Prosecutors seek death penalty after spree killer is found guilty for reign of terror including 8 murders

An Arizona jury reached a verdict on Thursday, convicting a man of eight murder counts stemming from a series of shootings that occurred in the Phoenix metropolitan area over a period of three weeks in 2017.

The prosecution is pursuing the death penalty for Cleophus Cooksey Jr.

Among the victims were Cooksey’s mother and stepfather, a security guard heading to visit his girlfriend, and a woman found in an alley, having been sexually assaulted prior to her death.

The jury also found Cooksey guilty of additional crimes, including sexual assault, armed robbery, and kidnapping.

Cooksey, who police described as someone aspiring to be a musician, had personal connections to some victims, though others were strangers, according to authorities.

He continues to assert that the accusations against him are untrue.

The series of killings began merely four months after Cooksey’s release from prison where he served time for a manslaughter charge linked to a fatal shooting during a robbery at a strip club in 2001.

Previously, a couple of serial shooting incidents in the metro Phoenix area generated widespread anxiety, making some residents hesitant to venture out at night or use the affected freeways. Unlike those earlier cases, the shootings attributed to Cooksey did not extend over many months and gained little attention until his apprehension.

The initial victims were Parker Smith and Andrew Remillard, killed while sitting in a vehicle in a parking area. Just five days later, Salim Richards, a security guard, was murdered on his way to visit his girlfriend.

Latorrie Beckford and Kristopher Cameron were victims of separate shootings at apartment complexes located in Glendale.

Maria Villanueva was slated to arrive at her boyfriend’s place in Glendale, but her body was discovered the following day, found partially unclothed in a Phoenix alley. Authorities confirmed she had been sexually assaulted, and Cooksey’s DNA was identified at the scene.

Eventually, Cooksey opened the door for officers responding to reports of gunfire at his mother’s apartment. Despite the blood they observed, Cooksey claimed he had sustained an injury while he was home alone. When approached by an officer for questioning, Cooksey allegedly threatened to harm the officer. The tragic discovery of his mother, Rene Cooksey, and stepfather, Edward Nunn, both deceased, followed.

In the living room, detectives reported finding Richards’ gun, later connected to the deaths of Beckford, Cameron, and Villanueva. Additionally, they recovered the keys to Villanueva’s vehicle and noted that Cooksey was found with Richards’ necklace when taken into custody.

In a handwritten letter directed to a judge in January 2020, Cooksey expressed frustration over his trial delays, stating his eagerness to prove “that the charges are nothing more than false claims” and emphasized that he is an artist, not a rapist or murderer: “I am a music artist.”