Suspect in murder of New River pastor in custody elsewhere: MCSO

Son of slain AZ pastor speaks amid break in case

On June 6, officials with MCSO said a suspect in the case of a New River pastor's murder is already in custody, albeit on unrelated charges elsewhere. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean spoke with the victim's son for his reaction.

PHOENIX - Officials with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office say they have identified a suspect in connection with the murder of a pastor in the New River area.

What we know:

In a statement, an MCSO spokesperson said the suspect they identified is currently "in custody on unrelated charges in another jurisdiction."

"Coordination between agencies is ongoing as we work to move the investigation forward," read a portion of the statement.

What we don't know:

Officials with MCSO did not identify the suspect who is currently in custody, nor did they reveal the jurisdiction where the suspect is currently being held.

"We anticipate having more releasable details in the coming weeks, which we hope will provide additional clarity and progress in the case," read a portion of the statement.

The backstory:

The victim in the case, identified as 76-year-old William Schonemann, was a pastor at New River Bible Chapel. He was found dead inside his home near 13th Avenue and Circle Mountain Road on April 28.

Authorities have been tight-lipped on the case, but they previously said there were "unique, specific circumstances" to the case.

The pastor's death left the community on edge.

"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," said Mike Anders in early May. Anders lived next to the pastor for 12 years.

Son remembers slain father

As news spread that a suspect is in custody, we spoke with Schonemann's son, Randy, who painted a picture of a loving dad and a "Bill Built" family that is happy to be one step closer to justice.

"It's one more step in a very long, long race ahead of us to get to the end where there's justice, and this person is prevented from being able to do this again," said Randy.

What He Said:

Randy said the reality of the loss is really setting in.

"We've gotten home now and getting used to not making those phone calls on my way home from work to talk to him on that drive, and all of those things," said Randy.

 Randy said waiting for answers in his father's murder investigation has not been easy.

"You know, it's a little challenging at times. They have a case that they have to build and protect and prevent from being ruined by silly things, and so being patient has been the biggest thing for us," said Randy.

Meanwhile, support from the community has helped ease the pain of grief.

"Whether it's the car guys or the old truck shop that he ran for 40-some years or the church or the neighbors there or the community up here in Montana, everybody's been that outpouring of support," said Randy. "He wasn't much for being the center of attention, but I think he would be touched to see how many people he impacted."

(Related Video) Disturbing details uncovered in Arizona pastor's death

We've uncovered new information about the death of a beloved New River pastor who was killed by a suspect who still hasn't been caught. We want to warn you that the information is disturbing. FOX 10's Lauren Clark has the details.

What you can do:

Anyone with information on this case should call the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office at 602-876-TIPS (8477).