Cleophus Cooksey Jr.: The Phoenix-Area Serial Killer
Overview
Cleophus Emmanuel Cooksey Jr. is an Arizona serial killer connected to a violent series of shootings across the Phoenix metropolitan area in late 2017. The killings took place over a short and terrifying period, from November 27, 2017, to December 17, 2017. During that time, multiple people were shot to death in Phoenix, Glendale, and Avondale. The victims included strangers, acquaintances, his mother, and his stepfather. Authorities said the crimes appeared to involve robbery, personal conflict, and sudden acts of violence, though a single clear motive was never established for the entire spree.
Cooksey had a prior criminal history before the 2017 killings. He had previously been convicted in connection with a deadly robbery case from 2001 and had spent years in prison. After his release, he was living in the Phoenix area. By late 2017, investigators later said, he began a string of murders that shocked Arizona because of how quickly the deaths occurred and how different the victims were from one another.
The Beginning of the Killing Spree
The first known killings linked to Cooksey happened on November 27, 2017. Andrew Remillard and Parker Smith were found shot to death inside a vehicle in Phoenix. The two men were sitting together in a car when they were attacked. Their deaths were initially investigated as a double homicide, but at that time police did not yet know they were dealing with a larger pattern of killings.
Over the next three weeks, more victims were found dead from gunshot wounds. The crimes took place in different parts of the Phoenix metropolitan area, which made the case difficult to immediately connect. Some victims were found in vehicles, some were attacked outdoors, and others were killed in homes or apartments. The shootings created fear because the attacks did not appear to follow one simple pattern.
Victims, Dates, and Locations
- Andrew Remillard, 27 — Killed on November 27, 2017, in Phoenix, Arizona. Remillard was found shot to death inside a car with Parker Smith. He was one of the first two victims in the series.
- Parker Smith, 21 — Killed on November 27, 2017, in Phoenix, Arizona. Smith was found dead in the same vehicle as Andrew Remillard. Both men had been shot.
- Salim Richards, 35 — Killed on December 2, 2017, in west Phoenix, Arizona. Richards was shot and killed while walking. Investigators later said Cooksey took property from him, including a firearm, and evidence connected Cooksey to Richards after his arrest.
- Jesus Real, 25 — Killed on December 11, 2017, in Avondale, Arizona. Real was the brother of Cooksey’s former girlfriend. Police linked his killing to Cooksey, though prosecutors did not charge Cooksey with Real’s murder in the final murder case that led to eight convictions.
- LaTorrie Beckford, 29 — Killed on December 13, 2017, in the Phoenix area. Beckford was shot and killed during the middle of the spree. His death was later included among the murders for which Cooksey was convicted.
- Kristopher Cameron, 21 — Killed on December 16, 2017, in Glendale, Arizona. Cameron was shot and killed only one day before Cooksey’s arrest. His death became one of the cases tied to Cooksey through the broader investigation.
- Maria Villanueva, 43 — Killed on December 16, 2017, in the Phoenix/Glendale area. Villanueva was shot and killed during the final days of the spree. Authorities also connected Cooksey to crimes involving her vehicle and personal property.
- Rene Cooksey, 56 — Killed on December 17, 2017, in Phoenix, Arizona. Rene was Cleophus Cooksey’s mother. She was found shot to death inside an apartment.
- Edward Nunn, 54 — Killed on December 17, 2017, in Phoenix, Arizona. Nunn was Cooksey’s stepfather. He was found dead in the same apartment as Rene Cooksey.
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