Arizona Pastor Found Dead in Home, Foul Play Confirmed

Officials have confirmed foul play was involved in the case of a pastor in New River, Arizona, who was found dead in his home Monday night.

Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies found a deceased William Schonemann, 76, in bed covered with blood, according to KTVK/KPHO in Phoenix.

The Maricopa County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide, but the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office declared it an “isolated incident” and said there is “no further risk or safety concerns for the community,” according to the news outlet.

The deputies were responding to a wellness check at the pastor’s home around 7:30 p.m. when they discovered his body.

“You didn’t see what I saw in there,” a neighbor of Schonemann’s told KTVK/KPHO.

Steve Dopke, another neighbor of Schonemann’s, said he saw more than a dozen police cars near the pastor’s house.

“We tried getting some information out of them yesterday, but they said it was suspicious,” Dopke said.

“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,” he said.

The investigation is ongoing, and detectives are still waiting for the autopsy results.

No arrests have been made.

Here’s the latest on the mysterious death investigation of “Pastor Bill” in New River. He was a father and veteran.

A first responder source confirmed he was found dead in bed covered in blood.@azfamily pic.twitter.com/TJ382PQ6Rg

— Holly Bock (@HollyBockTV) May 1, 2025

Schonemann, affectionately known in the community as “Pastor Bill,” ministered at New River Bible Chapel.

The church is one of the oldest in New River, a town with a population of more than 18,000 people as of 2023, according to Data USA.

“My heart just dropped,” former congregation member Zane Sharpe told KNXV-TV. “It dropped to my core. Like what a sweet guy, a pastor too. Everyone holds pastors in high esteem, but this guy truly lived what he spoke.”

Schonemann was a pastor at New River Bible Chapel for 25 years, his son Randall told AZCentral.

After serving in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War, Schonemann turned to faith.

In his free time, he also liked working on cars and airplanes.

“Our Dad had such a positive impact on people everywhere he went,” the Schonemann family said in a statement to KTVK/KPHO.

“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.”

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