his hands pinned to a wall, according to authorities. Sheafe claimed in a previous interview that his victim and other Christian pastors were leading followers onto a false path and dubbed his greater scheme “Operation First Commandment.” The defendant’s father, Chris Sheafe, told the Arizona Family outlet that his son had become obsessed with the Bible — and even got a large tattoo of a Hebrew word for God across his neck. “Adam became extremely interested in the Old Testament. He read it extensively. And part of that process became his interest; we weren’t excited when we’d learned that he’d done it, but to have the tattoo,” Chris Sheafe said. “It means God. It means he’s directly related to God. And he wanted people to know that was his allegiance.” The accused killer, who claims he is mentally sound, tried to enter a no-contest plea, but the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office rejected that bid. Talk about a demonic, disturbed individual. This freak is the very embodiment of evil. The court should give him his wish… The real judgement will begin in Hell. Here’s what folks are saying online: The man has asked for his justice. The state should deliver it. ⚖️ — Legally Dashing (@LegallyDashing) March 15, 2026 Give him what he wants. — The Facts Dude