The prolonged wait for justice inches closer to resolution as 43-year-old Cleophus Cooksey Jr. stands trial for a crime spree that held the Phoenix area in its grip during a harrowing three-week period in 2017. Cooksey, formerly incarcerated for his part in a deadly 2001 robbery, now faces charges for a series of killings that range from acquaintances to strangers, according to a report by ABC15.
The case, stretching over seven years of investigation and legal delays exacerbated by the pandemic, sprang open when law enforcement discovered a grisly scene at an apartment where Cooksey's own mother and stepfather lay dead. Evidence collected at the scene became a linchpin, linking him to multiple homicides with, amongst other findings, the discovery of a victim's necklace on his person and the firearm used in several of the murders, as detailed by ABC15. Prosecutors are pushing for the ultimate sanction - the death penalty, should Cooksey be convicted of the eight charges brought against him; although, he maintains his innocence, pleading not guilty.
Sifting through the darkness of the crimes, the first known victims, Parker Smith and Andrew Remillard, were fatally shot in a vehicle, setting off a grim tally that culminated in Cooksey's arrest on December 17, 2017. Other victims included Salim Richards, a security guard, who after a physical altercation, was killed, with his gun and necklace later found under the control of Cooksey. The death of Maria Villanueva followed a sinister pattern, with her body discovered in a Phoenix alley after she had been sexually assaulted, her vehicle keys found in Cooksey's apartment, placing him squarely at the heart of the murder, The Star reports.
In his communication to the courts, dating from January 2020, Cooksey expounded on his eagerness to be vindicated through trial, asserting, "I am a music artist," and not the perpetrator of these heinous acts. While his wish for a speedy trial was hindered by pandemic precautions, it has not dissuaded his defense from contesting claims, including one tying him to a ninth victim, ultimately dismissed by prosecutors citing insufficient prospects for a conviction, reported by ABC15.
This series of killings disrupted a community already wary from previous shooting sprees. Between late August and early September of 2015, eleven shootings occurred on Phoenix highways. In a later series, spanning nearly a year and concluding in July 2016, bus driver Aaron Juan Saucedo was charged with killing nine people; his trial set for the latter part of the year, as per The Star.
