Offender Record · OFF-2026-104
Edmund Emil Kemper III
Also known as Ed Kemper, The Co-Ed Killer, The Co-Ed Butcher
Sex
Male
Race
White
Height
6'10"
Weight
280 lbs
Hair
unknown
Eyes
unknown
Born
1948
Custody
Incarcerated
States
CA, MT, CO
Distinguishing featuresExtremely large stature at 6'9", noted for his intelligence and calm demeanor
Custody
Incarcerated at California Medical Facility · #unknown
Custody record at the facility
He was sentenced to life in prison — eight concurrent life sentences. Convicted serial killer Edmund Emil Kemper III was denied parole by a state panel on July 9, 2024, the 14th time he has qualified for parole since his conviction on eight counts of first-degree murder in 1973.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Edmund Emil Kemper III is an American serial killer convicted of murdering seven women, including his own mother, and one girl between May 1972 and April 1973. Years earlier, at the age of 15, Kemper had murdered his paternal grandparents. He was born December 18, 1948 in Burbank, California and is 6 ft 9 in tall. On November 8, 1973, the jury convicted Kemper on all eight counts of first-degree murder. Kemper remains incarcerated at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Aug 27, 1964, North Fork, California
Murder - Paternal Grandmother Maude Matilda Kemper
Kern County Sheriff · California Juvenile Court · Docket unknown · California Penal Code Section 187 · Arrested Aug 27, 1964 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Committed to Atascadero State Hospital; released 1969
On August 27, 1964, at the age of 15, Kemper killed his grandmother Maude Matilda Kemper with a rifle after an argument, shooting her once in the head and twice in the back, then stabbing her several times. Kemper told police that he 'just wanted to see what it felt like to kill Grandma', and later said he killed his grandfather because he would be angry with him.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Kemper, Ed; Edmund Kemper; Edmund Kemper: Biography, Serial Killer, Co-Ed Killer; The Horrifying True Story Of The Santa Cruz 'Co-Ed Killer' Ed Kemper
Offense date Aug 27, 1964, North Fork, California
Murder - Paternal Grandfather Edmund Emil Kemper Sr.
Kern County Sheriff · California Juvenile Court · Docket unknown · California Penal Code Section 187 · Arrested Aug 27, 1964 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Committed to Atascadero State Hospital; released 1969
When Kemper's grandfather Edmund Emil Kemper Sr. came home, Kemper fatally shot him in the driveway.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Kemper, Ed; Edmund Kemper; Edmund Kemper: Biography, Serial Killer, Co-Ed Killer
Offense date May 07, 1972, Alameda County, California
Murder - Mary Anne Pesce
Santa Cruz County District Attorney · Santa Cruz Superior Court · Docket unknown · California Penal Code Section 187 · Arrested Apr 24, 1973 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment (concurrent)
On May 7, 1972, Kemper was driving in Berkeley when he picked up two 18-year-old hitchhiking Fresno State students, Mary Ann Pesce and Anita Mary Luchessa, on the pretext of taking them to Stanford University. Pesce was stabbed with a knife and strangled to death in the backseat of Kemper's car.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Kemper, Ed; Case File: Ed Kemper; Edmund Kemper; Ed Kemper — The Co-Ed Killer — Timeline, Evidence & Key People
Offense date May 07, 1972, Alameda County, California
Murder - Anita Luchessa
Santa Cruz County District Attorney · Santa Cruz Superior Court · Docket unknown · California Penal Code Section 187 · Arrested Apr 24, 1973 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment (concurrent)
Luchessa was killed in the trunk of the car in a similar manner. Mary Anne's skull was found on the mountain in August 1972, but Anita has never been located.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Kemper, Ed; Case File: Ed Kemper; Edmund Kemper; Ed Kemper — The Co-Ed Killer — Timeline, Evidence & Key People
Offense date Sep 14, 1972, Santa Cruz County, California
Murder - Aiko Koo
Santa Cruz County District Attorney · Santa Cruz Superior Court · Docket unknown · California Penal Code Section 187 · Arrested Apr 24, 1973 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment (concurrent)
On the evening of September 14, 1972, Kemper picked up 15-year-old Korean dance student Aiko Koo, who had decided to hitchhike to a dance class after missing her bus. He drove to a remote area, brandishing a gun on Koo before accidentally locking himself out of his car, however Koo let him back inside—Kemper had previously gained the 15-year-old's trust while holding her at gunpoint—where he proceeded to choke her unconscious, rape her and then finish killing her.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Kemper, Ed; Edmund Kemper: Biography, Serial Killer, Co-Ed Killer; Case File: Ed Kemper
Offense date Jan 08, 1973, Watsonville to Aptos, California
Murder - Cynthia Ann Schall
Santa Cruz County District Attorney · Santa Cruz Superior Court · Docket unknown · California Penal Code Section 187 · Arrested Apr 24, 1973 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment (concurrent)
Cindy Schall was fatally shot in the head by Kemper with a .22 caliber pistol in the trunk of his car on January 7, 1973.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Kemper, Ed; Edmund Kemper Stories; Case File: Ed Kemper
Offense date Feb 05, 1973, UC Santa Cruz Campus, Santa Cruz County, California
Murder - Alice Helen Liu
Santa Cruz County District Attorney · Santa Cruz Superior Court · Docket unknown · California Penal Code Section 187 · Arrested Apr 24, 1973 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment (concurrent)
Shortly after picking them up, he shot the two young women then drove past the campus security at the gates with the two mortally wounded women in his car.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Kemper, Ed; Edmund Kemper: Biography, Serial Killer, Co-Ed Killer; Ed Kemper — The Co-Ed Killer — Timeline, Evidence & Key People
Offense date Feb 05, 1973, UC Santa Cruz Campus, Santa Cruz County, California
Murder - Rosalind Thorpe
Santa Cruz County District Attorney · Santa Cruz Superior Court · Docket unknown · California Penal Code Section 187 · Arrested Apr 24, 1973 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment (concurrent)
On February 5, 1973, Kemper used a campus parking sticker his mother had given him to facilitate a double-murder. He drove to the university, where he offered a ride to two students, Rosalind Thorpe and Alice Liu.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Kemper, Ed; Edmund Kemper: Biography, Serial Killer, Co-Ed Killer; Ed Kemper — The Co-Ed Killer — Timeline, Evidence & Key People
Offense date Apr 20, 1973, Santa Cruz, California
Murder - Clarnell Elizabeth Strandberg
Santa Cruz County District Attorney · Santa Cruz Superior Court · Docket unknown · California Penal Code Section 187 · Arrested Apr 24, 1973 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment (concurrent)
In the early hours on April 20, 1973, Kemper snuck into his mother Clarnell Strandberg's bedroom to bludgeon her with a claw hammer and slit her throat with a penknife.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Kemper, Ed; Case File: Ed Kemper; Edmund Kemper Stories
Offense date Apr 20, 1973, Santa Cruz, California
Murder - Sara Taylor Hallett
Santa Cruz County District Attorney · Santa Cruz Superior Court · Docket unknown · California Penal Code Section 187 · Arrested Apr 24, 1973 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment (concurrent)
Kemper murdered Hallett in his mother's apartment on Easter weekend in 1973. She was 59 years old. That evening, he invited his mother's co-worker and close friend Sara Hallett to a surprise dinner, then choked her to death and fled in her car.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Kemper, Ed; Edmund Kemper Stories; Case File: Ed Kemper
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
8
Victims convicted
8
Victims confessed
0
Victims suspected
Active years
1972–1973
Victim profile
Young women, Teenagers, Elderly, Family members, Students, Hitchhikers
Stated motive
Sexual, Power or control
Range from home
regional
Confessed
Yes
Cooperated with investigators
Yes
Education
high school
Marital history
Never married
Children
0
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
CA
Burbank, California
Dec 1948 – 1957 · Born in Burbank; lived with parents until age 9
Van Nuys, California
approx. 1963 – Dec 1963 · Briefly lived with father after running away at age 14
North Fork, California
approx. Dec 1963 – Aug 1964 · Lived with paternal grandparents on their ranch; location of first two murders
Atascadero, California
Dec 06, 1964 – Dec 18, 1969 · Atascadero State Hospital, maximum-security psychiatric facility for juveniles; diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, tested IQ 136-145, worked as psychology lab assistant
California
approx. 1969 – 1972 · Statewide · California Division of Highways / Department of Transportation as construction flagman and road worker
Santa Cruz, California
Dec 18, 1969 – Apr 21, 1973 · Released to live with mother Clarnell Strandberg; location of most murders and final offense
Santa Cruz, California
approx. 1971 – 1973 · 'The jury room' bar frequented by off-duty police officers where Kemper developed friendships with law enforcement
Vacaville, California
Nov 09, 1973 – present · California Medical Facility (CMF) in Vacaville; serving eight concurrent life sentences; incarcerated since 1973
CO
Pueblo, Colorado
approx. Apr 21, 1973 – Apr 24, 1973 · Drove to Pueblo after final murders; called Santa Cruz police from phone booth to confess
MT
Montana
approx. 1957 – 1963 · Lived with mother in Montana basement during early childhood and parents' separation and divorce
Known Vehicles
Vehicles and approximate dates of ownership or use, as reported in the cited records. A photo next to a vehicle is the vehicle itself as published.
1970 unknown unknown unknown – Used car resembling unmarked police patrol car purchased after motorcycle accident settlement
approx. 1970 – 1973
Vehicle used to lure hitchhiker victims during serial murders
Photographs by Year
Photo from www.aetv.com
Photo from en.wikipedia.org
Black-and-white photo of an expressionless mustachioed man wearing owl-eye glasses
Photo from www.casesleuth.com
Timeline
Dec 18, 1948
Edmund Emil Kemper III was born in Burbank, California, on December 18, 1948.
1957
As a child, Kemper moved to Montana with his mother Clarnell, who kept Kemper locked in their basement which had been frequented by rats.
Aug 27, 1964
Ed Kemper shot his grandmother three times in the head and back as she sat at the kitchen table in her North Fork, California, home following an argument. When Kemper's grandfather Edmund Emil Kemper Sr. came home, Kemper fatally shot him in the driveway.
Sep 22, 1964
Kemper entered the supervision of California Youth Authority after a quick trial.
Dec 06, 1964
Fifteen-year-old Edmund entered Atascadero State Hospital on December 6, 1964.
Dec 18, 1969
Kemper was released from Atascadero State Hospital under supervision of Youth Authority on December 18th, 1969, on exact day of his 21st birthday.
May 07, 1972
Edmund Kemper, 23, picked up two hitchhiking Fresno State University students, roommates Mary Anne Pesce and Anita Luchessa, drove them to a remote location, murdered them, and then dismembered their bodies.
Sep 14, 1972
On September 14, 1972, Kemper picked up 15-year-old Aiko Koo, who had decided to hitchhike rather than wait for the bus to take her to a dance class.
Jan 08, 1973
Cindy Schall was fatally shot in the head by Kemper with a .22 caliber pistol in the trunk of his car on January 7, 1973.
Feb 05, 1973
On February 5, 1973, Kemper used a campus parking sticker his mother had given him to facilitate a double-murder. He drove to the university, where he offered a ride to two students, Rosalind Thorpe and Alice Liu.
Apr 20, 1973
In the early hours on April 20, 1973, Kemper snuck into his mother Clarnell Strandberg's bedroom to bludgeon her with a claw hammer and slit her throat with a penknife. On the evening of April 20, 1973, Kemper murdered his mother's best friend, Sally Hallett, by strangling her to death with his arm in his mother's apartment.
Apr 24, 1973
He left his home after the murders and drove to Colorado, where he telephoned police to inform them of his crimes. Edmund Kemper arrested.
Nov 08, 1973
On November 8, 1973, the jury convicted Kemper on all eight counts of first-degree murder.
Nov 09, 1973
He was sentenced to life in prison — eight concurrent life sentences. Kemper was incarcerated at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville.
Jul 09, 2024
Convicted serial killer Edmund Emil Kemper III was denied parole by a state panel on July 9, 2024, the 14th time he has qualified for parole since his conviction on eight counts of first-degree murder in 1973.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
News report · University of Idaho Pressbooks ·
Chapter 9: Edmund Kemper 'Co-Ed Killer'“In November 1973, Kemper was found guilty of all eight murders and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.”
News report · The Murder Archives ·
Edmund Kemper“Kemper was convicted in November 1973 of eight first-degree murders. California's death penalty was unavailable because the state Supreme Court had invalidated it the previous year, so the court imposed concurrent life sentences.”
News report · A&E Television Networks ·
Case File: Ed Kemper“Convicted of eight counts of first-degree murder in 1973; sentenced to life imprisonment at California Medical Facility”
News report · Case Sleuth ·
Ed Kemper — The Co-Ed Killer — Timeline, Evidence & Key People“Edmund Kemper is found sane and convicted of eight counts of first-degree murder. He requests the death penalty, but with California's moratorium on capital punishment, he is sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.”
News report · Oxygen Media ·
The Horrifying True Story Of The Santa Cruz 'Co-Ed Killer' Ed Kemper“On August 27, 1964, Ed Kemper shot his grandmother three times in the head and back as she sat at the kitchen table in her North Fork, California, home following an argument.”
News report · EBSCO ·
Edmund Kemper“As of 2024, Kemper remains incarcerated, having been denied parole multiple times due to concerns he would reoffend.”
Other government record · Wikipedia ·
Edmund Kemper“Edmund Emil Kemper III (born December 18, 1948) is an American serial killer convicted of murdering seven women, including his own mother, and one girl between May 1972 and April 1973.”
Other · Edmund Kemper Stories ·
Edmund Kemper Stories“Documentation of the Co-Ed Killer case with extensive timeline and victim information”
News report · Biography.com ·
Edmund Kemper: Biography, Serial Killer, Co-Ed Killer“On August 27, 1964, Kemper finally turned his building rage on his grandparents. On August 27, 1964, Kemper finally turned his building rage on his grandparents.”
Other · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Kemper, Ed“Edmund Emil Kemper III The 'Co-Ed Murderer' information summarized by Radford University students”
Discussion
Casual discussion about this record on the community forum. The facts live on this page: to add a place, a vehicle or a source, use the Edit record button under the photo so a moderator can review it. Please name no one else, never name a victim, and do not connect the person to any case not listed here.Open the topic on the forum
Corrections and removal. If a charge on this page has been dismissed, acquitted, overturned, pardoned or expunged, or any fact is wrong, tell us through the correction form. Corrections are free, reviewed within five business days, and a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed. Information here may not be used for decisions about employment, housing, credit, insurance or any purpose covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and never to harass, threaten or harm anyone. Where a source is an offender registry, that information is reproduced as of the date shown and is subject to the conditions of use of that registry.