Death Penalty for Arizona Serial Shooter

Cleophus Cooksey Jr., 43, received a death sentence on Thursday for his role in eight murders that occurred over a three-week period in 2017 across metro Phoenix. A jury found him guilty of murder in late September, recommending the death penalty for six of the victims. However, the jury could not reach a decision regarding the deaths of Cooksey's mother and stepfather, leaving their fate to a potential sentencing retrial or a judge's decision.

The series of killings began with the discovery of two young men, Andrew Remillard and Parker Smith, found shot in a parked car. Other victims included Salim Richards, Latorrie Beckford, and Kristopher Cameron, with evidence suggesting drug-related motives for some of these attacks. The investigation also linked Cooksey to the murder of Maria Villanueva, whose car was stolen after she was killed.

The investigation culminated when police apprehended Cooksey at an apartment where his mother, Rene Cooksey, and her husband, Edward Nunn, were found shot to death. Investigators reportedly found the murder weapon, which had been used in multiple killings, along with Villanueva's car keys and Richards' stolen necklace on Cooksey. The motive behind the violent spree remains undetermined.