Cleophus Emmanuel Cooksey Jr. (born March 25, 1982) is an accused American

spree killer A spree killer is someone who commits a criminal act that involves two or more murders in a short time, often in multiple locations. There are different opinions about what durations of time a killing spree may take place in. The United States ...

. He has been charged with eight

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...

s and was also linked to a ninth. He is also accused of committing other crimes in the city of Phoenix and in surrounding areas during a 21-day span between November and December 2017. All nine victims had been shot. His mother, Rene Cooksey, and his stepfather, Edward Nunn, were the final two victims. A blood-covered Cooksey was arrested at the scene.

Ballistics Ballistics is the field of mechanics concerned with the launching, flight behaviour and impact effects of projectiles, especially weapon munitions such as bullets, unguided bombs, rockets and the like; the science or art of designing and acceler ...

evidence,

DNA testing Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...

, stolen jewelry and a stolen

mobile phone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This rad ...

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. Cooksey, a grandson of

Tucson Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...

leader Roy L. Cooksey, is currently represented by

public defender A public defender is a lawyer appointed to represent people who otherwise cannot reasonably afford to hire a lawyer to defend themselves in a trial. Several countries provide people with public defenders, including the UK, Belgium, Hungary and Si ...

Gary Beren. His trial began May 5th 2025.

Alleged victims

Cooksey is set to go on trial for all the of the murders with the exception of Real as prosecutors did not charge him with that crime.

Previous convictions

Cleophus Cooksey Jr. had been convicted of

manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...

and

armed robbery Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person o ...

in 2001 and had been released the previous July. 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.

Related arrests

Phoenix police arrested three women: Desaree Coronado (aged 23) and sisters Griselda and Liliana Vasquez (ages 24 and 26, respectively), on one count each of hindering prosecution and

tampering with physical evidence Tampering with evidence, or evidence tampering, is an act in which a person alters, conceals, falsifies, or destroys evidence with the intent to interfere with an investigation (usually) by a law-enforcement, governmental, or regulatory authority. ...

. Both are

felonies A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "''félonie''") to describe an offense that ...

. Coronado was the mother of Jesus Real's child. She was also charged with one misdemeanor count of false reporting to law enforcement. Liliana Vasquez is Cleophus Cooksey Jr.'s ex-girlfriend. Griselda Vasquez ultimately admitted to taking a

off Real's body. Police say they have evidence that Liliana's car was in the area of two of the murders. Their bonds were set at $3,000.

References

External links

YouTube video of Phoenix police department announcing Cleophus Cooksey Jr.'s arrest
(January 18, 2018) {{DEFAULTSORT:Cooksey, Cleophus Jr. 1982 births American people convicted of manslaughter American people convicted of robbery Living people People charged with murder