Cleophus Cooksey, Jr.: Convicted Arizona serial killer sentenced to death

Cleophus Cooksey Jr. sentenced to death

A jury has given the death penalty to Cleophus Cooksey Jr. The man was found guilty back in September for killing eight people, including his mother and stepfather, back in 2017.

PHOENIX - A Valley man convicted of murdering eight people, including his mother and stepfather, has been sentenced to death.

The backstory:

The killing spree began on November 27, 2017, when two men were found shot to death outside a car in a parking lot. It ended a few weeks later when Cooksey’s mother, Rene, and stepfather, Edward Nunn, were found dead in their apartment, shot at close range.

During Cooksey's trial, prosecutors argued that forensic evidence, including bullets from two 9-millimeter guns found at the crime scenes, and GPS data, all linked Cooksey to the string of killings.

Cleophus Cooksey, Jr. (file)

The defense contended that the prosecution's forensic evidence was unreliable, did not present motives for all the killings, or connections to all the victims. There were also no eyewitnesses.

In September, Cleophus Cooksey Jr. was found guilty on 14 counts, including eight charges of first-degree murder.

Update:

On Dec. 18, Cooksey was sentenced to death for six of the murders.

"The jury was hung on the punishment for two other murders Cooksey committed," read a statement from the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

In addition to the death sentence, Cooksey also received more than 9 years in prison for non-capital charges.

What they're saying:

"Anyone who questions why we need the death penalty needs to look no further than this case," Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said. "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."