YouTube Rapper Turned Serial Killer Murdered 9 People in Arizona over 3 Weeks

Law enforcement in Phoenix, Arizona has announced that they've captured a wanted serial killer in which they say is responsible for the horrific chain of murders across the Phoenix and Tucson areas. Nine innocent people were murdered over a period of just three weeks.

35-year-old Cleophus Cooksey, a YouTube rapper who performed under the stage name “King Playbola” in the local Tucson to Phoenix areas; is now in custody for a killing spree in which he murdered a total of nine people, and law enforcement officials say that there could be even more homicides tied to the rampage.

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<span style="margin-top:15px;rgba(42,51,6,0.7);font-size:12px;">Credit:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_nrLHg1zYe3cuAKZJ3LgsQ">Cleophus Cooksey YouTube</a></span>

Cooksey has a long and illustrious criminal history, spending the majority of his twenties in prison for armed robbery and manslaughter.

Back in 2001, he was just 16-years-old, and Cooksey was convicted of manslaughter and armed robbery, spending a total of 13 years in prison concurrently.

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<span style="margin-top:15px;rgba(42,51,6,0.7);font-size:12px;">Credit: Phoenix Police Department</span>

While in prison he was also given a 2008 citation for the sexual assault of another inmate, in which extended his prison sentence.

In June of 2017, Cooksey was convicted of disorderly conduct and spent a month in prison for violating his terms of release.

According to police, Cooksey was just released from prison back on July 17th, and ever since has been “causing problems with his family and friends”.

Going by the name “King Playboy,” Cooksey was an aspiring rap artist which can be seen via his YouTube videos below.

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He wears blue “colors” in the videos seemingly implying he's tied to the infamous “Crips” street gang, which is notorious for organized crime, murder, extortion, and drug dealing.

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He comes from a family of crime as well, with his father, Cleophus Cooksey Sr. having been convicted of burning down a post office in the Tucson area in 2015 in what be claimed was “revenge against the federal government”, according to<a href="https://heavy.com/news/2018/01/phoenix-serial-killer-cleophus-cooksey/"> Heavy</a>.

Back on December 17th Cleophus Cooksey was first arrested and interrogated after both of his parents were found shot to death in their Phoenix apartment, but Detectives didn't have enough evidence to bring forth charges at the time.

When Cooksey was arrested he told police, “I'm the strongest man alive,” a statement which raised alarm bells but alone couldn't tie him to the murders of his parents.

“Our detectives didn't stop there,” said Phoenix Police Department’s Chief Jeri Williams. “The Detectives kept digging.”

After the death of his parents, Cooksey then targeted his ex-girlfriend’s brother, who brutally stalked and hunted before taking the man's life.

He continued his reign of terror in total being responsible for nine vicious homicides, with the other six reported to have been random killings of those unfortunate enough to encounter Cooksey on his crime spree.

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<span style="margin-top:15px;rgba(42,51,6,0.7);font-size:12px;">Credit: Phoenix Police Department</span>

<b>The murder victims of the serial killer, Cleophus Cooksey are as follows:</b>

November 27th of 2017: 27-year-old Andrew "Andy" Remillard was killed on 16th Street and Indian School Road, in Phoenix.

November 27th of 2017: 21-year-old Parker Smith was killed on 16th Street and Indian School Road, in Phoenix.

Both Remillard and Smith were murdered together in a parking lot late at night. Police have yet to determine a particular motive for the homicides nor are they sure of how Cooksey may have encountered the men.

December 2nd of 2017: 35-year-old Salim Richards was killed in the 4000 block of 44th Avenue, in Phoenix.

Officers found Richards critically wounded when they arrived about 7:45 PM, and was later pronounced dead.

December 11th of 2017: 25-year-old Jesus Bonifacio Real was killed in the 500 block of East Harrison Drive in Avondale.

Real is the brother of Cooksey's ex-girlfriend who he apparently stalked and hunted down before murdering in a premeditated act of cold blood, police said.

December 13th of 2017: 29-year-old Latorrie Beckford was killed in the 5000 block of North 55th Avenue in Glendale.

Police said that Beckford was shot twice in the face and later found near a parking lot between two buildings near Camelback Road and 55th Avenue.

December 15th of 2017: 21-year-old Kristopher Cameron was killed in the 6000 block of North 58th Avenue in Glendale.

Pedestrians found Cameron kneeling in a grassy field in the area of the 5000 block of North 58th Avenue in Glendale with gunshots to the stomach. He died a day later.

December 16th of 2017: 43-year-old Maria Villanueva’s body discovered at the 1700 block of South Third Avenue in Phoenix.

Police said that Villanueva was kidnapped from her apartment complex as she was pulling into the parking lot in Glendale. Cooksey later sexually assaulted and murdered the woman.

December 17th of 2017: 56-year-old Rene Cooksey was killed in the 1300 block of East Highland Avenue in Phoenix.

December 17th of 2017: 54-year-old Edward Nunn was killed in the 1300 block of East Highland Avenue in Phoenix.

Both Rene Cooksey and Edward Nunn were Cleophus Cooksey's mother and stepfather. The pair was shot several times inside of their home, prompting neighbors to contact emergency 911.

Police responded to the “shots-fired” call, at which time they discovered Cleophus Cooksey at the residence, but he had claimed it was a robbery gone bad. He was arrested at the scene, because of the rhetoric he was spewing.

Detectives were later able to tie Cooksey to the crimes via ballistics testing at each of the murder scenes.

FBI profilers have called Cooksey a “thrill-killer,” who apparently gets satisfaction out of taking lives.

<a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2018/01/18/phoenix-police-double-murder-suspect-cleophus-cooksey-seven-homicides/1019194001/">Arizona Central </a>reports that the demographics of the homicides varied, and there seemed to be no particular pattern in which he continued to kill.

Phoenix Police Sergeant Jonathan Howard said police are also going to bring forth charges on additional crimes that were committed during the crime spree.

"To solve nine homicides in a period of three weeks is outstanding," Howard told reporters.

“We know that criminals are not bound by geographical boundaries,” Chief Williams said, suggesting that there may indeed be more bodies connected to Cooksey.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office will add nine additional first-degree murder counts, along with charges of prohibited possession of a firearm, armed robbery and sexual assault to the charges brought forth against the serial killer.

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