The "Co-ed Killer

 

Edmund Kemper, also known as the "Co-ed Killer," is a notorious American serial killer who committed a series of gruesome murders during the 1960s and 1970s. Born on December 18, 1948, in Burbank, California, Kemper exhibited disturbing behavior from an early age.

Raised in a troubled household, Kemper had a tumultuous relationship with his mother, Clarnell Strandberg. His parents divorced when he was young, and his mother sent him to live with his paternal grandparents in Montana. Kemper's unsettling behavior emerged early, as he displayed a fascination with death and cruelty towards animals. In 1957, at the age of 8, he fatally shot both his grandparents, but due to his age, he was committed to a psychiatric hospital instead of facing criminal charges.

After being released at the age of 21, Kemper's criminal tendencies escalated. Standing at an imposing 6 feet 9 inches tall and possessing above-average intelligence, he managed to secure work with the California Highway Department. However, his dark impulses persisted.

Kemper's killing spree began in 1964 when he murdered two female hitchhikers. He was subsequently convicted of their murders and incarcerated at the Atascadero State Hospital. Despite his diagnosis as a paranoid schizophrenic, he convinced the psychiatrists of his rehabilitation and was released on parole in 1969.

Once free, Kemper resumed his gruesome acts. From 1972 to 1973, he targeted young female hitchhikers, earning his moniker, the "Co-ed Killer." His modus operandi involved picking up female students, typically from college campuses, and brutally murdering them. Kemper's victims included six young women, as well as his own mother and one of her friends.

One of the most chilling aspects of Kemper's crimes was his ability to appear normal and charming. He often gave rides to hitchhikers, engaging them in conversation to gain their trust before turning violent. After committing the murders, he would desecrate the bodies and engage in necrophilia.

Kemper's killing spree came to an end in 1973 when he murdered his mother and her friend. Following the double homicide, he called the police to confess and awaited their arrival at the crime scene. Kemper's candor during police interviews provided chilling insights into his psyche, as he calmly described the details of his gruesome acts.

In 1973, Edmund Kemper was convicted of eight counts of first-degree murder. At his trial, he waived his right to an attorney and requested the death penalty. However, the state of California had temporarily suspended capital punishment, leading Kemper to receive eight concurrent life sentences. He is currently serving his sentence at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville.

Edmund Kemper's case remains a haunting chapter in the annals of true crime, illustrating the capacity for extreme violence and the chilling ability of some individuals to mask their dark intentions beneath a veneer of normalcy. His crimes continue to be studied by criminologists and psychologists in an effort to understand the factors that drive individuals to commit such heinous acts.