Death of William 'Pastor Bill' Schonemann leaves void in Red Devil's Hot Rod Club as members share memories
Friends of 'Pastor Bill' mourn their friend
William "Pastor Bill" Schonemann was a regular at the Red Devil's Hot Rod Club before he met his tragic end earlier this week in New River, leaving a void in the tight-knit group. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean has more.
NEW RIVER, Ariz. - William Schonemann, known as "Pastor Bill" to those in his congregation, was found dead earlier this week at his home in New River.
Investigators are still working to find out who killed him.
Now, we are hearing more about the legacy he leaves behind.
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The backstory:
The Red Devil's Hot Rod Club has met in the same West Phoenix parking lot every Friday night for decades.
Now there is a somber tone to the night as Pastor Bill's friends mourn his death.
What they say is that the joy over having met and loved him is what is shining through the grief.
Dig deeper:
Pastor Bill's friends say he was a mastermind when it came to vehicles.
As we looked around, several of the classic cars had in some way been worked on by Bill and we were shown a welding job he'd done recently on a motorcycle seat as well. The owner says he'll cherish it for the rest of this life.
Several people in this hot rod club are fellow veterans, like Pastor Bill, and they say his handiness with cars and planes was amazing.
But it's the person he was to others - never judging and always putting love and grace first - that left a mark on them.
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Pastor found dead in New River; homicide investigation underway
William Schonemann, a 76-year-old pastor at New River Bible Chapel, was found dead on Monday night. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office says his death is being investigated as a homicide.
What they're saying:
We spent some time chatting with Pastor Bill's friends over pizza and lemonade as they grappled with his murder and reminisced on the decades worth of memories.
"It's been a tough week because it just keeps getting worse. So I wish he did pass away in his sleep. It'd be hard but easier. I met him in '86. His son was eight years old and we came out to fly radio-controlled airplanes. He wanted to learn with his son and I met him and I've known him ever since," said club member Dennis Roeper. "We've been through everything. I mean air shows, we worked air shows, we rebuilt the Arizona, it's been in all the parades. He's a fabricator, he's known for his vehicles. None of his vehicles are bought, they're made."
"I met him here. Every Friday night we all come here and he brings his ‘Bill-built’ van or truck and everything," said club member Ken Fox. "I remember one time he brought an airplane engine here and he also, one of the last things he brought here was a saw mill to saw lumber he'd made. He had it on the trailer to show us what he built."
"A couple years ago I was going through a really hard time and Bill invited me up again to the church. So I went up there and I told him what was going on and he got me aside and put his hands on my head and kind of evoked the Holy Spirit to help me through this and forgive me and that was cool," said member Richard Kordylas. "The world is a better place for him having been in it."
"Well, he went home. He's home where he needed to be," said Roeper.
What's next:
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office tells us there is no information to share right now on a suspect or motive, but that there is no threat to the larger community.
The community is hoping for some answers soon, including Bill's loved ones.