Aspiring Musician Turned Deadly Killer: Arizona Serial Murderer Convicted

On September 27, 2025, an Arizona jury convicted Cleophus Cooksey Jr. of murdering 8 people during a 3-week shooting spree in 2017. The 43-year-old Cooksey was found guilty of carrying out a deadly rampage that claimed the lives of both random individuals and his own mother and stepfather.

The killings occurred during a period of heightened anxiety in the Phoenix metro area, where residents were still unsettled by two separate serial shooting cases in 2015. Prosecutors said Cooksey, an aspiring musician, was acquainted with some of his victims but not others, and a clear motive has not been identified.

Police arrested Cooksey in December 2017 after responding to a call at his mother's home, where they found the bodies of Renee Cooksey and Edward Nunn. Cooksey was taken into custody after answering the door with blood on his hands and making bizarre claims about working for the FBI.

In addition to the murder convictions, Cooksey also faces charges of kidnapping, sexual assault, and armed robbery. With the jury's verdict, he now awaits sentencing and the possibility of the death penalty for his role in the shocking 2017 killing spree that left the community reeling.