Bio

Edmund Emil Kemper III was born on December 18, 1948, in Burbank, California. He was the son of Edmund Emil Kemper Jr. and Clarnell Elizabeth Stage. His parents’ marriage was unstable, and after they separated, Kemper lived mainly with his mother and sisters. Many later accounts describe his childhood as troubled, marked by isolation, conflict with his mother, and disturbing behavior toward animals and dolls.

Kemper was unusually tall and physically imposing from a young age. He was also described as highly intelligent, with an IQ often reported at 136. Despite that intelligence, he showed violent and antisocial behavior early in life. He later said that he had strong resentment toward his mother, who frequently criticized and humiliated him. She sometimes made him sleep in the basement because she feared he might harm his sisters.

On August 27, 1964, when he was 15 years old, Kemper killed his paternal grandmother, Maude Kemper, at the family ranch in North Fork, California. He then killed his grandfather, Edmund Kemper Sr., when he returned home. After the killings, Kemper called his mother, and she told him to call police. He did so and waited for officers to arrive. He later said he killed his grandmother because he wanted to know what it felt like, and killed his grandfather because he believed his grandfather would be angry about the first murder.

After the 1964 killings, Kemper was committed to Atascadero State Hospital. Doctors initially diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia, though later evaluations concluded that he no longer showed active psychosis. During his confinement, he gained the trust of staff and was eventually released on parole on December 18, 1969, his 21st birthday. He was released to his mother’s care in Aptos, California, despite concerns from some hospital professionals.

After release, Kemper lived in the Santa Cruz area and worked various jobs, including work connected to the highway department. He wanted to become a police officer but was rejected, reportedly because of his size. He spent time around law enforcement officers socially, which later helped him appear less suspicious while the Santa Cruz-area murders were under investigation.

Murder Story

Edmund Kemper’s first two murders occurred on August 27, 1964, when he killed his grandparents, Maude and Edmund Kemper Sr., at their ranch in North Fork, California. Because he was a juvenile, he was sent to Atascadero State Hospital rather than adult prison. After several years in custody, he was released and returned to live near his mother in Santa Cruz County.

Between 1972 and 1973, Kemper began killing female hitchhikers in the Santa Cruz and Bay Area region. His first victims in this later series were Mary Ann Pesce and Anita Luchessa, both 18. On May 7, 1972, he picked them up while they were hitchhiking and later killed them in a secluded area. He then transported and dismembered their bodies.

On September 14, 1972, Kemper killed 15-year-old Aiko Koo after picking her up while she was hitchhiking. He later disposed of her body. On January 7 or 8, 1973, he killed Cindy Schall, an 18-year-old college student. Her remains were later found in separate locations.

On February 5, 1973, Kemper killed Rosalind Thorpe, 23, and Alice Liu, 20, after encountering them near the University of California, Santa Cruz. By this point, warnings had been issued about hitchhiking, but Kemper was able to appear safe because his mother worked at UC Santa Cruz and he had access to a campus sticker.

Kemper’s final murders occurred in April 1973. After a confrontation with his mother, Clarnell Strandberg, he killed her while she slept. He then killed her friend, Sally Hallett, after inviting her to the home. After these killings, Kemper left California and drove east. When he heard no immediate news reports about the murders, he called police from Pueblo, Colorado, confessed, and waited for officers to arrest him.

Kemper was charged with eight murders from the 1972–1973 series. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but the jury found him legally sane and guilty. In November 1973, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. The death penalty was not available in California at that time, so his request for execution could not be granted.

Kemper has been incarcerated at California Medical Facility in Vacaville for decades. During his imprisonment, he participated in prison programs, including audiobook recording for blind and visually impaired readers. Despite reports describing him as a cooperative prisoner, parole boards have continued to deny release. In July 2024, he was denied parole again. He remains imprisoned at the California Medical Facility.