An Arizona jury on Thursday handed a death sentence to Cleophus Cooksey Jr., a 43-year-old aspiring musician, for a series of eight murders that unfolded over three weeks in Phoenix in 2017.
A Harrowing Timeline of Violence
The killings began on November 27, 2017, when two men-Parker Smith, 21, and Andrew Remillard, 27-were found shot to death inside a parked car. Five days later, security guard Salim Richards, 31, was fatally shot while walking to his girlfriend’s apartment.
Over the next two weeks, Latorrie Beckford, 29, and Kristopher Cameron, 21, were killed in separate shootings at Glendale apartment complexes. Maria Villanueva, 43, was discovered naked from the waist down in a Phoenix alley; investigators later found Cooksey’s DNA on her body.
The final two murders occurred on December 17, 2017, when Cooksey answered the door at his mother’s apartment after police responded to a shots-fired call. He told officers he had cut his hand and was the only one home, but when an officer tried to detain him, Cooksey threatened to slit the officer’s throat. Rene Cooksey, 56, and her stepfather Edward Nunn, 54, were found dead.
Convictions and the Death Penalty
In late September, Cooksey was found guilty of murder in all eight killings. He was also convicted of kidnapping, armed robbery, and attempted sexual assault stemming from the attacks in Phoenix and nearby Glendale.
The jury sentenced him to death for six of the eight murders. However, they were undecided on the punishment for the killings of his mother and stepfather. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell is weighing whether to seek a sentencing retrial on those two counts or to drop the effort to pursue the death penalty and allow a judge to impose life sentences.
Mitchell said, ‘Anyone who questions why we need the death penalty needs to look no further than this case,’ Mitchell said in a statement. ‘It takes a special kind of evil to prey upon the vulnerable and needlessly take the lives of eight innocent people. Death is the only just punishment for him, and we will do everything in our power to see it carried through.’
Evidence Ties Cooksey to the Crimes
Authorities linked Cooksey to the murders through evidence found at his mother’s apartment after the shooting. The evidence included:
- A gun used in several of the killings
- Vehicle keys belonging to another victim
- A necklace from a victim that Cooksey was wearing when arrested
No motive was offered by investigators.
Cooksey’s Background and Defense
Cooksey maintained his innocence throughout the trial. He said he knew some of the victims but was not acquainted with others. The Associated Press left phone and email messages for Cooksey’s defense attorney, Robert Reinhardt.
The Broader Context of Phoenix Serial Shooting Cases
Cooksey’s arrest followed two other serial shooting incidents in the Phoenix area. In 2015, eleven shootings occurred on Phoenix-area freeways between late August and early September; charges were later dismissed against the only person charged.
A separate case spanned nearly a year, ending in July 2016, when bus driver Aaron Juan Saucedo was arrested in April 2017 and charged with first-degree murder for attacks that killed nine people. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Saucedo, whose trial was scheduled to start earlier this month but has been postponed until December 2026. Saucedo has declared his innocence.
Key Takeaways
- Cleophus Cooksey Jr. was sentenced to death for six of eight murders committed in Phoenix in 2017.
- The jury remains undecided on the punishment for the murders of Cooksey’s mother and stepfather.
- Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell is considering a retrial or dropping the death penalty for those two counts.
The case underscores the severity of the crimes and the legal complexities surrounding the death penalty in Arizona.
