Edmund Kemper Biography
Edmund Emil Kemper was born on December 18, 1948 in California. He committed the abduction and killed several women in the 1970s. Further, he murdered his grandparents, as well as his mother. After his parents divorced in 1957, he moved with his mother and his siblings to Montana. He had difficult relation with his mother who was a drinker. She used to criticize and blame him for anything that went wrong.
At the age of ten, she forced him to reside in the basement, away from his siblings. Suspicious signs began to show up at early. Kemper possessed a dark fantasy life, where at times he dreamt about murdering the mother. He cut off the heads of the siblings’ dolls. In addition, he forced girls to play the game ‘gas chamber’. Here, he would be blindfolded, then taken to a chair, in which he pretended to struggle in agony until he ‘died’ (“Thumbs Down: Remembering Edmund Kemper, “The Co-Ed Butcher” of Hitchhiking Students – CrimeFeed,” 2012). The first victims happened to be the family cats. In this case, he buried one of them alive, and slaughtered the second one. He went back to live with the father for some time. However, he ended up living with the mother again. She decided to move him to his paternal grandparents’ home in North Fork, California. He hated residing there. Before shifting to California, he had already learnt how to use a firearm. The grandparents withdrew the rifle after he murdered many animals and birds. On the 27th of August 1964, he turned his range on his parents. After an argument, he shot his grandmother on the kitchen. When his grandfather came back home, he went outside and shot him by the car. Later, he hid the body.
He called his mother who told him to alert the police and explain the incident. Kemper said that he shot the grandmother ‘to see what it felt like’ (“Edmund Kemper,” 2010). He also stated that he killed the grandfather, so that he would not find out that the grandmother was dead. Because of this, he was taken to the California Youth Authority for some tests. They revealed a very high IQ, but also a sign of paranoid schizophrenia. Later, he was moved to Atascadero State Hospital, a mentally ill facility. He was released at the age of 21 in 1969, and rejoined with the mother in Santa Cruz. He attended community college and did various jobs. Finally, in 1971, he was employed in the Department of Transportation. He attempted to become a state trooper, but was rejected because of his size (“Edmund Kemper,” 2010). According to the police, he was ‘too big’, and even got the nickname ‘Big Ed’. The same year, he commenced working for the highway department. He was knocked by a car. His arm was in terrible pain. He got a 15.000 US Dollar compensation after suing the driver. Since he could not work, he shifted to other plans. He discovered a big number of women hitchhiking in the region. Using the settlement money and the newly acquired vehicle, he gathered tools that he would use to quench his murderous desires. They included a knife, handcuffs, and a gun.
Initially, he picked up two hitchhikers and let them free. However, he offered a ride to two Fresno State students, Mary Ann and Anita Luchessa. They did not get to their destination. Mary Ann’s head was found in the woods near Santa Cruz. Anita’s body was never found. Kemper stated that the strangled and stabbed Mary, and later stabbed Anita. He took the bodies back to his house and cut off the hands and heads. On September 14, same year, he picked up Aiko Koo. She had decided to hitchhike, instead of waiting for the bus to take her to class. She was later murdered. In January 1973, he picked up Cindy Schall. He shot and killed her, and later mutilated her corpse (“Real Life Horror Tale of the Twisted “Co-ed Killer” | Psychology Today,” 2012). The body parts were disposed of in the ocean, whereas her head was buried in the mother’s backyard. On the 5th of February 1973, he offered a ride to two students, Alice Liu and Rosalind Thorpe. Shortly after picking them, he shot them and drove out of campus. He mutilated the bodies and disposed of the body parts in various locations. In March, the body parts were discovered. In April 1973, he attacked his mother while she was sleeping. He hit her on the head with a hammer and slit her throat. Just like previous victims, he mutilated the body. Later, he called Sally, his mother’s friend. He strangled her and hid her body in a closet. On April 23 same year, he called the Santa Cruz police and confessed his crimes (“Edmund Kemper,” 2010). After numerous interrogations, he led them to the evidence needed for his murder trial. In October 1973, he was charged with eight accounts of first-degree murders. In early November, the court found him guilty. When asked to state his punishment, Kemper stated that he wanted to be tortured by death. However, he got eight simultaneous life sentences. Currently, he is serving his time at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville.
References
Edmund Kemper. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/edmund-kemper-403254#troubled-childhood
The Real Life Horror Tale of the Twisted “Co-ed Killer” | Psychology Today. (2012). Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wicked-deeds/201403/the-real-life-horror-tale-the-twisted-co-ed-killer
Thumbs Down: Remembering Edmund Kemper, “The Co-Ed Butcher” of Hitchhiking Students – CrimeFeed. (2012). Retrieved from http://crimefeed.com/2016/09/thumbs-down-remembering-edmund-kemper-the-co-ed-butcher/