Chapter 3 Interviews with Murderers Summary and Analysis

Sometimes Ressler's interviews did not go as planned. One interview with Edmund Kemper, a six-foot nine, three hundred pound murderer, started to turn bad once the guards failed to arrive at the end of the interview. Speculating that the guards were in a shift change, Kemper told Ressler that he could easily kill and behead him before the guards could possibly get into the room. This was no idle threat from a man who had killed his grandparents along with several other people and had beheaded several of them as well. Remembering his experience as a hostage negotiator for the FBI, Ressler talked to Kemper until the guards finally arrived. Most interviews didn't get that dangerous, but they took their toll nonetheless. Several agents involved on the interview team developed ulcers, nightmares, and other psychological...