This Is the Shocking Story of Edmund Kemper, the Co-ed Killer
Standing Out From Birth
From the moment he was born, Edmund Emil Kemper III was marked as different. Born in Burbank, California, he came out a massive 13 pounds — an early indicator of his extreme height later in life.
Kemper was born on December 19th, 1948 to Edmund Emil Kemper Jr. and Clarnell Elizabeth Kemper. He had an older sister, Susan — and a younger one, Allyn, who he would grow to have a difficult relationship with.
The Kempers
Kemper’s childhood was not an easy one. His father, a WWII veteran, was initially a tester of nuclear material. But, when the family moved to California, he changed paths and worked as an electrician. Clarnell Kemper was unhappy with this change.
She constantly complained about Edmund Jr.’s “menial” job. This put even more stress on an already strained marriage, leading to awful shouting matches. Kemper’s father claimed to have said that his wife affected him and what “more than three hundred and ninety-six days and nights of fighting on the front did.”
The Divorce
When Kemper was just nine years old, his parents’ awful relationship finally imploded and they divorced. Being incredibly close to his father, the boy was devastated to be left with his terrible mother. In interviews, he shared how cruel she was to him.
Apparently, she used to lock him in the basement at night because she feared he would harm his sisters. She also withheld any kind of familial affection toward him, claiming that it would somehow turn him gay.
First Life Taken
Many people claim that a fascination with hurting animals as a kid is one of the first signs of a disturbed individual who has the potential to turn into a serial offender. This certainly holds true when it comes to Kemper.
He demonstrated this from quite a young age. Famously, shortly after his parents separated when he was just 10 years old, Kemper buried the family cat while the poor animal was still alive. Once the cat had fully passed, he displayed it to the family like a trophy.
Despite our collective fascination with true-crime podcasts, very few serial killers have captured the public’s attention quite like the notorious and frightening Edmund Kemper. Also known as the Co-ed Killer, Kemper ended up turning himself in after offing 10 victims — including his paternal grandparents and his own mother! From his time at a mental hospital to his trial, this is what we know about Edmund Kemper.