{"id":216862,"date":"2026-01-15T19:18:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T19:18:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/15\/serial-killer-cleophus-cooksey-jr-receives-sentenced-to-die\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T19:18:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T19:18:07","slug":"serial-killer-cleophus-cooksey-jr-receives-sentenced-to-die","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/15\/serial-killer-cleophus-cooksey-jr-receives-sentenced-to-die\/","title":{"rendered":"Serial Killer Cleophus Cooksey Jr. Receives Sentenced to Die"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>43-year-old serial killer Cleophus Cooksey Jr. has been sentenced to death.<\/p>\n<p>The spree killer murdered nine people over a three-week period in Phoenix back in 2017, killing all of them with a gun.<\/p>\n<p>Though much of his motive (beyond robbery and sexual assault) remains unknown, a jury convicted him for murder, armed robbery, and more.<\/p>\n<p>He has received six death sentences as a result.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><\/noscript><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_04-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Cleophus Cooksey Jr. in court.\" class=\"wp-image-545619 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_04-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_04-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_04-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_04-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_04-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_04-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_04-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_04.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_04.png\" loading=\"lazy\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Convicted serial killer Cleophus Cooksey Jr. appears in court.<span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Image Credit: 12 News)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In 2017, Cleophus Cooksey Jr. was released from prison after serving a manslaughter sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Vitally, he was part of a robbery and did not kill anyone during that crime. However, under the infamous felony murder rule, all participants in a felony crime are liable for deaths during its commission.<\/p>\n<p>Famously, however, prison does not make people <em>better<\/em>. Within months of his release, he killed his first known victims.<\/p>\n<p>On November 27, 2017, Cooksey killed Parker Smith and Andrew Remillard, shooting both in a car. The motive remains unknown.<\/p>\n<p>Days later, on December 2, he struck again, killing Salim Richards and stealing a Glock 9mm handgun.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cleophus Cooksey found guilty of serial murders | FOX 10 Phoenix\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Wbyq-nRzt_s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>On December 11, Cooksey killed Jesus Real, the brother of Cooksey\u2019s ex-girlfriend. He is the only known victim for whom prosecutors did not press charges.<\/p>\n<p>(It was a messy case, with Cooksey\u2019s ex-girlfriend and Real\u2019s baby mama both being arrested for evidence tampering. Prosecuting this killing might have distracted from the rest of the case)<\/p>\n<p>Two days later, on December 13, he shot and killed LaTorrie Beckford. The motive remains unknown.<\/p>\n<p>On the 16th, he murdered Kristopher Cameron and Maria Villanueva. He allegedly raped the latter. (The jury convicted him for the <em>attempt <\/em>to commit rape)<\/p>\n<p>Then, on December 17, Cooksey shot and killed his mother, Rene Cooksey, and his stepfather, Edward Nunn.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Eight victims of serial killer Cleophus Cooksey Jr.\" class=\"wp-image-545620\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Eight victims of serial killer Cleophus Cooksey Jr.\" class=\"wp-image-545620 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_03.png\" loading=\"lazy\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">These are eight victims of Cleophus Cooksey Jr. for whom he received murder convictions. Prosecutors did not pursue a conviction for a ninth victim, Jesus Real.<span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Image Credit: Fox 10 Phoenix)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The killing of his mother and stepfather is how Cooksey was caught.<\/p>\n<p>In movies, dedicated and driven detectives turn their own lives upside down to catch a serial killer. Every now and then, that happens in real life.<\/p>\n<p>But not usually. Most serial killers are of below-average intelligence and escalate their violence, feeling invincible as their killings grow more risky and more frequent.<\/p>\n<p>In Cooksey\u2019s case, neighbors heard gunshots and contacted authorities. When police arrived, Cooksey \u2026 answered the door. It\u2019s not every day that checking on a noise complaint ends up catching a serial killer.<\/p>\n<p>Investigators found evidence linking to other killings, including personal items from the victims.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Arizona jury to decide the fate of convicted serial killer Cleophus Cooksey\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2sbPl4nJ50E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>After numerous delays, Cooksey\u2019s trial began in May 2025. He was represented by a public defender.<\/p>\n<p>In September, the jury convicted him of all eight of the murders for which he was being prosecuted.<\/p>\n<p>On December 18, he received a death sentence for six of the eight murders.<\/p>\n<p>The jury was unsure of the punishment for his mother and stepfather\u2019s killings.<\/p>\n<p>He also received a 9-year prison sentence for the other charges, including armed robbery.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Cleophus Cooksey Jr. in the courtroom.\" class=\"wp-image-545621\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Cleophus Cooksey Jr. in the courtroom.\" class=\"wp-image-545621 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115_cleophuscookseyjr_02-Cropped.png\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In December 2025, Cleophus Cooksey Jr. received the death penalty six times over for his murder spree.<span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Image Credit: Fox 10 Phoenix)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The attorney general has contemplated seeking a sentencing retrial for the two murder convictions that did not result in the death sentence.<\/p>\n<p>(Sometimes, redundant sentencing is about covering your bases in case of a surprise on appeal, but it can also just be political)<\/p>\n<p>At this point, it looks very likely that six death sentences will be sufficient to kill Cooksey. <\/p>\n<p>It will take time and, of course, years of appeals. There\u2019s no reversing an execution, so you <em>really<\/em> want to get it right.<\/p>\n<p>Cooksey has maintained his innocence throughout the investigation and trial.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/01\/cleophus-cooksey-jr-serial-killer-sentenced\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reading Time: 3 minutes 43-year-old serial killer Cleophus Cooksey Jr. has been sentenced to death. The spree killer murdered nine people over a three-week period in Phoenix back in 2017, killing all of them with a gun. Though much of his motive (beyond robbery and sexual assault) remains unknown, a jury convicted him for murder, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":216865,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-216862","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hollywood"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216862","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=216862"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216862\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/216865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=216862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=216862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=216862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}