Michael H. Kenyon
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The Enema Bandit, born Michael Kenyon (alias Gino Cordero), is also known as "the Champaign Enema Bandit", the "Ski Masked Bandit", and "The Illinois Enema Bandit". He was known for performing enemas on victims under the threat of violence.
His earliest attacks were in March 1966 in Champaign, Illinois. Early one morning he entered a home through a window and, wearing a red argyle ski mask and carrying a gun, administered enemas to two sisters, aged 16 and 18. After stealing $70 from their father's wallet, he left them, tied with torn strips of bedsheet, with a promise to call the police within 15 minutes to free them. Kenyon's largest attack was on five sorority girls. He administered four enemas at gun point, but locked the fifth girl in a closet after telling her she was too ugly.
The attacks ended in Champaign when Kenyon was drafted into the U.S. armed forces, but as he was moved on his way to Vietnam were repeated in Manhattan, Kansas, Norman, Oklahoma, and Los Angeles, California.
In May 1975, Kenyon returned to Champaign. In a single night of terror he administered an enema to a Champaign woman, robbed and bound four women, and gave two enemas to the same woman. He was involved in a minor traffic accident later in the night.
Michael Kenyon was arrested in suburban Chicago a few weeks later in connection with a number of robberies there (it is not clear if these involved enemas). Under questioning he began to talk about the enema bandit. He was found to be legally sane, and pled guilty to six counts of armed robbery in December 1975. He was sentenced to six to twelve years in prison.
Pop culture
- The Enema Bandit became the subject of Frank Zappa's song "The Illinois Enema Bandit", from his album Zappa in New York.
- The Enema Bandit was the inspiration for the 1976 film Waterpower.
Sources
- Clipping file, Urbana Free Library, Urbana, Illinois,Dated Newspaper clippings, Newspapers not always identified.
- Champaign Urbana Courier, April 30, 1966
- Champaign Urbana Courier, December 23, 1975