10 Minute Murder | Bingeable True Crime Stories

Blueprint for a Monster - Edmund Kempers Genius Level IQ and Ten Murders

·27 min·2 clips

A teenager sits alone in his basement holding a severed cat's head, decades before the FBI calls him one of their most important interviews.

The episode begins with a promotional message for the host's new podcast, True Crime Blueprint, before diving into the story of Edmund Kemper. Kemper was born in Burbank, California in 1948 and was unusually large from birth, leading to social isolation. His mother, Claire Nell, was abusive and made him sleep locked in the basement, contributing to his psychological issues. As a child, he exhibited all three behaviors of the McDonald Triad: bedwetting, fire-setting, and cruelty to animals, such as killing and mutilating cats. At age 15, living with his grandparents, he shot and killed his grandmother and then his grandfather, later telling police he wanted to see what it felt like. He was sent to Atascadero State Hospital, where his high IQ and articulate nature impressed evaluators, leading to his release in 1969 back to his mother's custody. In Santa Cruz, he befriended local police and started picking up female hitchhikers in practice runs. In 1972, he began murdering hitchhikers, including Mary Ann Pesky and Anita Lucasa, dismembering their bodies and keeping parts. He killed at least six more women, including Aiko Koo and Cindy Shaw, often engaging in necrophilia and dismemberment. In 1973, he murdered his mother with a hammer and decapitated her, then killed her friend Sarah Hallett before fleeing to Colorado and calling the police to confess. After his arrest and conviction, he gave detailed confessions. In the late 1970s, FBI agents John Douglas and Robert Ressler interviewed him extensively as part of developing criminal profiling. Kemper's insights helped classify organized offenders and understand the role of childhood trauma and maternal relationships in violent behavior. His case influenced the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit and modern forensic psychology. The episode concludes with the host encouraging listeners to subscribe to his new podcast while continuing 10 Minute Murder.

As heard by us

A blunt Kemper portrait that opens with promotion before settling into the case.

Joe shapes the Kemper episode around an intelligence that makes the violence feel calculated rather than impulsive. It starts with the basement image and a nod to the FBI's later interest, then moves to the campus rides near Santa Cruz and Cabrillo College, where Edmund Kemper…

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Why you'd press play

You get Edmund Kemper, a trunk, and a new show pitch in the first minute.

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