Edmund Emil Kemper III was born in Burbank, California, on December 18, 1948. He was the only son in his family, but Edmund had an older and a younger sister. Edmund Kemper was named after his father and was very close to him.
In 1957, his parents divorced, and Edmund moved to Helena, Montana, with his mother and sisters. Edmund Kemper suffered his mother’s emotional abuse. She often locked him in the basement, thinking he would molest his sisters. This was just the beginning of Edmund Kemper, you can view his entire biography here.
Edmund Kemper: The Early Years
As a child, Edmund Kemper began to torture and kill animals. He also used his sister’s dolls to act out sexual fantasies. More than once, his sisters found their dolls’ heads had been decapitated. He even wanted to play a pretend game with his sisters in which he pretended to be executed and would have them lead him to a pretend electric chair.
At the age of 13, he ran away from home and made his way back to California. His father had remarried and was unhappy to see him, so he returned to Montana to be with his mother. His mother was also not welcoming to him.
At 14, Edmund Kemper was sent to live with his grandparents, Maude and Edmund Kemper, on their 17-acre ranch in North Fork, California. According to Edmund Kemper, his grandmother also tormented him.
On August 27, 1964, Edmund Kemper and his grandmother argued. He picked up the rifle his grandfather had given him and shot his grandmother, once in the head and twice in the back. As soon as his grandfather arrived home and got out of his car, Edmund shot and killed him as well. He would later say he killed his grandfather to spare him the sight of seeing his dead wife.
After the murders, he called his mother and the police to tell them what he had done and waited for the police to arrive. Once they arrived, he was brought into custody and diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
Edmund Kemper: The Later Years
On December 18, 1969, his 21st birthday, he was released back into his mother’s care in Santa Cruz, California, against the wishes of several psychologists. Edmund attended community college and received high grades. He also became friends with various police officers in the Santa Cruz police department.
In May 1972, Edmund Kemper killed his next victims. He picked up two girls hitchhiking. He drove off the highway onto a deserted road, killed both girls, and drove with both of their dead bodies in his car. When he arrived back at his apartment, he brought both bodies inside and began to dissect them. He also took photos to show off his work, which he was quite proud of. He admitted that he had sex with various severed parts of the girls and then disposed of them in the mountains.
Over the next year, he raped and killed more than 4 more women. Two women were employed at the same University as his mother, on the Santa Cruz campus. He dismembered and beheaded these two women in his mother’s home.
On April 21, 1973, on Good Friday, Edmund Kemper killed his mother with a pick hammer while she was sleeping. He then decapitated her and then sexually assaulted her corpse. Afterward, he placed her head on the mantelpiece and used it as a dartboard. Shortly afterwards, he invited one of his mother’s friends over, and he strangled her to death before beheading her.
That Easter Sunday, he got in his car, drove, and listened to the radio to hear if his murders had been reported. After not hearing any word of the murders, he pulled over and called the Santa Cruz police department. Edmund Kemper confessed to the murder of his mother, her friend, and six female hitchhikers. The officer who took the call knew Edmund and thought it was a joke, as he thought Edmund could not have committed these crimes. It took several more phone calls to warrant a search of Mrs. Kempers’ home.
Arrest and Trial
On May 7, 1973, Edmund Kemper was charged with eight counts of first-degree murder. While awaiting his trial, he attempted suicide twice. His trial began on October 23rd and lasted less than three weeks. His plea was not guilty because of insanity. Three psychiatrists testified on behalf of the prosecution, declaring him to be sane.
Edmund Kemper asked to be sentenced to death. His dream to sit in the electric chair did not come true. He is still alive today and currently serving life in prison in the California State Medical Corrections Facility.
