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Man Accused of Crucifying Pastor Begs Judge for Death Penalty

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An Arizona man accused of crucifying a pastor and placing a crown of thorns on the victim’s head has requested the death penalty so everyone “can move on with our lives.”

Adam Sheafe, who is representing himself, asked the judge last week to allow him to enter a guilty plea, so the case can wrap up quickly, saying the legal system was “dragging this out,” according to Fox 10.

Sheafe, 51, is accused of murdering William Schonemann, the pastor of New River Bible Chapel, in April 2025 before mutilating the man’s body. Schonemann was found dead with his arms spread out in his bed and his hands pinned to a wall, authorities said.

The suspect previously confessed to the crime and has never claimed to be innocent.

“From day one, I’ve said I did this. These are the reasons why I did this, and I’m not contesting anything,” he told the court on Thursday, according to Fox 10. “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.” (Read more from “Man Accused of Crucifying Pastor Begs Judge for Death Penalty” HERE)

Deadbeat Arizona Dad Dies by Suicide after Leaving 2-Year-Old Daughter to Die in Hot Car While He Watched Porn

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The deadbeat Arizona dad who admitted to leaving his 2-year-old daughter to die in a sweltering car while he watched porn is dead — with his cowardly ending deemed a suicide, according to reports.

Christopher Scholtes, 38, was found dead in a Phoenix home just after 5 a.m. Wednesday, police told The Post, the same day he was due to report to prison ahead of his sentencing, where he faced up to 30 years behind bars. . .

The despicable dad — who had a known habit of leaving his kids in the car — pleaded guilty in October to second-degree murder and was expected to be officially sentenced to between 20 and 30 years this month.

His death comes more than a year after his young daughter, Parker, was found dead in the driveway of their Marana home outside Tuscon on a scorching July afternoon in 2024, when the temperature soared to 109-degrees Fahrenheit. . .

Scholtes was inside watching porn, playing video games and drinking beer while his daughter roasted to death.

That was something he apparently made a habit of doing – not just in one family, but in two. (Read more from “Deadbeat Arizona Dad Dies by Suicide after Leaving 2-Year-Old Daughter to Die in Hot Car While He Watched Porn” HERE)

Photo credit: Pima County Jail

Beloved Pastor Found Murdered in Chilling Crime Scene — and Police Remain Tight-Lipped Over ‘Unique’ Case

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The shocking murder of a beloved Arizona pastor is raising more questions than answers.

On April 28, Maricopa County sheriff deputies were dispatched to the home of 76-year-old William Schonemann. Known in his community as “Pastor Bill,” Schonemann served as pastor of the New River Bible Chapel for 25 years.

At the scene, police discovered Schonemann’s lifeless body.

Detectives initially said little about Schonemann’s death, though they disclosed that “foul play” was observed at the scene. A few days later, the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Pastor Bill’s death a homicide. He had been murdered inside his own home.

Investigators remain tight-lipped about the details. But sources told KSAZ-TV that Schonemann was discovered on his bed with “his arms spread out and hands pinned to the wall,” the outlet reported. Schonemann’s body, moreover, reportedly had “significant injuries,” though the nature of those injuries remain unclear at this time. (Read more from “Beloved Pastor Found Murdered in Chilling Crime Scene — and Police Remain Tight-Lipped Over ‘Unique’” Case HERE)

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Arizona to Remove Almost 50K Non-Citizens From Voter Rolls

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Arizona counties have started a process to work with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding verifying voters’ citizenship and removing non-citizens from voter lists.

This comes after America First Legal (AFL) filed a lawsuit against Arizona’s 15 counties “on behalf of EZAZ.org,” and Yvonne Cahill, a registered voter and naturalized citizen, according to Fox News. In the lawsuit, AFL argued that “the counties had not been following a state law” requiring people to prove their citizenship in order to vote in state and local elections.

Per the outlet, “while a 2013 Supreme Court ruling prohibits states from imposing registration requirements beyond the federal requirement that registrants must check a box affirming their U.S. citizenship,” voters in the state have to show proof they are a United States citizen to vote in local and state elections:

While a 2013 Supreme Court ruling prohibits states from imposing voter registration requirements beyond the federal requirement that registrants must check a box affirming their U.S. citizenship, Arizona residents are still required to provide proof of citizenship to vote in state and local elections.

The Arizona law also requires that county recorders perform a monthly list maintenance to confirm the U.S. citizenship of so-called “federal-only voters,” a list of nearly 50,000 individuals who failed to provide proof of U.S. citizenship and were not allowed to vote in state or local elections.

(Read more from “Arizona to Remove Almost 50K Non-Citizens From Voter Rolls” HERE)

Court: Democrat Secretary Fontes Sidestepped Arizona Law When Drafting Election Rulebook

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Arizona’s Democrat secretary of state failed to comply with existing law when creating the state’s election rulebook, an Arizona court ruled on Thursday.

Writing on behalf of a three-judge panel on the Arizona Court of Appeals, Judge Lacey Gard ruled that Secretary of State Adrian Fontes “did not substantially comply” with the Arizona Administrative Procedure Act’s (APA) rulemaking procedures when finalizing the 2023 Election Procedures Manual (EPM). In Arizona, the EPM provides rules to election officials relating to mail ballots, voter registration, and other election-related matters.

According to Gard, Fontes’ illegal act pertains to the EPM’s public comment period.

In late July 2023, the Democrat secretary “published a 259-page draft EPM, allowing public comment for a period of fifteen days.” As unanimously determined by the three-judge panel, however, that is “only half the time the APA requires.”

“We conclude that the 2023 EPM was subject to the rulemaking procedure under the APA and that the Secretary did not substantially comply with the APA’s rulemaking process in promulgating the EPM,” Gard wrote. (Read more from “Court: Democrat Secretary Fontes Sidestepped Arizona Law When Drafting Election Rulebook” HERE)

Thanks To Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs, Arizonans Can Keep Expecting Delayed Election Results

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In recent years, Arizona has gained a reputation for failing to provide voters with definitive election results on election night. And thanks to the latest move by Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs, that’s going to be the state’s reality for the foreseeable future.

On Tuesday, Hobbs vetoed legislation (HB 2703) passed by Arizona’s GOP-controlled legislature that sought to enhance election officials’ ability to deliver timely election results to voters. The measure cleared the state House and Senate in party-line votes last week, with Republicans supporting the bill and Democrats opposing.

Among the most notable changes proposed in HB 2703 is a provision moving up the deadline by which voters must return early ballots. As Arizona GOP Chair Gina Swoboda previously noted to The Federalist, Arizona’s late production of election results is largely due to an issue within current law, which allows voters to drop off their early mail ballots by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

In Arizona, all early ballot voters are required to provide their signature on the ballot envelope affidavit, which is then compared to the one in their registration records. Once election workers confirm the signatures match, the ballot is processed and tabulated.

The week of the Nov. 5, 2024 presidential election, election officials estimated Maricopa County alone received more than 200,000 early ballots from voting locations on Election Day. All of those Maricopa early ballots, as well as those returned on Election Day in other counties, were required to go through the aforementioned signature verification process — a review that took Maricopa County officials weeks to complete. (Read more from “Thanks To Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs, Arizonans Can Keep Expecting Delayed Election Results” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

At Least One Dead After 2 Jets Collide on Runway at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona

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At least one person is dead after two jets collided on the runway at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona on Monday afternoon, according to reports.

The accident happened just before 3 p.m. when a Learjet 35A “veered off the runway after landing,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

It collided with a Gulfstream 200 parked at a nearby ramp, according to AZ Family. . .

Three people were injured in the accident, with two being taken to trauma centers and one in stable condition, Scottsdale Fire Department Captain Dave Folio told reporters, according to the US Sun.

“We are still working on extricating one soul out of one of the airplanes,” he added, explaining that the runway remained an active rescue site. (Read more from “At Least One Dead After 2 Jets Collide on Runway at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona” HERE)

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Even More Drones in the Sky: Amazon Launches Aerial Delivery Service

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Amazon has launched its long-awaited drone delivery service in Arizona, taking a significant step towards fulfilling founder Jeff Bezos’ decade-old vision of autonomous drones delivering packages to customers’ doorsteps in under 30 minutes. The service launches just as millions of Americans have their eyes turned to the skies in search of mystery drones buzzing major cities.

The New York Times reports that Amazon has officially launched its Prime Air drone delivery service in Goodyear, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. The service, which has been in development for over a decade, allows customers to receive packages weighing five pounds or less via autonomous drones within an hour of placing their order.

The launch comes after years of regulatory hurdles, technological challenges, and safety concerns that have delayed Amazon’s ambitious plans for drone delivery. However, with the FAA’s approval and significant improvements to its drone technology, the company is now confident that it can provide a safe, efficient, and convenient delivery option to its customers.

Amazon’s new delivery drones, known as the MK-30, are a far cry from the prototypes unveiled by Jeff Bezos on 60 Minutes in 2013. Weighing 80 pounds and roughly the size of a Labrador retriever, these custom-designed drones can fly at speeds of up to 73 miles per hour and carry packages in a special compartment. Equipped with cameras and sensors, the drones can identify a clear spot for dropping packages without the need for customers to place QR codes in their yards, as was the case with earlier trials. (Read more from “Even More Drones in the Sky: Amazon Launches Aerial Delivery Service” HERE)

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Conservatives Fear Arizona House Committee Shakeup Could Stymie Election Integrity Bills

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Arizona conservatives had much to celebrate after the dust finally settled on the 2024 election. Not only did voters deliver the Grand Canyon State’s 11 electoral votes to Donald Trump, but they also helped Republicans expand their slim legislative majorities, thus preventing Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs and Arizona leftists from transforming the state into “California 2.0.”

Numerous policy issues are expected to be tackled during next year’s legislative session. It’s fixing the state’s broken elections system, however, that seems to be top of mind for many Republicans.

Last week, state and local GOP leaders held a call with Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd to discuss ways Arizona can improve its ballot tabulation process and deliver timely results like the Sunshine State. Delayed production of election results has become a feature of Arizona elections in recent years. The state certified the results of its 2024 presidential election on Monday — almost three weeks after the Nov. 5 contest.

While supportive of attempts to adopt “Florida-style” elections, some Arizona conservatives who spoke with The Federalist expressed concern that a shakeup of the House of Representatives’ elections committee could hinder efforts to pass legislation integral to improving the state’s electoral system.

The list of House committees published last week by Speaker-elect Steve Montenegro revealed that the Municipal Oversight & Elections Committee is no more, with election-related matters now shoehorned into a committee alongside military affairs and federalism issues. State GOP Rep. Rachel Jones told The Federalist she’s worried that including the complex subject of elections into a committee with other important policy matters may jeopardize lawmakers and citizens’ ability to thoroughly screen bills coming through the body. (Read more from “Conservatives Fear Arizona House Committee Shakeup Could Stymie Election Integrity Bills” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Radical Arizona Ballot Measure Aims To Eliminate 15-Week Abortion Ban

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Arizona voters will soon decide on Proposition 139, a proposed amendment that would enshrine the right to abortion throughout pregnancy in the state constitution. This measure, backed by a coalition including the ACLU of Arizona, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, and NARAL Arizona, aims to eliminate the current 15-week abortion restriction.

If passed, Proposition 139 would declare that “every individual has a fundamental right to abortion” and would limit state interference with this right. It specifies that the state cannot deny or restrict access to abortion before fetal viability unless there is a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means. Additionally, after fetal viability, abortions would still be permitted if deemed necessary by a healthcare professional for the life or health of the pregnant individual.

Currently, Arizona law restricts abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions for the life of the mother and serious medical emergencies. This law was recently complicated when the Arizona Supreme Court allowed an 1864 near-total abortion ban to take effect, though Governor Katie Hobbs signed a bill to repeal it shortly after.

Opponents of Proposition 139, including Arizona Right to Life, argue that the amendment could undermine parental consent laws, allowing minors to obtain abortions without parental knowledge. They also raise concerns about potential exploitation of vulnerable individuals, particularly given Arizona’s status as a border state.

The measure requires a simple majority to pass in the upcoming election.

Photo credit: Flickr