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Movies & TV

21st Nov 2019

Sky to show a documentary on Edmund Kemper, the serial killer portrayed in Mindhunter, this Sunday

Paul Moore

Edmund Kemper

The author of Mindhunter is interviewed too. Fans of the show will not want to miss this.

While we’re all very aware of the difference between the faction (part fact/fiction) in Mindhunter and the reality of the horrific crimes depicted in the show, it’s worth reaffirming Edmund Kemper’s real life crimes.

Referred to as “The Co-Ed Killer,” he was found guilty of ten counts of murder, as well as dismemberment and necrophilia.

Kemper was found guilty of 10 counts of murder between 1964 and 1973. He confessed to killing his paternal grandparents at age 15. After being incarcerated for those murders and released at 21, he continued to kill.

Kemper kidnapped and murdered six young women, all students, in the Santa Cruz area in addition to killing his mother and her friend.

His victims were killed using various methods – shooting, stabbing, or choking – and Kemper confessed to practicing necrophilia with eight of the victim’s corpses after separating their heads from the body.

He is still alive and incarcerated in California.

However, viewers of Mindhunter are still oddly drawn to him, mainly due to Cameron Britton’s superb performance as Kemper in the show which saw him receive an Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

All things considered, there’s a large amount of interest in Kemper’s life which is why the documentary Kemper on Kemper: Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer is bound to appeal to Mindhunter fans.

The official synopsis states, “Edmund Kemper is possibly one of the sickest serial killers ever to have lived. Also known as the Co-Ed Killer, Kemper was guilty of murdering, dismembering and violating 10 people, including his own grandparents and mother.

“In this in-depth profile, Former FBI agent John Douglas takes us through his extensive interviews with Kemper where he describes himself and his heinous acts in his own words, and in doing so shaped the backbone of modern criminal psychology.”

Fans of the Netflix series will also be happy to know that one of the co-authors of the book that Mindhunter is based on, FBI Special Agent John Douglas, will also feature in the documentary.

After leaving the bureau, Douglas wrote Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit in 1995 alongside his co-author Mark Olshaker.

The book details Douglas’ “criminal-personality profiling” serial killers and mass murderers, which he developed over decades of interviews with known killers. The book includes profiles of the Atlanta child killer Wayne Williams, Edmund Kemper, Robert Hansen, and Larry Gene Bell, and suggests proactive steps on luring culprits to contact the police.

The show has already depicted his encounters with these criminals, however, the series is different as it switches the interviews to Agents Ford and Tench.

In terms of the documentary, FBI consultant Ann Burgess from the FBI Behavioral Science Unit will also discuss how interviewing Kemper in prison helped her team innovate ways to investigate serial killers.

Kemper on Kemper: Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer airs on Sunday, 24 November at 9pm on Sky Crime. The show will also be made available to watch on NOW TV.

Take a look at what’s in store.

Clip via Oxygen

Topics:

Mindhunter,TV