PHOENIX – A Valley man accused of murdering eight people, including his mother and stepfather, will soon learn his fate.
After a five-month trial, the case against Cleophus Cooksey, Jr. is now in the hands of a jury.
The backstory:
Cooksey is accused in a series of murders and other crimes back in 2017, including robbery, kidnapping and sexual assault.
The alleged killing spree began on November 27, 2017, with the deaths of two men found shot dead outside a car in a parking lot. It ended a few weeks later when Cooksey’s mother, Rene, and stepfather, Edward Nunn, were found dead in their apartment, shot at close range.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued that forensic evidence, including bullets from two 9-millimeter guns found at the crime scenes, and GPS data, all linked Cooksey to the string of killings.
The defense contended that the prosecution’s forensic evidence was unreliable, did not present motives for all the killings, or connections to all the victims. There were also no eyewitnesses.
What’s next:
The jury will begin deliberating on September 22.
If Cooksey is convicted, he is facing the death penalty.
The Source: Information was gathered from Maricopa County Superior Court and previous FOX 10 reporting.
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