Ed Kemper Interview - 1991 

U dam right

Yeah that guy got it just right. That dude must've looked up and researched. Cuz he got it good

Yeah he was good that guy.

He did a fantastic job playing Richard Jewell too

He plays Hazel in Umbrella Academy. I couldn't believe it

I was thinking this too. But I bet there’s some people that can see through that. I feel bad for those girls, hitchhiking is scary enough, but can you imagine a 6’5 200 plus pound animal coming at you in the confined space of his car? I mean that’s just pure terror

I was thinking the same thing!

@@sammiepittman3130 he's 6'9

He killed a bunch of people, like he wanted, and now he's being afforded the opportunity to enjoy a little notoriety for it and share his story. The man's in heaven.

@@devineorpheus1477 holy fuck

white privelage, if it was another race, it would be death

@@albertbarreto5672 nice race card

@@albertbarreto5672 uhhhhh what about OJ Simpson?

@@albertbarreto5672 you’re a fucking joke

@@albertbarreto5672 it’s called being a phychopath and knowing how to exactly imitate human emotions.

You gotta think,he's probably told this story 100 times or so after a while it just becomes routine.

not really hes cried about it in previous interviews

@@samaracrinshaw8178 yeah

@@samaracrinshaw8178 or he was born with antisocial personality disorder

And as if he wasn't even involved: "She wound up getting her throat cut." YOU cut her throat, Ed.

Rupert Baxter Except for that...

Rupert Baxter Probably would have been if he had been given a chance by his mother.

Lol would you let him live with you if he got out then😂

@@phoenix-xu9xj Narcissistic mothers do so much damage to their children.

@@yousall7259 I would

Lmao! 😂😂😂

@@yourhusbandismyboyfriend1714 how is that funny?

I've thought about writing to him many times. I even started a couple. I don't even know what I'd say. Lol!

He got fatter

How would a serial killer get parolled??

Most serial killers are, to get away with it, act normal, doing the disgusting things they do regularly... You have to have some type of amazing mindset

He could have create facebook apple microsoft or tesla...

This dude is fuckin stupid. He thinks if he talks enough people will believe his bullshit. And you're one of the stupid ones who falls for it. Being able to talk your head off and intellect are not even close to the same thing. I feel bad for your brain.

He's very intelligent and eloquent. That says little about his character or morals obviously.

Em dude probably spams twitch chats and considers it socializing.

Jym E. Changa you need a hug and tug

yeah everyfuckingone on planet earth

Yep very interesting

Maybe people enjoy being scared.

I find them fascinating, but being a young woman they kind of freak me out. My favorite one to watch, however, is Jeffrey Dahmer.

That’s how the BTK killer managed to get away with his murders for so long. He was the epitome of “normal” as well. The worst part is Ed Kemper is really charismatic, the BTK killer isn’t.

Absolutely scary

It is noted online that he has a very high IQ

He's also extremely intelligent. It's really unfortunate that his mom was so brutal. I think it's likely he would have turned out much differently with a parent who was less abusive.

He doesn't freak me out as much as the other Ed

Eh. But what he is saying is far more unlikable than how he says it.

Yes charming chap.

@@kingadalou yeah. I mean I think some people can detect that, obviously not everyone. And of course maybe I can say that NOW that we know he’s a maniac.

all of us have rage underneath fortunately most of us can either work through it in a healthy manner, release it in less destructive ways, or just stuff it down and let it smolder until we die.

Michael Myers 👍

they must have realized you would think he's pretty unique looking and huge

I’m sure they found out.

Yes they were aware afterward and freaked out.

I agree with that. He is seemingly reliving everything through these interviews. There is something gratifying to him by doing this.

@@randymillhouse791 I’d be pretty pissed if I was telling the story of the last conversation I had with my mother, the one that finally drove me to kill her, and the interviewer just wanted to skip to the gory bit

@@williamkim8826 That's why he cut it short.

There is some pretty strong evidence that the whole story is made up. He crafted this mythological arc complete with symbolism and a dramatic ending (in which he does, in fact, blame his mother for the whole thing) and he gets mad because the guy is ruining the story arc. He never had that conversation with her. He probably just came in and killed her and then made the rest up later.

Well no, the interviewer was basically ruining the whole story he was building up to by saying "but you went in there with the hammer". He's building up to that part, so wants him to shut up so he can tell the story.

Exactly... Not to be trusted.

He's very manipulative

He has a high IQ of 145.

@@gsesquire3441 you sound so stupid typical internet psychologist.

Manipulative maniacs can also be intelligent and charismatic. Which is why they’re somewhat fascinating, because it’s so unbelievably terrifying that otherwise seemingly “normal”, intelligent, regular Joe’s can actually be hiding an unimaginably dark secret behind it all. It’s not something to glorify or misinterpret, but it is naturally fascinating to a lot of people, as we expect a certain type to engage in these kind of atrocities. It’s uncomfortable to realize that the churchgoing, educated, professional father next door, can be a monster.

Yep I agree iv said the same about Ed for years

Not to mention his size is insane as well he's like 6"9 over 300 lbs

Not really he busted himself

His iq is in the 130's. That's how dangerous he is. His ability to use all that intelligence is how he comes across as so normal sounding

nice, excellent insight. it really highlights the deep shame and anger he claims drove the murders

He became a better technician of death and was looking back how amateurish he was at first.

Jack Seabrook it just take an incredible amount of self control to resist the urges they have for as long as they do

You read that in "my first serial killer book?"

Mike1614b he's also 6 ft9 280 lb

He gave himself up he knows he not ok for the outside world he is a monster but he’s quite valuable asset for behavior science . It’s awful and atrocious but he and Manson are quite helpful to catch these guys . A lot do talk you have to take advantage of their loneliness. Awful but someone has to catch these guy and these are the fbi I admire the most they must hear unspeakable things and they have to go into the mindset of these people . They sacrifice their innocence to protect against these guys and I feel same respect for the ones that chase child killers and child pornographers to man they must be affected they are real heroes.

You might have been if you had been treated the same. Also he’s super intelligent with an IQ of 135-145

Damn Are you a psychiatrist? 😂

Damn, you nailed that.

@@jrawsadam thank you 😊

He became a man inside of an asylum for the criminally insane. It’s highly likely his father-figure or male role model was not his biological father who he viewed as weak…but the “powerful”psychologist/doctor(s) he interacted with on a daily basis, along with all the psychotic/schizophrenic murderers & rapists. He is both the subject/patient & the doctor in these interviews. You can see he takes pride in being able to analyze & understand his own actions. Oedipal god complex

Tbh ... a guy that size would never seem harmless to me...

So smart and yet the biggest fool for listening and entertaining his urges.

PANDA I’ll have a tuna...

@@glengamble526 the egg is the best

Lol

If u know u know

only the ppl who watched mindhunter would get this

I'm mind blown by that too, holy shit.

Also in the 1982 interview he did, they used some of that dialogue on the show!!!

I did not even know Ed Kemper is real til somebody told me today. The actor really deserves an award for his potrayal.

I thought the Mindhunter portrayal was a bit stilted, a little bit more quirkier. Almost like he was slowed from drugs or something. The real Kemper is much more animated. But I suppose that was done for dramatic effect.

Jeff Vader yeah they need him to seem creepy on the show whereas here he comes off as quite normal and eloquent.

moviehooker Gary Gamble nah. Mannerisms were bothched as well as the "feel" of the person. The man shown here is extremely likable, not some imposing person that talks without gesture or assurance; this man is a ~true~ psychopath. The actor was in the realm, but appeared far too cliche

He looks more like a Lyft driver

Too risky to hunt thru lyft or ubber.

@@joemo1033 woah

@@DubMash420 Sorry if you disagree, but it lacks the anonymity required to operate long term.

@@joemo1033 uber had a spree killer driver and a rapist driver.

Well, did you think that he's normal?

I don't know he was trying to finish his story which was pretty important about killing his mother and I think that was the last day he walked as a free man.

I mean, the correction was pretty nice. Also interviewer was horrible. If the goal was to ascertain what's going on in this guy's head, that conversation with his mother is way more important than the actual act of him killing her.

He is not exactly living in the present moment. Can't be very enjoyable to talk to visitors about yesteryear all the time.

Nope. Not that at all. He wanted to get it across that he went in hoping she would say something that would change his mind. In other words, that was the moment he decided once and for all that his mother deserved death and that he was going to kill her. He's talking about him wiping out his deciding moment, he didn't want that guy to gloss over that.

MCalder8 sssssssss is for snakes

MCalder8 a person can either be a sociopath, or a phycopath , its not possible to be both

I would think he is an organized sociopathic serial killer. The abuse from his mother warped his brain, and he came a sociopath. Sociopathic and psychopathic diagnosis are two different things. Also, it is a behavior disorder not a mental illness. I use to think they were the same terms too.

+Mr SweetPotato That's not true, a person ABSOLUTELY can be both a sociopath and a psychopath.

Jo Molly Brown no they cannot , although doctors don't actually diagnose any one as a phcoptah or a sociopath, there are universal traits that define each class, and they are mutually exclusive definitions

It happened in the past. It’s proper English.

@@timmadden5004 I said the "passive", nothing about the past or the present lol

@@mrsoikawa They have to disconnect from it, or are disconnected from it

John Smith if he was done killing after his mother he would have no reason to turn himself in

Nah... not true. Obviously cops gonna find out that his mom n her friend were missing and later when the cops find out about the murder, top suspect will be him since he knows he has past record where he killed his grandparents.

SCPD Would have never found him right under their noses, at the bar they frequent even. They were too afraid of him.

If he had killed his Mother to begin with, he ( most likely) would have never killed anyone else.

@@jessiefrye3045 I often wonder this too

Chump Johnson Clearly

No he didn’t. He was lonely, that’s why he agreed to the v first interview with FBI. He’s not going to get v stimulating conversation with your usual inmates.

@@phoenix-xu9xj oh please, who cares if he seems smart. And he's very narcissistic. He wants the attention. He doesn't deserve attention. Period.

@@nancymcgowan5418 no he definitely needs to be studied

He’s not telling other inmates about his murders. No matter his wits, size and ability. He stays to himself and doesn’t mention this shit.

I believe it was his mother who got in the middle of it in one wat or another. Lets not forget how dominant and intimidating she was to Kemper.

Not much is known about Kemper’s fiancee, as she has never gone public with her story. After Kemper’s arrest, she was apparently very much in shock, and went into seclusion. Her parents sent her away from Turlock. Officials at her high school, where she was in her senior year, consented to excuse her from classes until the emotional pressure on her let up, and allowed her to graduate with her class. Police said a newspaper clipping reporting the engagement was found with Kemper’s belongings in the Aptos apartment where he lived with his mother. In his bedroom, they also found the picture of a beautiful blonde said to be a fiancee of Kemper. We know that she had met Kemper at a Santa Cruz beach in the summer of 1972. Her age varies according to reports between 16, 17 or 18 years old. Her first name might have been Martha, but this is unverified information from a social media source. That's all I could find

Right 😂 Like be courteous about a cough, but not the slayings of multiple women.

me too LOL

6:30

He thinks hes a celebrity...lol

Tracy Collins he is one of the most famous serial killers in history he's kind of a celebrity in the macabre world

john Blow 'sometimes' aka almost every time including raping his own mother.

john Blow he did

john Blow he actually sexually assaulted her neck after decapitating her

Cold pussy

How is he supposed to say it Idiot that was a narrator from a documentary they are supposed to speak like that idiot kid! Thats like saying “lol that meteorologist talks so fast and professional” like😑😑😑 ITS SUPPOSED TO lmao smh

What is a hitchhiker?

@@l750z_6 exactly

@@peterspence4558 a person who stays on the road that waits for people to pick them up. They signal with there hand to pck them up and give them a ride

@@l750z_6 haha can really tell how old you are(/aren't) by the fact you don't know what a hitchhiker is. Don't get me wrong im only 32 and only ever saw one in my life (but then again it was never really a big thing here in the UK). You must be a teenager for sure?

@@mandero88NAFO we don’t use this term in the UK. It’s an American thing

I believe that is a sociopath.

A sociopath shows no emotion whatsoever. This man shows emotion. So therefore, he's a psychopath and not a sociopath.

Sociopaths are also VERY manipulative.

There are much more manipulative than a normal psychopath. Do your research buddy.

Sociopaths are absolutely capable of emulating emotion, as well as having true emotion. It's been shown that many sociopaths develop and maintain very strong bonds with close friends and family, but when it comes to a stranger or most people they couldn't give a fuck. It's also been shown that they have the innate ability to completely switch off their emotional faculties.

Naomi Lamont I said the same!

I thought the same thing. She had a bad gut feeling...it wasn’t a thing guys and girls do like he said. She knew...

@@wickednikki1303 well it didnt help her much. The better idea would not have been getting the car

@@wickednikki1303I think she knew she made a mistake getting into his car, but as far as mortal danger goes it's anyone's guess what she was thinking. I do think he thinks something flirty was going on, but she was definitely just scoping him out, and probably felt really stupid for listening to her friend. At that point, what on earth can you do in the back of a coupe. Horrifying. Each and every time I come across victims like these it saddens me and I pray for them. What they missed out on in life and how they went out is extremely sad.

Sociopath*

I’m not sure if he is a psychopath per se but prone to psychosis yes. He is very upfront and displays emotion and sympathy which seems natural as mental illness is not a mental disorder

+Artisan74 Bull's eye. And/or, at the least, obscures it. Except when he talks about his mother -- especially in other interviews. Including in brief, scattered clips to be found elsewhere. That's when he's most real, when talking about his mother. In one interview, though -- when he speaks of his relationship with his mother -- he's clearly manipulating others' perceptions of him. There, much of his visible emotions (tears, accompanying vocal tone and gestures) come across as painfully feigned, scripted, and rehearsed for audience effect. To gain others' pity. To show them what they want to see and hear. Like a bad actor or poorly trained circus act. Still, that aside, his underlying thoughts, frustrations, and rage at his mother were real. THAT's the stuff he can't hide, intellectualize, diminish, or distance himself from -- as he tends to do when speaking about the six young women he murdered. (Unfortunately, as a point of similarity or contrast, in none of the available interviews do we see, hear, or read about him speaking about his paternal grandparents and his murder of them at age 15. At least not in personal terms, as about his mother, or at any length.)

ishmyl yes there's the gestures of weeping and the trembling voice but no actual tears. Some killers can do the all out hysteria with tears tho.

I was thinking the same thing. He's clearly smart/crazy enough to deceive people very well, so when he talks about how he felt about killing people, i.e feeling terrified about these urges, I question whether he's trying to gain empathy or if hes telling the truth. Who knows...

ishmyl what I find kind of sad is just how nearly 100% of the public sees this and starts to do their own intellectualizing to the point of ignoring everything he's trying to tell us. I don't ever have a problem enough to lose control and go hurt people out of my disapproval of their behavior towards me, and I don't excuse this guy for the killings of course, but these days it's gotten so hippy-passive-bullshitty that we're immediately judging how he "might be trying to gain other's pity" without one shred of thought that people like his mom should be dealt with... at least SOMEHOW. This types are always excused or let go scott-free, and all kinds of other sadistic, nasty, manipulative trouble makers are helped with looking into why they are like that, especially if they are a woman. As if only testosterone can cause problems. How about a selfish tendency? Can't that be ratcheted up genetically and through environment so that you have extremes of that, so that people like Kemper have some sort of misfire in their brain? Or what about those people like his mom simply causing a lot of trouble for decades and getting away with it? Why is that okay? I mean, Kemper is explaining something here that should not get ignored... but because he killed people, our little social rule book gets so Hollywood on us that we can't even think of the other big problems besides him. Yeah, he's playing us and other at times, but he's being very real most of the time here. Listen to what he's saying. He has nothing to lose. What would he need to look innocent for now? He's also explaining the murders! He's telling us the things nobody really thinks about anymore-- the horrible way some other people can be without being a killer. Just because one of them happens to be his mom, and he killed her, we go right back to only concentrating on him. That's a mistake, when it comes to understanding society. All this time we've had experts (that are good at some things... don't get me wrong), and us internet "experts", ready to focus on just how different this type of guy is form the rest of us.... when really there are only percentages different from us and him. It's not that thick of a line. We need to look into these other types that might not ever kill, but are killing us slowly with their attitudes, and helping push some people over the edge. I worked with a guy who was a strange dude but could be kind and helpful when I was a good listener and tried to understand him. As he became more teased and misunderstood by others at work, he was more removed from conversation. He eventually flipped out and shot his mother, sister, her son and himself all in one night. Apparently the only witness (and the dying words of one victim) describe his mom as being incessantly nagging and crazily argumentative, unrealistically contradicting just to get her way, over and over. Now he didn't have to kill her, but really, how much of this is inevitable and how much could have been improved if he just had more of a percentage of his life understood and happier? I could give more details about how much of his life was given dead ends; his bad back keeping him from the things he loved to do, how his last job refused to pay for the injury even though it was their fault, the changing of society around him while he tok care of family members inside for years, never being a natural socially, etc... but it doesn't mean he HAD to kill people. I don't think it was inevitable. But all we're taught these days is that these types are ticking time bombs. I'm saying we can figure out how to not even light the wick, if we just pay attention to how shitty some people's lives are. Instead we keep profiling and categorizing, and exonerating the fringe crazies that help create the murderers. It's a social "norm" to excuse some crazy old battle-axe mother, because she's a mother. That is WRONG. But watch the replies to my idea.... people will jump my case for it. Of course that proves me right.

Embracetheweird bullshit , the guy is 99% the same as anyone else , he's not some alternative species

He was 285 lbs when released from Atascadero State Hospital at age 21. By the time he was arrested for the "co-ed murders", he was over 300 lbs, and appears to be well over 300 lbs in this video (remember, he's 6'9" with a thick underlying build, and in this video he is in his early forties). He has gained a considerable amount of weight (commonly seen in the incarcerated population) during his four decades in prison. If you look closely in the video, he is wearing suspenders to keep his trousers from falling down, since he wears them below his belly. Prisoners have no access to drugs, alcohol, or (usually) sex, but they do have access to food, and opportunities for exercise are limited. For some, food is the only pleasure allowed in prison.

Tren Kokoko lol wtf

Traditionalist do u know what 6´9 is in Centimeters?

Gentle Giant

PassatDoc-You’re incredibly naive if you think prisoners don’t have access to drugs, alcohol, and sex. They’re not supposed to have access to any of the above but criminals seem to find a way around the rules.

The dude just liked fucking dead female bodies.

You think having vivid memories of your childhood is cool until you can remember all of the torture you went through and had to think about it for the rest of your life

He remembers what days of the week certain dates were, def a sauvant

You won't forget the day of the killings, by you... if you forget that, my god, you're even worse than Ed. So insensitive that even ignores the memories like meh 😕

Alot of it are embellishments that people with psychopathic tendencies manipulate listeners into believing in order to lure them into believing their version of the truth

Thats deep!

Terrifying but still fascinanting

I started reading this like The Californians from SNL lol

@@VanessaRuinzi Me too!

exactly!

Lmao🤣😂😆, for some reason, your comment cracked me up.

Yeah I’m from San Jose and drive all day I can confirm this is true

😂 exactly! "Oh and He also slept in our basement because he showed disturbed behaviours at 8 years of age...I think you two would be lovely together!"

😂😂

Lmaooo

Oddly enough this behavior probably made him worse.. aka alienating him.. and what kind of mother makes a 8 yr old boy sleep in the basement? What an evil bitch

A mother who is righteously concerned that he would rape his sister.

Not necessarily. People get engaged for the wrong reasons all the time. Get two awkward, desperate people together who think the thing you "have to do" is get married. That doesn't mean the engagement is based on a emotional connection or love for one another like a "normal" one is supposed to be. He had a mom too, but it was not a normal mom-and-son relationship either.

He had to develop some kind of bond with her wich included a lot of communication. And who knows maybe he was the biggest gentleman to her. Even if he wasn't its definitely a big part that isn't explored at all.

DEVOURMENT \m/

mmm6325 I agree, that would be interesting how she felt about him, and whether he felt anything at all about her. But communication. Would he open himself up to a woman, even if she was engaged to him? Thinking about it now, yeah, I'd like to hear from the fiancee and his sister, the very lest two women in his life that he didn't kill and would have an interesting perspective on him.

mmm6325 what fiance?

mowmow kitty I could be wrong but I think he did have a bedroom upstairs. His mother started making him sleep in the basement when she became afraid he would do something sexual to his sister. Thought I heard that in another documentary about him.

His recount of the flirting eye contact. It just seems so strange that he would mention that detail. True or not. Just bizarre.

I picked up on the fact he said "up in his room"

He does not make excuses he turned himself in he took the blame for murder he did point out that he was abused but that's not an excuse that is a fact there is solid proof also he says that he is "twisted" and that he does not want to be but is and he doesn't pin it in society or something like that like ted bunny also when your talking you can mix up words

Constance Denchy maybe he just mixed up his words 😂

Right. No matter how friendly he would come across, his size would be intimidating. With clear malicious intent? .... horrifying.

that's how they manage to kill multiple people. people like you, mainly. trust no one.

They are real , there are many of them ,just not all of them kill people , but manipulate to get what they want and feels nothing for the others

+TELEVISIBLE normal people do the same shit subconsciously

That's why ur more likely to be a Victim

"It's so weird how human he is" - because he literally is human. What else could he be? A hamster?

I think he recorded audiobooks.

Cup Of Spring He has been up for parole a few times and has told them that he shouldn’t be let out and refuses to go to them. So they are having them why???

Cup Of Spring no he should’ve been on death row

Why kill such a marvelous research subject? His insights and willing to help behavior can be invaluable scientific material. He should be in jail forever, but being usefull to science.

Caio Gonçalves really ?

Also his choice as they keep telling him he is coming up for parole but REFUSES to even entertain the idea of release....

remove the testicles and he would no longer be a threat.

Nino Ninevia what an evil bitch tho making her 8 yr old sleep in a basement

His mother supossedly not having any mental issues yet managed to raise and light up his psychopathy, its sad. This guy should have been diagnosed, received medication and kept away from society before killing anybody.

i legit feel bad for him. this all stemmed from his mom being a complete P.O.S.

@@stephanybrand6875 Would you just stfu? Feeling bad for whom?! A lot of people have been abused by their parents and family members and still didn't come a thousand miles close to being as monstrous as that guy.

First of all, abuse typically stems from being abused. We project what we receive. Secondly, he is highly intelligient (unlike yourself, judging by your comment). If he had better parenting... there's no telling to what degree of positive impact he would have had in this world. Thirdly, not one of us is perfect. We all have our own demons. He is brutually honest about his. He knew damn well what he was doing was wrong and had the courage to call the police, tell on himself because he felt empathy and guilt for his actions. Unfortunately, most hide and continue onward with their destructive mayhem. Lastly, I usually ignore assinine comments like yours because time is precious and why waste the energy. Here's a thought. When commenting, keep in mind you are responding to a human being. We all have our own opinions. Unfortunately, your comment lacked any depth whatsoever. Sometimes we have to take our feelings and emotions out of the equation and look at the situation as a third party. Also, and most importantly... Show a little love and mercy towards others.. you never know how positively impactful you can be to a stranger. Have a blessed day.

oliman555 he's not. That's the scary part.

Glimax right. He knows right from wrong, he's aware what is real and what is not

He's also a certified genius.

He's not crazy he's a psychopath that was conditioned to kill. There's a very thin line between genius and psychopath and ed kemper is a great example of a person on the other side of the line. If his mother wasn't a crazy bitter feminist bitch and didn't constantly ridicule and humiliate her son ed keeper may not have ever killed anyone and could have been a very successful person.

@@ruthlesskumquat2918 Thin line between genius and psycho?

Well said

how do you know?

Correct I think. Not games, she was nervous. Nervous to have gotten in to begin with and getting increasingly more scared as he stares at her. Somehow his mind turns this into her "challenging him" ... Totally fabricated. "Once they see I'm just this dorky guy ..." Dude is like 7 feet tall 250 pounds. There was no challenge, no game, more like her not being naive and starting to shit more of a brick while thinking get me out of this car. Sad.

@יאסוןI think what he seen was panic the fight or flight the adrenaline starting to peak and it excited him. For him it was a game for her she was trying to read the situation realizing he had full control and also realizing he realized it as well. He's a fucked human and thank God he's in prison!

@@masondill1950 okay mr. God whatever you say

@@blindi6326 All speculation I know.

True

Eternal Security Defended he cant kill in prison, he happy we happy, win win

True

They're using him for research and studies purposes, just look at it this way

"when i drove she die" that is the most chilling lines/quotes i heard

TheMsjohn99 me 2

Where Can I See it???? Most Comments Are... Related To Mind Hunter

Hell, even the difference from 1984 to 89 is crazy. His voice changed, he gained probably around 80 pounds, just a real dramatic change.

I agree. That’s some anger being stirred up.

His leaning forward is just an add-on or enhancement to what he's saying. He's making it stick.

True

Probably a kind of euphemism to mask (a little) the horror and responsability of his own acts