The suspect arrested for killing his mother and his stepfather, amongst others, in Arizona had a past with the law and wanted to become a rapper, it has now been revealed.
Cleophus Cooksey Jr, 35, was trying to break out as a rapper before he became a suspected serial killer. Two years ago, Cooksey was making YouTube videos of himself rapping and recording tracks under the moniker King Playbola. After the story broke that Cooksey was a suspect in the death of nine people, thousands of people went online to post old YouTube videos of him spitting lyrics to songs he’d written. The lyrics were mostly chilling with one line saying, "Motherf*****, I'm a monster."
Wanting to be a rapper aside, this isn’t Cooksey’s first time being involved with the law. Back in 2001 when Cooksey was 18, he went to prison for 16 years in Maricopa County for armed robbery and manslaughter convictions according to online records.
Cooksey has been linked to nine homicides that took place late last year, making him the most prolific serial killer in Arizona history. Police arrested Cooksey on Dec. 17, 2017, after someone called about shots being fired in Phoenix. At the scene, police found the dead bodies of Cooksey’s mother and stepfather. But it wasn’t until Cooksey was in custody on Thursday that police discovered the man was also responsible for several other killings. Police believe he is behind nine deaths that happened in the last three weeks before his arrest.
Cooksey denied knowledge of the murders of his mother and stepfather and later denied knowing the other victims of seven unsolved murders or knowing how they died.
Cooksey is now charged with nine counts of first-degree murder, being a prohibited possessor, theft of a firearm, armed robbery and sexual assault.
