True Crime/Paranormal/Conspiracy Theories Part VII

Superbike Murders: Todd Kohlhepp

Todd Christopher Kohlhepp (né Sampsell; born March 7, 1971) is an American sex offender, mass shooter and serial killer convicted of murdering seven people in South Carolina between 2003 and 2016. In addition, Kohlhepp kidnapped at least one woman, raped another, and claims to have killed many more.

Early life

Todd Kohlhepp was born on March 7, 1971, in Florida, and was raised in South Carolina and Georgia. His parents divorced when he was two years old. His mother gained custody and married another man the following year. Later psychological reports found that Kohlhepp had an unhealthy relationship with his stepfather and often wanted to live with his biological father, whom he had not seen in eight years.

Kohlhepp was described as a troublesome child. In nursery school, he was known to be aggressive toward other children and would destroy their property. At the age of nine, when he started undergoing counseling, Kohlhepp was described as being "explosive" and "preoccupied with sexual content". He also displayed cruelty to animals, shooting a dog with a BB gun and killing a goldfish using Clorox bleach.

Kohlhepp's father later said the only emotion his son was capable of was anger and madness. Kohlhepp spent three and a half months in a Georgia psychiatric hospital as an inpatient because of his inability to get along with other children.

Eventually, in 1983, Kohlhepp was sent to live with his biological father in Arizona after his mother and stepfather separated. He took his father's surname and began working a number of local jobs. He also inherited his father's hobby of collecting weapons and was taught by him to "blow things up and make bombs". Despite this, their relationship deteriorated due to his father's absence with a number of girlfriends and Kohlhepp repeatedly expressed a desire to return to his mother, though she reportedly made excuses to extend his stay.

1987 kidnapping conviction

On November 25, 1986, 15-year-old Kohlhepp kidnapped 14-year-old Kristie Granado in Tempe, Arizona. He threatened her with a .22-caliber revolver, brought her back to his home, tied her up, taped her mouth shut, and raped her. Afterward, he walked her home and threatened to kill her entire family if she told anyone about what had happened. Kohlhepp was charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, and committing a dangerous crime against children.

In 1987, he pleaded guilty to the kidnapping charge and the other charges were dropped. He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison and registered as a sex offender. According to court records, Kohlhepp was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and was noted as having an above average IQ of 118 (percentile rank 88.5 at σ ⁠= ⁠15).

The judge in the case said Kohlhepp was "very bright and should be advanced academically", but "behaviorally and emotionally dangerous" and likely could not be rehabilitated. Kohlhepp's probation officer wrote a similar description in court papers and added that Kohlhepp "felt the world owed him something". Kohlhepp's attorney in that case later went on to say that, while defending him "he did not believe his client would go on to harm others" in the future. During his imprisonment, Kohlhepp was initially cited for violations that included some violent behavior; after turning twenty, however, he had no other records of disobedience.

Release

In August 2001, Kohlhepp was released from prison after serving fourteen years and moved to South Carolina, where his mother was living. During his imprisonment, he attended and graduated from Central Arizona College with a bachelor's degree in computer science. From January 2002 to November 2003, he worked as a graphic designer for a company in Spartanburg. He began studying at Greenville Technical College in 2003. Kohlhepp transferred to the University of South Carolina Upstate the following year, and graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration-marketing.