PHOENIX (AP) — A man convicted of killing eight people in metro Phoenix in 2017 waived his presence in court Monday at the start of the sentencing portion of his trial, where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Authorities say they linked Cooksey to the slayings through evidence found at his mother’s apartment in the aftermath of her killing. Cooksey, an aspiring musician, knew some of the victims but he wasn’t acquainted with others, police said. In making his case, prosecutor Josh Maxwell pointed out to jurors that Cooksey was convicted of multiple counts of first-degree murder stemming from the 2017 killing spree and had previous armed robbery and manslaughter convictions. Prosecutors also alleged that some victims in the 2017 case were killed in an especially cruel manner.