Michael Kenyon, known as the Illinois Enema Bandit, was a University of Illinois graduate who, from 1965 through 1975, broke into young women’s homes in several college towns, tied them up, forced them to submit to enemas, and stole cash and personal items. He confessed after a 1975 arrest in Palatine, Illinois, and was sentenced to six concurrent prison terms of six to twelve years.1News-Gazette. Toms Mailbag
The Pattern of Attacks
The first assault attributed to Kenyon took place in May 1965 in Champaign-Urbana, home to the University of Illinois, from which he graduated in 1969. He would identify a young woman, follow her home, break in, restrain her, and administer an enema, often taking cash or belongings on the way out.1News-Gazette. Toms Mailbag
At least ten more attacks were reported in the Champaign-Urbana area between May 1965 and May 1972. Similar assaults turned up in other college towns as well: Norman, Oklahoma; Manhattan, Kansas; and Los Angeles. After a quiet stretch, he returned to Champaign-Urbana on May 3, 1975, and targeted four University of Illinois students in a single incident.1News-Gazette. Toms Mailbag
Arrest and Confession
Later that same month, Kenyon was arrested in Palatine, Illinois, on a minor charge. He confessed to the enema assaults in Champaign-Urbana and in Kansas, which let investigators tie him to the string of break-ins that had been reported across several states over the previous decade.1News-Gazette. Toms Mailbag
Guilty Plea and Sentence
In December 1975, Kenyon pleaded guilty to armed robbery. The court imposed six concurrent prison terms of six to twelve years.1News-Gazette. Toms Mailbag
The Frank Zappa Song
The case drew attention well beyond Illinois courtrooms. Frank Zappa wrote and recorded “The Illinois Enema Bandit,” released on a 1978 live album, and the song fixed Kenyon’s unusual place in American pop-culture memory.1News-Gazette. Toms Mailbag