TEMPORALITY OF CRIME** Exploring the Psychic Function and Temporal Logic of Serial Violence --- **Page 2** **CONTENT** **PART 1** PREDICT SKIMMING SCANNING **PART 2** INFERRING SUMMARIZING VISUALIZING **PART 3** QUESTIONING CONNECTING --- **Page 3** **WHERE READING BEGINS** **PART 1** --- **Page 4** **PREDICT** ANTICIPATING THE SEQUENCE OF CRIMINAL ACTS I chose this case because some short videos caught my attention. I imagine the killer acted as a friendly or reserved neighbor to lure his victims. Additionally, I believe his tendencies might be related to some social or childhood trauma, and his crimes seem to confirm those traumas. --- **Page 5** **SKIMMING** GRASPING THE BROAD TEMPORAL PATTERNS This study analyzes the psychic function of crime within the subjective structure, focusing on the temporal variable of criminal acts. It distinguishes two dimensions: conclusive (crimes that provide a resolution) and suspensive (crimes that prolong anticipation for future actions). Using the case of Edmund Emil Kemper, the study examines these temporal dimensions from synchronic and diachronic perspectives to understand the logic of serial criminality. --- **Page 6** **SCANNING** IDENTIFYING KEY MOMENTS IN THE CRIMINAL TIMELINE Subject: Temporal dimension of crime in serial killers Case: Edmund Emil Kemper Type of crimes: Serial (young women) and episodic (grandparents, mother, and her friend) Temporal dimensions: Conclusive → crimes attempt resolution of a subjective conflict Suspensive → crimes prolong anticipation of future acts Perspectives: Synchronic → individual crime analysis Diachronic → progression over time Logical moments (Lacanian): Instant of seeing → sexual awakening and grandparents' homicide Time of understanding → series of murders and sexual assaults, processing impossible impulses Moment of concluding → mother and her friend's homicide, final resolution --- **Page 7** **UNRAVELING HIDDEN PATTERNS** **PART 2** --- **Page 8** **INFERRING** The temporal analysis suggests that each crime serves a psychic function, either resolving inner conflict or extending tension. Kemper's sequence of murders illustrates that sexual impulses, family relationships, and unresolved conflicts influenced his criminal behavior. Conclusive and suspensive dimensions reflect a pattern of inner psychological processing that could inform criminal profiling and prevention strategies. --- **Page 9** **SUMMARIZING** **THE INAUGURAL CRIMES** "THE FIRST AWAKENING" At the start of adolescence, Kemper killed his grandparents. This act marks his sexual awakening and the first encounter with intense inner impulses, laying the foundation for his later crimes. **THE IMPOSSIBLE COMPREHENSION** After release from psychiatric confinement, he began a series of murders and assaults on young women. Each act reflects an attempt to process unresolved desires, creating continuous tension and temporal suspense. **THE FINAL RESOLUTION** The killings of his mother and her friend represent the conclusive dimension. These acts close his inner conflict and assert control over the impulses driving his criminal path. --- **Page 10** **VISUALIZING** --- **Page 11** **LINKING THOUGHTS AND ASKING WHY** **PART 3** --- **Page 12** **FINAL** **QUESTIONS THAT ILLUMINATE THE DARKNESS** **QUESTIONING** Raises critical questions: What drives a criminal to repeat acts of violence? How do unresolved psychosexual impulses shape behavior? Could earlier interventions have altered the trajectory? Encourages reflection on the psychic function of crime and the ethical responsibilities of society and professionals. **CONNECTING** Relates the patterns found in Kemper's criminal history to broader psychological and criminological theories. Shows how each act, whether episodic or serial, connects to his inner conflicts, impulses, and unresolved desires. Highlights links between temporal dimensions (conclusive vs. suspensive) and their effects on the progression of his criminal behavior.