Cleophus Cooksey Jr.
Cleophus Emmanuel Cooksey Jr. is an American convicted spree killer and serial rapist who was found guilty in 2025 of killing eight people during a three-week killing spree in the Phoenix metropolitan area in late 2017. Cooksey was sentenced to death for six of those murders. He was also convicted of related crimes including kidnapping, armed robbery, and attempted sexual assault.
Early life and prior convictions
Cooksey is a grandson of Tucson civil rights leader Roy L. Cooksey.Cooksey was convicted of manslaughter and armed robbery in 2001. He was one of four men who attempted to rob a topless bar. Although the manager fatally shot one of Cooksey's accomplices and the shooting was deemed self-defense, under Arizona's felony murder law, Cooksey was held culpable because the death occurred during the commission of a crime. Under an agreement, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
2017 murders and arrest
Cooksey was linked to nine murders and other crimes committed in Phoenix and surrounding areas during a 21-day span between November and December 2017. All nine victims were shot.On December 17, 2017, police responded to shots fired at the apartment where Cooksey’s mother, Rene Cooksey, and stepfather, Edward Nunn, lived. They were found both dead at the scene, and Cooksey was arrested nearby. Investigators reportedly found evidence and personal items belonging to other victims at the apartment.
Ballistics evidence, DNA testing, stolen jewelry, and a stolen mobile phone belonging to one of the victims linked Cooksey to the other seven murders. Phoenix authorities say there is a "distinct possibility" of more victims. Investigations into unsolved murders are ongoing.
Trial
Cooksey was represented by public defender Robert Reinhardt and Adrian Little. MCAO Deputy County Attorneys Josh Maxwell, Chris Sammons, and James Baumann, represented the State of Arizona. His trial began on May 5, 2025.On September 25, Cooksey was convicted on eight murder charges.
On December 18, Cooksey was sentenced to death for six of the murders; jurors deadlocked on their sentencing recommendation for the remaining two murder counts.