On a Thursday in 2025, the state of Arizona handed down a death sentence to Cleophus Cooksey Jr., 43, for a series of fatal shootings that took place in the Phoenix metropolitan area during a three-week span in 2017. The court found him guilty of murder in eight separate killings, and jurors agreed on the death penalty in six of those cases.
The Crime Spree
The killings began on November 27, 2017 when Andrew Remillard, 27, and Parker Smith, 21, were discovered with gunshot wounds to the head inside a parked car in Phoenix. Two days later, on December 2, Salim Richards, 31, was shot while walking in west Phoenix; his 9-mm Glock handgun and a necklace went missing.
On December 13, Latorrie Beckford, 29, was found shot twice in the head in the common area of a Glendale apartment complex. The next day, December 15, Kristopher Cameron, 21, was killed upon arriving at the same Glendale complex to complete a drug transaction with Cooksey, according to police.
Also on December 15, Maria Villanueva, 43, parked her car at a different complex two miles away. Surveillance footage captured an unknown man approaching her, driving away in Villanueva’s vehicle with her seated in the front passenger seat. She was later found partially nude and shot to death in a Phoenix alley.
On December 17, police responding to gunfire at a central Phoenix apartment building encountered Cooksey at the scene. After a brief altercation, they took him into custody. The same location revealed the bodies of Cooksey’s mother, Rene Cooksey, 56, and her husband, Edward Nunn, 54, both of whom had been shot to death.
Trial and Sentencing
During a month-long trial, Cooksey maintained his innocence. Prosecutors presented evidence that linked the killings to him. In late September, the jury found him guilty of murder in eight cases. They agreed on the death penalty in six of those cases but were undecided on the punishment for the deaths of Rene Cooksey and Edward Nunn.
Prosecutors indicated they could pursue the death penalty again in a sentencing retrial or allow a judge to impose life sentences. Authorities never released a motive for the attacks.
Investigation Details
Investigators recovered Salim Richards’ gun from the scene on December 17; the weapon was later connected to the killings of Beckford, Cameron, and Villanueva. The keys to Villanueva’s vehicle were also found there. Police noted that Cooksey was wearing Richards’ necklace when he was arrested.
A list of nine homicide victims linked to Cooksey was displayed by the Phoenix Police Department at a news conference on January 18, 2018. The photo, credited to AP Photo/Terry Tang, showed the victims and highlighted Cooksey’s conviction in eight of the killings.
Key Takeaways
- Cleophus Cooksey Jr. received a death sentence for eight murders committed in 2017.
- Jurors chose the death penalty in six cases; they remained undecided on two.
- Evidence tied Richards’ gun and Villanueva’s car keys to the crimes.
- No motive was publicly offered by authorities.
Closing
The sentencing marks a culmination of a complex investigation that spanned several weeks in 2017 and a month-long trial in 2025. The case remains a stark reminder of the impact of violent crime on a community and the legal processes that follow.
