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Santa Cruz Serial Killer: Edmund Kemper: The Co-Ed Killer's Disturbing Crimes | Real Crime

Edmund Kemper and the Dark Twisted Path to Becoming the "Co-Ed Killer"

Section I – The Making of a Disturbed Young Killer

Edmund Emil Kemper III was born on December 18, 1948 in Burbank, California to Clarnell Strandberg and Edmund Kemper Jr. By the time Kemper turned 15 years old, this above average intelligence but deeply troubled youth would commit the brutal shotgun murders of both his grandparents in cold blood. This early violence would set in motion a series of events that molded Kemper into the notorious serial killer and necrophile he became known as – the "Co-Ed Killer."

Kemper‘s early home life was complicated and chaotic at best. His father was a WWII veteran who reportedly displayed abusive behavior before leaving the relationship when Kemper was just nine years old. And his mother Clarnell was described as an aggressive, domineering and emotionally abusive alcoholic who constantly berated and humiliated her son. She even forced the young Kemper to sleep in a locked basement due to fear of the boy harming his sisters.

These dysfunctional dynamics as well as inherent mental health issues combined into a melting pot of rage, resentment and warped thinking inside young Edmund Kemper. He exhibited extremely disturbing behavior that experts argue were early signs ofdanger – warning signs that went unheeded by adults and the mental health systems meant to intervene with such at-risk children:

  • Showed a fascination with knives, weapons and edge tools used for dismemberment
  • Buried the family cat alive before digging it back up to decapitate it
  • Reportedly mutilated his sister‘s dolls: removing their heads/limbs
  • Openly spoke about wanting to kill people, especially women

Without proper care and supervision, these childhood events laid critical groundwork for the fledgling killer Kemper would steadily become.

Table 1: Background Factors in Development of Serial Killers

Risk Factor % Seen in Serial Killers Kemper‘s History
Childhood abuse 36-50% Verbal/emotional abuse by mother
Head injury >50% No evidence of injuries
Neglect 20-40% Mother locked him in basement
Mental illness >80% Diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic at 15

First Murders – A Violent Impulse Ignored as Warning Signs

On August 27, 1964, when Edmund Kemper was just 15 years old, he committed his first two murders – shooting both his grandparents while living with them on their remote ranch. When questioned by authorities about his motives afterward, Kemper calmly stated: "I just wanted to see what it felt like to kill grandma."

This cold admission should have been an immense red flag. But incredibly, juvenile psychiatrists deemed Kemper fit to reenter society after less than 5 years of juvenile detention and mental health treatment. At the age of 21, he was released against the wishes of doctors who warned he still posed a threat. Tragically, their judgment would prove disastrously premature and inaccurate.

Table 2: Comparison of Edmund Kemper‘s Background to Common Serial Killer Traits

Serial Killer Trait Does Kemper Match?
Severe childhood abuse Yes
History of head injuries None known
Evidence of mental illness Yes, diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic
Tortured/killed animals Yes, evidence of zoosadism
Set fires as a youth None known
Chronic bedwetting None documented
History of theft crimes None documented

Section II – The Co-Ed Murder Spree – Meticulously Planned and Shockingly Executed

After his release in late 1969, 21-year-old Edmund Kemper went to live once again with his now-remarried mother Clarnell Strandberg in Santa Cruz, California against the recommendation of doctors. He remained an isolated and brooding figure, described as having few close relationships. Kemper stood out physically due to his intimidating 6‘9" height and weighing over 300 lbs. However witnesses also frequently described his behavior as meek and non-threatening. This persona he projected likely helped cloak the dormant killer he harbored inside.

Then from May 1972 through April 1973, Kemper unleashed a string of at least 8 murders (6 definitively confirmed) that targeted young female hitchhikers and students in the Santa Cruz area. Most victims were kidnapped and transported far away from campus locations to remote execution sites of Kemper‘s choosing. There he would enact his violent sexual assaults and murders. Then the remains were brought back to his apartment where he continued acts of defiling the bodies. He would eventually dispose of remains in horrific fashion – decapitation, dismemberment, discarding body parts at remote mountain sites.

Table 3: Known and Likely Victims Killed During Kemper‘s Year Long Murder Spree

Victim Age Date Abducted Details of Death
Mary Ann Pesce 18 May 07, 1972 Stabbed and strangled
Anita Luchetti 18 Stabbed and strangled
Aiko Koo 15 Sept 14, 1972 Shot and strangled
Cindy Schall 19 Jan 08, 1973 Shot 3 times
Rosalind Thorpe 23 Feb 05, 1973 Shot and strangled
Alice Liu 21? Feb 05, 1973 Shot twice in head
Clarnell Strandberg 52 April 20, 1973 Bludgeoned and suffocated
Sally Hallett 15 April 20, 1973? Bludgeoned and suffocated

Kemper enacted his repeated cycles of hostage taking, assault and murder under the radar of local investigators for over a year. His ability to stay off suspicion while regularly interacting with officers showed cunning and manipulation that allowed his façade of harmless citizen to prevail. He used his insider knowledge from police relationships to stay ahead of their investigation. And the beauty of remote dump sites meant bodies took days or weeks to surface.

How Kemper managed to enact so many homicides involving kidnapping/transport over so long highlights both intelligent planning as well as the glorious luck any serial criminal needs to operate without capture. Kemper knew enough to hide victims quickly, eliminating his presence on initial missing person reports. And he varied details enough each time to avoid a clear pattern. Police simply had too little evidence or reason to tag Kemper as the mastermind behind these mysterious disappearances. Until Kemper willingly gave himself up after his final victims.

Section III – Horrific Post-Crime Mutilation – Gruesome Acts Beyond Murder Itself

While Kemper‘s methods of murder showedizon outside norms of society, his acts committed after the deaths of victims displayed a grotesquerie beyond the pale. His desire to remain with bodies, play out ritualized fantasies and mutilate them for sexual pleasure categorized him as both sexual deviant and necrophiliac.

After killing female victims, he would transport their bodies back to his apartment where he could be undisturbed in acting out these infatuations. He confessed to committing appalling acts with the corpses of young women including:

  • Having intercourse at length with their severed heads
  • Experimenting with forced cunnilingus (oral rape)
  • Masturbating with body parts amputated from victims
  • Burning flesh or hair samples to inhale aroma

These heinous acts showcased a level of perversion and sickness almost unfathomable to comprehend for most of society. And by his own admission, Kemper experienced immense gratification and release in performing such rituals with his victims. Though repugnant to consider, his voluntary confessions peeled back a rare firsthand view behind the psychopathology of a killer in the midst of his crimes. A view only Kemper himself could fully convey to criminal psychologists seeking deeper understanding.

Table 4: Common Postmortem Mutilations Enacted by Serial Killers

Type of Mutilation Description Kemper Evidence
Dismemberment Cutting victim into pieces Yes – decapitation, dissection
Necrophilia Rape or sex acts with corpse Yes – rape, intercourse, cunnilingus with bodies
Cannibalism Eating victim‘s flesh No evidence
Trophy Taking Collecting/keeping body part Yes – removed heads to apartment

Section IV – Climactic End After Murder of His Mother

After the shocking murder of his mother Clarnell – bludgeoned to death with a claw hammer before having her vocal cords ripped out – Kemper fled Santa Cruz in fear of imminent arrest. With his mother dead and the final target of his pent up lifetime of pain annihilated, the purpose fueling his year long run had evaporated.

Only a week after killing his mother, Kemper drove over 1,000 miles before turning himself in to police in Colorado on April 24th, 1973. There he presented a detailed and written confession of all his extensive crimes – a level of honesty that surprised investigators who struggled to believe this mild mannered giant could be their man.

But Kemper‘s forthright testimony soon convinced authorities. With corroboration on dates, methods of death, body dump sites and other verifiable actions, police accepted Kemper‘s stunning confession. Once returned to Santa Cruz, officials charged Kemper with eight counts of first degree murder. On November 8, 1973 he was found guilty and sentenced to a lifetime in prison.

Section V – Nature vs Nurture Debate – Origins of a Killer

The shocking serial killer case of Edmund Kemper sparked debate in psychological circles about the origins of such a murderer. Were the seeds always there biologically and genetically predisposing him to violence? Or was it his upbringing filled with parental abuse and lack of care that twisted Kemper down this dark path?

Most experts land somewhere in the middle but weigh the nurture side heavier based on evidence. Kemper‘s troubled childhood and dysfunctional home environment clearly contributed to his worldview and instability. But mental illness passed down through genetics or formed in brain development also played a pivotal role.

However, many point out society‘s failure to respond to obvious signs when Kemper was young enough to perhaps change course. Warning signs evident long before his violent actions exploded. Better access to mental healthcare and support as a troubled youth may have altered his course. Sadly like many violent offenders, the system missed chances to intervene.

Table 5: Contributing Factors in a Serial Killer‘s Development

Factor Description In Kemper‘s Case?
Genetic Family history of violence/mental illness No known evidence
Physical damage Head trauma, maternal injury during gestation None known
Family dynamics Violent/abusive relatives and home setting Abusive mother likely contributed
Societal influence Media violence, isolation, lack of community support Isolated individual shunned by many peers
Mental disability Evidence of mood/personality disorders Diagnosed as schizophrenic

Those who knew Edmund Kemper, both before and after his murder spree, describe different sides that leave many questions. Some saw a visibly troubled and angry young man. Others observed a soft spoken, articulate and even charming man at times despite his imposing size. A layered individual whom even trained psychiatric professionals released back to society believing him no longer a risk.

Perhaps the reality lies somewhere in between. Kemper maintained intelligence and control much of the time allowing him to hide the torment underneath. Only in the grips of violent fantasy did the monster inside take full control to carry out physical acts Kemper‘s mind relentlessly conjured.

And therein lies the deepest complexity of such a case. Most experts argue predictable external factors steered Kemper toward violence. Yet ultimately each of us contain an internal capacity for both good and evil. Kemper‘s story forces society to recognize fundamental questions about human nature vs the nature of evil. And to face the possibility that anyone could harbor such darkness inside given the wrong set of turns.