Co-Ed Killer Story

‘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?’

— Edmund Kemper, via www.truecrime.net

In today’s blog you will read about Edmund Kemper, also known as a CO-ED killer. I took inspiration from Netflix series called ‘Mindhunter’.

One of the most interesting psychopaths I have ever heard of. Incredibly intelligent, well-spoken and polite. By many called a ‘gentle giant’ yet sick, cold blooded monster. Kemper have killed 10 people including his mother and grandparents.

What he used to do with victims’ bodies is beyond understanding. His friendly appearance and well – mannered speaking makes it even more difficult to believe that human being like him is able to commit such a horror crime. While watching several interviews with Edmund Kemper I can even feel sympathy and pity for him. Almost forgetting who he really is!

Is he just a product of a system failure and horrendous childhood who deep inside knows there is something wrong with him? Or is he typical example of intelligent, manipulative psychopath?

Ed was born on 18/12/1948 in Burbank, CA. He’s known as ‘One of America’s most twisted serial killer’. He killed 10 people beginning with his grandparents.

It’s typical that psychopathic killers are not like that just out of blue, there is always a history to it, a trigger. It was the same with Kemper – his mother was abusive, and father left him.

He is described as highly intelligent with IQ 145, where America’s average is around 90-100. That puts him in 10% of the population with IQ above 145!!

Like I said before his mother abused him mentally, humiliated him and didn’t like him. She once closed him in a dark basement full of rats. Some sources say she did it, because she was afraid, he may rape his sister.

Kemper started expressing his psychopathic treats firstly by cutting off doll’s heads, later moving onto hurting animals.

His first crime he committed in 1964 while living with his grandparents. He had a riffle given by his grandad which he used to shoot birds with. One time he got into an argument with his grandmother who was apparently similar in character to his mother and during this argument he simply shot her.

Even though Ed very much liked his grandfather – he killed him as well as he didn’t want him to see his wife dead.

Kemper was then placed in a mental institute. Doctors had problems to place him anywhere on the spectrum. They did not diagnose him with schizophrenia, personality disorder, he didn’t hear voices and didn’t hallucinate. Therefore, he didn’t get any medical/psychological help and was just locked up. Young Kemper started developing sexually, unfortunately his fascinations evolved around desire to kill his mother. While in mental facility his behaviour was very good. He was nice and likeable. He gained trust at the hospital and was even delegated to administrate psychological tests to criminals.

Finally, and unfortunately Ed was said to be a resosialised criminal. He basically achieved that by learning how to answer psychological test questions and how to manipulate staff for them to believe he was ‘cured’.

His next killings started in 1972. Kemper was scared to death of male-female relationships which I guess also triggered overwhelming need of controlling women which led to next 6 killings.

• Marry Ann Pesce (18) and Anita Luchessa (18) – hitchhikers

Hitchhikers were easy pray for Kemper, all he needed to do was offer them a lift. He stabbed both girls to death and brought bodies back to his apartment. Parents reported them missing, but not long after that Pesce’s head was found near Santa Cruz.

Kemper mentioned that after this ‘first’ killing he was very surprised that killing someone was not as easy as shown in movies.

• Aiko Koo (15)

She was a dancer going to her dancing lesson, walking along the road and trying to catch a lift. At some point in the car Kemper pointed a gun on her, she obviously got very scared so for some reason (I assumed he panicked) he hid it and got off the car at the same time locking himself out!

The most ridiculous part is that he somehow persuaded young girl to unlock the car and let him back in – this is manipulating skills lever HARD. Literally blew my mind...

He later then killed her by strangulation, decapitated her and off went for his psychiatrist appointment with poor girl’s head in his boot.

His doctor said he is all good and closed Kemper’s case. BRAVO. I mean I know that mental issues were quite difficult and not very well researched subject back then but c’mon….

He just simply outsmarted them.

• Cindy Shall (19)

So same as others, Kemper picked this girl while driving. He shot her and buried her head in front of his mother window. He explained he did it, because his mother always looked down at people.

Apparently during the ride with Cindy they were chatting about recent killings in the area – ironically she made a comment that Ed did not look like a killer.

How wrong she was…

• Rosalind Thorpe (23) and Alice Liu (21)

These two young women both got shot in Kemper’s car – girl at the back once, girl in the front several times. He covered them with coat and a blanket.

One of them was still alive, moaning at the back while he got STOPPED BY THE POLICE. Again, with his incredible manipulation skills he managed to get away and has not been searched by the police.

• Finally, Ed decides to kill his mother

This murder is very emotional for Ed. He blames his mother for all the murders he committed and says that only killing her can put end on his rampage.

He beats her to death with a hammer, cuts her head off, puts in front of him and yells at it for over an hour. He also has sexual intercourse with his mother’s head as he had with 6 girls he killed.

• Mother’s friend

At the end Kemper kills his mother’s friend as he knows she will be looking for her.

He invites woman to dinner, punches her in stomach, grabs her from behind and literally crushes her head.

After the last killing Edmund Kemper drives out of the town for three days without any specific destination. He hoped he would hear news about the killing on the radio but there was nothing…

Finally, one early morning he decides to call the police from telephone booth saying he is the serial killer everyone is looking for, but ironically dispatcher does not believe him and hangs up.

Sooo… he calls back.

TRIAL

Even though defence hoped that jury would think this case was so ridiculous that Kemper MUST be INSANE and did not know what he was doing he CLEARLY KNEW.

Ed described all the details very carefully and he knew what to say for people to feel sorry for him and they did.

Edmund Kemper was sentenced to life in prison.

After sentencing, FBI special agents – John Douglas and Bob Ressler begin their revolutionary study on serial killers, by starting of interviewing Kemper.

Interviews with Ed became a fundament for the FBI new Behavioural Science Unit.

It radically changed the methods of interviewing killers and helped with catching them.