Cleophus Cooksey Jr. was recently charged with eight murders, down from the nine he was initially accused of committing. A spokesperson from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office disclosed that prosecutors are still reviewing the homicide case of Jesus Real, who was found dead in his Avondale apartment on December 11, 2017. This new development adds yet another layer of complexity to an already intricate case.

Attorney Randall Craig, who previously represented Mark Goudeau—the so-called “Baseline Killer” convicted in 2010 of nine murders and 15 sexual assaults—commented on the latest developments in Cooksey’s case: “There could be multiple charges resulting from additional evidence or potentially new crimes that the defendant may be linked to.”

Craig also noted that Cooksey’s defense team will likely explore his past to present a compelling narrative to the jury. “In some cases, there may be mental health issues,” Craig explained, or the defendant might have “suffered some kind of abuse as a child.” He emphasized, “There’s always a story of how that particular defendant got to where he’s at.”

Cooksey Jr. is scheduled to be arraigned on March 9th. Following the arraignment, prosecutors will have 60 days to notify the court if they intend to pursue the death penalty. Craig believes the prosecution is likely to seek the death penalty, but he also pointed out that presenting the defendant’s background to the jury could potentially save Cooksey’s life if convicted. “[Jurors] want a reason not to impose death,” Craig stated. “Sometimes there is no reason.”

The defense in Cooksey’s case is expected to challenge the police’s method of linking the crime scenes. Investigators claim they used newer technology to match shell casings from the scenes to the 9 mm Glock taken from Cooksey at the time of his arrest. Craig remarked, “The challenge for the state is to prove that one particular firearm was used, rather than multiple firearms.”