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Edmund Kemper Case Study

Psychology of Crime (Griffith University)

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Psychoanalytic Theory
Case Study of Edmund Kemper
Griffith University

Student Number:
Unit: CCJ20 Psychology of Crime
Due Date: 9th August 2020
Tutor:
Word Count: 2,293

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Psychological theories have consistently strived to explain human behaviour and

categorise these behaviours to understand the human psyche. Theories on behaviours
examine the stem cause of behaviours. For example, human behaviour is a product of an
environment, behaviour is learned, to theories that examine the importance of experiences
during childhood and the impact this has on an individual in adulthood (Santrock, 2017). The
Psychoanalytic theory states that there are divisions of the personality that conflict, and a
personality is developed through stages to create normal behaviours (Santrock, 2017). In this
essay, the Psychoanalytic theory will examine behaviours exhibited by serial killer Edmund
Kemper, known as the “Co-ed Killer” (Newton, 2006). This essay will discuss the crimes of
Kemper, and how upbringing, psychological development, and complexes may have
influenced his behaviours. Relevant concepts will be applied to explain Kemper’s homicidal
and necrophiliac tendencies, and the imbalance of his personality will be discussed. Finally,
limitations in the application of the theory will be considered and compared to Kemper’s
behaviours and actions.

Edmund Emil Kemper III is a male born on December 18th, 1948 in Burbank,
California. Kemper committed a number of crimes across a decade long timeline. This begun
at the age of fourteen when he murdered his grandparents in 1963. Ten years later, Kemper’s
spree ended with the murder, posthumous sexual assault, and dismemberment of his mother.
The majority of Kemper’s crimes consisted of homicide and extended into necrophilia and
cannibalism. Primarily, Kemper targeted young female college students or hitchhikers,
earning him the nickname of “The Co-ed Killer”. Kemper’s modus operandi consisted of him
murdering his victims, before returning to his residence with the bodies to act out his sexual
fantasies in the form of Necrophilia (Newton, 2006). On November 8th, 1973, Kemper was
found guilty of eight counts of first-degree murder against Mary Ann Pesce, Anita Luchessa,
Aiko Koo, Cindy Schall, Rosalind Thorpe, Alison Liu, Sally Hallet, and his mother Clarnell
Strandberg. Kemper requested the death penalty for his crimes, but capital punishment was
suspended in California at the time. Kemper is currently serving eight 7-years-to-life
sentences at California Medical Facility (Newton, 2006).

Psychoanalytic theory was originally developed by Sigmund Freud in the late 1800’s,
and theorises the interaction between a human’s biological drive and their early experiences
in life. Furthermore, it suggests that criminal behaviours are due to deep psychological forces,
which will be further explored in this essay. The theory presented the first theory of
personality (Shoham, 1993), and to this day remains controversial as it goes against

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traditional psychological theories. The theory takes both nature and nurture into
consideration, and how both of these factors can influence an individual’s behaviours and
actions. Psychoanalytical theory also assumes that human nature is to be selfish and follow
instincts and impulses. Civilized society requires an individual to repress their ego and
aggressive desires. Freud stated that an individual’s conscious thoughts, unconscious forces
and instincts are facing constant conflict (Shoham, 1993). He supported this by dividing the
personality structure into three components; the Id, the Ego, and the Superego. The Id is the
most prominent part of a personality and is described as an unconscious thought. In contrast,
the Superego is the learned behaviour instilled by influencers, flowing between conscious and
preconscious states, representing the conscience of an individual. The Ego flows between the
two, representing the conscious thought structure and shaping logic, reason, and common
sense (Shoham, 1993).

Freud also believed that in addition to the theory of personality, behavioural issues
stem from experiences during childhood, and pleasure and sexual impulses also reflected a
child’s development. These sexual motivations follow five stages in development; Oral, Anal,
Phallic, Latency, and Genital (Santrock, 2017). Freud states that if the need for pleasure is not
fulfilled, fixation may occur. These fixations may result in the manifestation of the Oedipal
complex, in which an individual develops an obsession and symbolically murders a parent to
possess the other (Shoham, 1993). Violent crime has been linked to fixation within the
Phallic stage of development. Unresolved phallic fixations may result in guilty feelings about
sex, leading to dysfunctional adult relationships (Santrock, 2017).

Kemper’s violent tendencies and deviance may be a result of an underdeveloped

Superego. Freud states that the Ego mediates between impulsive practices from the Id and the
conscience with the Superego. According to Shoham (1993), the Superego must be nurtured
through positive parenting practices and a healthy growth environment. Unlike the Id, which
is present at birth. Shoham also states that if an individual is not able to build morals and
values, their moral conscience may be underdeveloped and unable to control impulses by the
Id. This results in often violent behaviours (1993). Kemper was brought up in a fragmented
environment, documented as being abusive from his domineering mother and absent father
(Newton, 2006). Kemper was often made to spend time within the basement of the home,
further extending his anti-social behaviours and potentially caused the Superego to become
incapable of creating and controlling civilized behaviours (Shoham, 1993). In an interview
with Stephanie Bourgoin, Kemper described how he antagonised over his behaviours and

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whether he would submit (1991). He often gave in to these urges, causing violent behaviours,
impulsive decisions, and leading to his offences (Newton, 2006). Krakowski states that a lack
of impulse control and underdeveloped Superego is thought to be a common factor in violent
behaviour, and that an unregulated Id could have resulted in the anti-social and aggressive
tendencies shown by Kemper (2003). Despite his passion for violence, Kemper described that
he had moments of clarity, and upon reflection of his behaviours he experienced considerable
distress (Interview with Stephane Bourgoin, 1991).

The Psychoanalytic theory further contemplates how family structure and parental
abandonment can cause violent and anti-social behaviours. Allen and Daly (2007) show
considerable findings linking psychosocial problems and the paternal involvement in the
home. Allen and Daly also discuss how the lack of involvement from a father can lead to a
child experiencing abuse, both in and out of the home. Studies show that the needs of a child
can be difficult to meet, even when a mother displays loving and caring behaviours (Brown,
2020). Children who grow up in single-parent households are more likely to be victims of
verbal, physical, and sexual assault (Smith, Selwyn, Hanson, & Nobel, 1980). Therefore, it
can be argued that the family structure, and lack of paternal figure within Kemper’s life may
have further impacted his behaviours and violent desires.

It can be rationalised that Kemper distorted and denied reality in order to defend his
Ego. According to Psychoanalysts, Ego defence mechanisms exist to decrease feelings on
anxiety caused by psychological conflict between the Id and the Superego (Freud, 1946).
Kemper often referred to his mother playing a role in the formation of his violent behaviours.
He attempted to deny responsibility through statements such as “Six young women dead
because of the way she raises her son” (Interview with Stephane Bourgoin, 1991). This type
of defence mechanism is often taken on by violent criminals as a way to validate their
behaviours (Stevenson, Hall, & Innes, 2004). By using these mechanisms, an individual may
be able to continue the behaviour without their conscience causing feelings of guilt or
remorse (Stevenson, Hall, & Innes, 2004). In Kemper’s case, it is highly likely that his Ego
created a defence to allow the impulses of his Id to be fulfilled (Freud, 1946; Stevenson, Hall,
& Innes, 2004). The underdevelopment of his Superego furthermore explains his justification
and symbolism behind his crimes (Shoham, 1993).

Due to his upbringing, it is highly likely that Kemper was denied his urges during the
Phallic stage of development, which leads to a fixation (Santrock, 2017; Shoham, 1993). His

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unresolved Oedipal complex is evidence of a phallic fixation according to Santrock (2017).

This complex, along with an unconscious conflict often leads to violent behaviours and
symbolic acts of violence (Shoham, 1993). Kemper’s behaviours are examples of this; he
stalked, killed, and assaulted his female victims before severing their heads and keeping them
(Newton, 2006). As the psychosexual tendencies of the Oedipal complex are wishes of sexual
control over a parent, the murder, rape, and decapitation may have been symbolic of his urges
and feelings primarily directed at his mother (Shoham, 1993). Rosman and Resnick state that
necrophilia is often a result of an individual wishing to possess a partner who is resisting or
rejecting advances (1989), and that necrophiles kill only as a means to fulfil their sexual
fantasies, rather than traditional motives behind homicide. Furthermore, Kemper’s murder of
his mother and then immediate surrender adds further weight to evidence that his attacks
were symbolic of incest and matricide (Newton, 2006).

Alongside his Oedipal complex, Kemper may have had unresolved feelings of guilt
towards sex and sexual acts due to his phallic fixation (Shoham, 1993). Kemper described
that he often found interacting with females difficult, describing himself as emotionally
impotent, and stated that he felt guilt about sex while committing homicide (Interview with
Stephane Bourgoin, 1991). Ironically, despite the violent and degrading acts he would
commit, Kemper explained that if he accidentally touched a woman while murdering her, he
would apologise as a result of his guilty feelings. Rosman and Resnick (1989) state that a fear
of women, and Kemper’s feeling of sexual inaptitude may further explain his necrophiliac
tendencies. However, Stein, Schlesinger, and Pinizzotto (2010) state that it can be difficult to
distinguish whether the necrophiliac acts are due to a sexual attraction to corpses, or a result
of gratification for sexual domination. Despite the aforementioned psychoanalytical
explanations for the violent behaviours Kemper displayed, there is also a number of
limitations within the theory that describe his behaviours.

The theories discussed may not sufficiently explain why Kemper murdered his
grandparents, his first murder (Newton, 2006). Although it was argued that his behaviours
were a result of the need of possession, especially sexual domination of his mother, the
murder of his grandparents do not fit the motive or behaviours later displayed by Kemper to
fulfill these fantasies. When questioned about the murders, Kemper stated that he simply
wanted to know how it would feel to shoot his grandmother (Newton, 2006). Shoham argues
that it is possible that these murders were committed purely as a result of the underdeveloped
Superego, rather than the parental obsession (1993).

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Another limitation is the behaviour presented by Kemper in which he self-initiated his

surrender to police. This act of surrender may be a result of moral conscience, which goes
against the theory that individuals with an underdeveloped Superego are incapable of feeling
(Shoham, 1993). It may represent a symbolic conclusion to his Oedipal complex but is argued
that this act is a result of Kemper seeking punishment through turning himself into the
authorities (Newton, 2006). Shoham also argues that this behaviour, feeling guilt and craving
punishment, could be a result of an overdeveloped Superego (1993).

In conclusion, the Psychoanalytical theory offers explanations for a number of sexual,

deviant, and violent crimes committed by Kemper. The absence of his father and controlling
behaviours displayed by his mother may have caused an underdeveloped Superego and
resulted in the lack of control of his Id. Furthermore, his manipulative abilities and distortion
of reality may have been used as a tool to prevent the collapse of his own psyche and
therefore extend his criminal career as a murderer and sexual deviant (Freud, 1946; Newton,
2006; Stevenson et al., 2004). In addressing the reasoning behind his crimes, this essay
described two possible factors relating to the Phallic fixation. The unresolved Oedipal
complex and unresolved guilt felt by Kemper are these factors that covered the possibility
that Kemper’s murders and posthumous rapes of young women were symbolic and a result of
his own perverted sexual desires (Santrock, 2017; Shoham, 1993). However, the
Psychoanalytic theory does come with limitations. The murders of Kemper’s grandparents
and the self-initiated surrender contradict theories discussed in this essay. Ultimately, the
Psychoanalytic theory may cover theories and provide explanations behind Edmund
Kemper’s behaviours, but will offer limitations for other actions and behaviours. Therefore,
this theory may be difficult to apply specifically to Kemper directly.

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References

Allen, S., & Daly, K. (2007). The effects of father involvement: An updated research
summary of the evidence. Guelph: Father Involvement Research Alliance.
Bourgoin, S. (Executive Producer). (1991). ‘Ed Kemper’ An Interview with Stephane
Bourgoin.
Brown, J. (2020). Father-absent homes: Implications for criminal justice and mental health
professionals.
Freud, A. (1946). The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defence. Oxford, England: International
Universities Press.
Krakowski, M. (2003). Violence and serotonin: Influence of impulse control, affect
regulation, and social functioning. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical
Neurosciences, 15, 294-305.
Newton, M. (2006). The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. New York City, NY: Infobase
Publishing.
Rosman, J. P., & Resnick, P. J. (1989). Sexual attraction to corpses: A psychiatric review of
necrophilia. The Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 17,
153-163.
Santrock, J. W. (2017). Life-Span Development. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Sher, L., & Rice, T. (2015). Prevention of homicidal behaviour in men with psychiatric
disorders. The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 16, 212-229. doi:
10.3109/15622975.2015.1028998
Shoham, S. G. (1993). A Primer in the Psychology of Crime. New York, NY: Harrow and
Heston.
Stein, M. L., Schlesinger, L. B., & Pinizzotto, A. J. (2010). Necrophilia and sexual homicide.
Journal of Forensic Sciences, 55, 443-446. doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2009.01282.x
Stevenson, S. F., Hall, G., & Innes, J. M. (2004). Rationalizing criminal behaviour: The
influence of criminal sentiments on sociomoral development in violent offenders and
nonoffenders. International Journal of Offender Therapy & Comparative
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