Cleophus Cooksey Jr., a wannabe rapper from Phoenix, Arizona, is accused of murdering 9 people in a gruesome crime spree over three weeks.
The rampage ranks Cooksey Jr., 35, as one of the most prolific serial killers in the state’s history.
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Cooksey Jr. was arrested on Dec. 17, 2017, after police responded to a call of shots fired in Phoenix. When officers arrived they found Cooksey’s mother and stepfather dead. Police said Thursday they did not link Cooksey to the other homicides until he was in custody.
Fox News named all nine victims:
– Two men, Andrew Remillard, 27, and Parker Smith, 21, who were discovered dead Nov. 27.
– One man, Salim Richards, 35, found critically wounded on Dec. 2, and later died at the scene. It was not immediately clear if Richards knew the suspect. Police said there were signs of robbery at the crime scene and a hangun was appeared to have been taken.
– On Dec. 11, Jesus Bonifacio Real, 25, the brother of Cooksey’s former girlfriend, was murdered.
– On Dec. 13, Latorrie Beckford, 29, was shot and killed.
– On Dec. 16, 2017, Kristopher Cameron, 21, was discovered shot to death in a field. Police said Cameron appeared to have met with the suspect for a drug interaction. On the same day, Maria Villanueva, 43, was found dead. Villanueva was kidnapped from her car after the suspect approached her vehicle. The two drove off before Villanueva was found with signs of sexually assault and murdered, police said.
– On Dec. 17, Rene Cooksey, 56, the suspect’s mother, and his stepfather, Edward Nunn, 54, were shot and killed. Cooksey was then arrested.