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Sunday, December 31, 2023

Ed Kemper: Conversations with a Killer

Ed Kemper is an interesting lil dude.
And by lil, I mean a massive man nearly 7 feet tall.

I've always been a bit fascinated by Kemper.
It's not a big shock that he's a freaking monster.
But what I find interesting is how instrumental he was while the FBI was starting up their behavioral science division. With an IQ of somewhere between 136-145, Ed Kemper was almost too smart for his own good. He was described as a model prisoner and even began administering psychiatric tests to other inmates. 

While Kemper did play a big part in understanding other serial killers and their mindsets, it doesn't change the fact that he murdered at least 10 people. Known as The Co-Ed Killer, Kemper targeted young college age women who were hitchhiking through California. Most of his murders included necrophilia, decapitation, and dismemberment.

That quick recap of his case is basically what you'll find in this edition of Conversations with a Killer. I was quick to grab this book because I expected it to be written similarly to the Ted Bundy one. Bundy's book was written more has a cut and dry interview process whereas this one was chunks of texts pulled from various interviews. Some areas were hard to follow given the disorganized nature of this book.

Overall, it was okay but it's not the best true crime book I've read.

Looking for other Conversation with a Killer books?