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“ One side of me says, 'Wow, what an attractive chick. I’d like to talk to her, date her.' The other side of me says, 'I wonder how her head would look on a stick?' „
Biography
Early life
Edmund Emil Kemper III, born on December 18, 1948, in Burbank, California, had a troubled childhood marked by a strained relationship with his mother, Clarnell Strandberg. His parents divorced when he was young, and he was raised by his mother, who was domineering and verbally abusive.
Criminal Beginnings
Ed Kemper's early criminal history includes the murder of his grandparents. At the age of 15, in 1964, Kemper shot and killed his paternal grandparents, Edmund Emil Kemper Sr. and Maud Kemper, in their home. The exact motive for these murders is complex, but it is known that Kemper had a troubled relationship with his grandparents.
Kemper had been living with his grandparents, and he harbored resentment towards his domineering grandmother. His grandfather was not his target, but Kemper killed him as well to eliminate any witnesses. After committing the murders, Kemper fled the scene but later turned himself in to the police.
He was diagnosed with a mental disorder and was committed to the Atascadero State Hospital, a maximum-security facility for mentally ill offenders. Despite the severity of his actions, Kemper's intelligence and manipulative behavior led to his release at the age of 21 in 1969.
Co-ed Killer Spree
In 1972, Kemper embarked on a series of brutal murders targeting young hitchhiking women, earning him the moniker "The Co-ed Killer." His victims included students and young women in the Santa Cruz area. Kemper's method involved picking up hitchhikers, engaging in conversation, and then brutally killing them.
Modus Operandi
Kemper's method of operation included dismembering and violating the bodies of his victims. His crimes escalated in brutality, and he later admitted to engaging in necrophilia and other gruesome acts. Kemper's intelligence and ability to blend into society allowed him to evade suspicion.
Arrest and Trial
The Co-ed Killer's spree ended in 1973 when Kemper murdered his mother and one of her friends before turning himself in. In 1973, he was convicted of eight counts of murder. During the trial, Kemper assisted in his own defense, revealing chilling details about the motives and methods of his crimes.
Life Imprisonment
Ed Kemper was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Despite his heinous crimes, he became a model prisoner and even assisted in FBI criminal profiling interviews. Kemper's intelligence and articulation contrasted sharply with the brutality of his actions.
Legacy and Notoriety
Kemper is noted for his height of 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m) and his intellect, possessing an IQ of 145[citation needed].
Victims
| Name | Age | Date of Death | Cause of Death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maud Kemper | 66 | August 27, 1964 | Shooting |
| Edmund Emil Kemper | 72 | August 27, 1964 | Shooting |
| Mary Ann Pesce | 18 | May 7, 1972 | Strangulation |
| Anita Mary Luchessa | 18 | May 7, 1972 | Strangulation |
| Aiko Koo | 15 | September 14, 1972 | Strangulation |
| Cindy Schall | 18 | January 7, 1973 | Shooting |
| Rosalind Thorpe | 23 | February 5, 1973 | Shooting |
| Allison Liu | 20 | February 5, 1973 | Shooting |
| Clarnell Strandberg | 52 | April 20, 1973 | Bludgeoning |
| Sally Hallett | 59 | April 21, 1973 | Strangulation |
Timeline
Bibliography
Literature
- Cheney, Margaret (1976). The Co-Ed Killer: A Study of the Murders, Mutilations, and Matricide of Edmund Kemper III,. ISBN 978-1632921819
Articles
- "Edmund Kemper". Biography (April 27, 2017).
- Gabe Paoletti (March 8, 2023). The Disturbing Crimes Of Ed Kemper, The 6’9″ Serial Killer Who Saved His Grisliest Murder For His Own Mom. All That's Interesting.
Documentaries
Television
- Born to Kill?: Edmund Kemper: Co-ed Butcher (2011) on IMDb
- World's Most Evil Killers: Edmund Kemper (September 2018) on IMDb
- Kemper on Kemper: Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer (2018) on IMDb
- Mind of a Monster: The Co-Ed Killer (November 1, 2021) on IMDb
YouTube Documentaries
- Real Life Mindhunter Killer, Real Crime - World's Most Evil Killers on YouTube
- Edmund Kemper's Reign Of Terror, Real Crime - World's Most Evil Killers on YouTube
- Edmund Kemper: The Coed Killer, Biographics on YouTube
- The Man Who Killed For His Mother's Love — Edmund Kemper, Seeking Answers on YouTube
Podcasts
- Edmund Kemper - Part 1. Serial Killers with Greg Polcyn & Vanessa Richardson.
- Edmund Kemper - Part 2. Serial Killers with Greg Polcyn & Vanessa Richardson.
In popular culture
Film/TV adaptations
- Kemper (2008) on IMDb
- Mindhunter (2017-2019) on IMDb
Related Articles
- Clarnell Strandberg, his mother.
See also
- Jame Gumb, a fictional character from Silence of The Lambs, was partially based on Ed Kemper. Gumb and Kemper both killed their grandparents as a teenager "just to see what it felt like."
Links
- Edmund Kemper at Wikipedia
- Ed Kemper on IMDb
- Edmund Emil Kemper III. Radford University (via studylib.net).
- Edmund Kemper Stories: Documenting the Co-Ed Killer case.
- Edmund Kemper. CDCR Inmate Locator. “CDCR Number: B52453”
- Kemper's 2017 parole hearing, B52453, 2017-07-25 (PDF).
- Ed Kemper the Co-Ed Killer Who Shocked America - Body Language Analysis, The Behavior Panel on YouTube
- Monsters Who Murder: Ed Kemper's Body Language, Monsters Who Murder on YouTube
- In Prison With Serial Killer Edmund Kemper, Shaun Attwood on YouTube
Notes
- ↑ The character Patrick Bateman in the 2000 film American Psycho mistakenly attributes a quote by Kemper to Gein, saying: "You know what Ed Gein said about women? ... He said 'When I see a pretty girl walking down the street, I think two things. One part of me wants to take her out, talk to her, be real nice and sweet and treat her right ... [the other part wonders] what her head would look like on a stick'." [1]
References
- ↑ Jamie Schram (February 10, 2016). "Serial killer quoted in ‘American Psycho’ doesn’t want to leave jail". New York Post. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022.