Ed Kemper
Victims: Maude Matilda Hughey Kemper, 66, & Edmund Emil Kemper, 72 (plus eight more victims murdered during his adult years)
Age at time of initial murders: 15
Crime date: August 27, 1964
Crime location: North Fork, California
Crimes: Double murder & thrill killing
Murder method: Gunshots
Weapon: Rifle
Murder motivation: Thrill
Sentence: Psychiatric hospital for mentally ill convicts
Incarceration status: Incarcerated at California Medical Facility
Summary
Prior to the murders of his grandparents and the eventual murders of eight other people, Kemper had an extensive history of antisocial behavior, such as cutting his sisters’ dolls’ heads off and killing cats. His behavior became so troubling that he was sent to live with his paternal grandparents. However, Kemper’s violent behavior only increased, culminating in the murder of both his grandparents. He later admitted that he killed his grandmother “to see what it felt like” before killing his grandfather to prevent him from finding out about his wife’s murder. Kemper was placed in custody of the California Youth Authority and eventually sent to Atascadero State Hospital, a maximum-security facility for mentally ill convicts. In 1969, at age 21, he was released. Between May 1972 and April 1973, Kemper killed eight people. His victims included five college students, one highschool student, his mother, and his mother’s best friend. In addition to murdering his victims, Kemper abused their corpses: He decapitated them, had sexual intercourse with them, and dismembered them.
