By Matthew Holloway |
Pastor William “Bill” Schonemann of the New River Bible Chapel in New River, AZ, was found dead inside his home last week according to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office. The 76-year-old pastor was found dead with serious injuries lying in his own bed. The pastor was reportedly found with his arms spread and his hands pinned to the wall.
The Maricopa County Sheriffs Office hasn’t released much information other than to confirm the victim’s identity, stating that there are unique, special circumstances surrounding the case and that there is no threat to the New River community.
As reported by AZFamily, the police presence near Schonemann’s home in New River was intense with at least 15 vehicles and detectives still at the scene late into last Tuesday. In an update later in the week, the MCSO said the pastor’s killing was an “isolated incident” and stated there is “no further risk or safety concerns for the community.”
Steve Dopke, who lives near the Pastor’s home said, “We tried getting some information out of them yesterday, but they said it was suspicious.” He suggested, “The only thing I can think is if it happened on a Sunday, I don’t know, if somebody was trying to shake him down. Maybe he was trying to help somebody and it went bad or something, who knows.”
AZFamily’s Briana Whitney reported from the scene Wednesday that a first responder described the pastor as being “found dead in bed covered in blood.”
The sheriff’s office said in a press release, “Our thoughts are with Mr. Schonemann’s loved ones as we continue our efforts to bring justice in this case. MCSO detectives are actively investigating and following all leads.”
According to Fox10, without information from authorities, the small community is on edge. Schonemann’s neighbor Mike Anders told the outlet, “I mean, we locked our doors last night. It’s just something that we are just not used to doing. Everybody is just, until we know what’s going on, we don’t know if it was a family member, or, we don’t know what, who could do this to him.”
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner said an autopsy had been scheduled for May 2nd to determine the cause of death, with MCSO telling reporters that additional information will be released as it becomes available.
The sheriff’s office is asking that anyone with information regarding this case should contact the MCSO at 602-876-TIPS.
The Schonemann family released a statement: “Our Dad had such a positive impact on people everywhere he went. We will miss the loving guidance and patience. The happiness he showed just getting to walk around an airport, getting his steps in. The creativity of all machines he built. There are never enough words to say it all or to say it as well as a person would like. Simply, he is missed.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
