Michael Hubert Kenyon, (born c. 1944Baumann, Edward (June 5, 1975). Bond set for enema suspect. ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' in

Elgin, Illinois Elgin ( ) is a city in Cook and Kane counties in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. Elgin is located northwest of Chicago, along the Fox River. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 114,797, the seventh-large ...

) also known as the "Illinois Enema Bandit", is an American criminal. He pleaded guilty to a decade-long series of

armed robberies Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...

of female victims, some of which involved

sexual assault Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...

s in which he would give them

enema An enema, also known as a clyster, is an injection of fluid into the lower bowel by way of the rectum.Cullingworth, ''A Manual of Nursing, Medical and Surgical'':155 The word enema can also refer to the liquid injected, as well as to a device ...

s. He is also known as the "Champaign Enema Bandit", the "Ski Masked Bandit", and/or simply the "Enema Bandit".Kacich, Tom (2002)
The Enema Bandit.
''Hot Type: 150 Years of the Best Local Stories from the News-Gazette.'' Sports Publishing LLC

Attacks and convictions

The earliest attacks Kenyon was accused of having committed were on two teenage sisters in March 1966 in

Champaign, Illinois Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in Illinois outside the Chicago metropo ...

.'' Champaign-Urbana Courier,'' April 30, 1966 Kenyon graduated from

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univ ...

in 1967 and subsequently left the state. The attacks thus ended in Champaign but started anew in

Manhattan, Kansas Manhattan is a city and county seat of Riley County, Kansas, United States, although the city extends into Pottawatomie County. It is located in northeastern Kansas at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. As of the 2020 cen ...

;

Norman, Oklahoma Norman () is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, with a population of 128,097 as of 2021. It is the largest city and the county seat of Cleveland County, Oklahoma, Cleveland County, and the second-largest city in the Oklahoma C ...

; and

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. Kenyon returned to Champaign, and the attacks resumed, in 1972.Staff report (April 20, 1972). Enema Bandit Assaults Two More U. I. Coeds. ''

'' In May 1975, Kenyon took a job as an auditor for the

Illinois Department of Revenue The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is the code department of the Illinois state government that collects state taxes, operates the state lottery, oversees the state's casino industry, oversees the state's thoroughbred and harness horse rac ...

Lincolnwood, Illinois Lincolnwood (formerly Tessville) is a village in Niles Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 13,463. An inner suburb of Chicago, it shares its southern, eastern, and a small section of its west ...

.Staff report (September 10, 1975). Bandit trial moved. ''

'' He then committed additional attacks, including on three

Cook County Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...

flight attendants.Staff report (December 2, 1975). 'Enema bandit' is guilty. ''

'' He also attacked four women in an

Urbana __NOTOC__ Urbana can refer to: Places Italy *Urbana, Italy United States *Urbana, Illinois **Urbana (conference), a Christian conference formerly held in Urbana, Illinois *Urbana, Indiana * Urbana, Iowa *Urbana, Kansas * Urbana, Maryland *Urbana, ...

sorority house, one of whom was administered an enema.Judith Gardiner (1975). Gail Godwin and feminist fiction. ''

The North American Review The ''North American Review'' (NAR) was the first literary magazine in the United States. It was founded in Boston in 1815 by journalist Nathan Hale and others. It was published continuously until 1940, after which it was inactive until revived a ...

Elaine Showalter Elaine Showalter (born January 21, 1941) is an American literary critic, feminist, and writer on cultural and social issues. She influenced feminist literary criticism in the United States academia, developing the concept and practice of gynocr ...

(1981). Rethinking the seventies: Women writers and violence. ''

The Antioch Review ''The Antioch Review'' is an American literary magazine established in 1941 at Antioch College in Ohio. The magazine was published on a quarterly basis. One of the oldest continuously published literary magazines in the United States prior to it b ...

'' He was involved in a minor traffic accident later that night, but was not arrested. Kenyon was eventually apprehended in suburban Chicago a few weeks later in connection with a number of robberies there.Staff report (June 5, 1975). 'Enema bandit' suspect to face trial in Champaign. ''

'' During questioning he began to talk about the enema bandit. After his arrest he was judged to be legally sane; in December 1975, he pleaded guilty to six counts of

armed robbery Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...

'' Champaign-Urbana Courier,'' December 23, 1975 and was sentenced to six to twelve years in prison for each count, but was never charged for the enema assaults.Staff report (Dec 24, 1975). Bandit sentenced/ ''

'' He was

parole Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...

d in 1981 after serving six years.''

Fortean Times ''Fortean Times'' is a British monthly magazine devoted to the anomalous phenomena popularised by Charles Fort. Previously published by John Brown Publishing (from 1991 to 2001), I Feel Good Publishing (2001 to 2005), Dennis Publishing (2005 to 2 ...

'' (1996) ''Strange days #1: the year in weirdness,'' p. 29. Cader Books,

In popular culture

* In the 1974 novel ''The Odd Woman'' written by

Gail Godwin Gail Godwin (born June 18, 1937) is an American novelist and short story writer. Godwin has written 14 novels, two short story collections, three non-fiction books, and ten libretti. Her primary literary accomplishments are her novels, which have ...

, the protagonist, Jane Clifford, a professor in a Midwestern university town, fears the Enema Bandit, who represents her fears of losing control of her life. * The crimes of which Kenyon was accused were the inspiration for the 1976 adult film ''

Water Power Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a wa ...

,'' starring

Jamie Gillis Jamie Gillis (born Jamey Ira Gurman; April 20, 1943 – February 19, 2010) was an American pornographic actor, director and member of the AVN Hall of Fame. He was married to the porn actress Serena. Early life Gillis was born Jamey Ira Gurman i ...

, which was later reissued under the title ''Enema Bandit.''Hunter, Jack (2002). ''The bad mirror.'' Creation cinema collection, Vol. 10. The term "enema bandit" came into wider use following the incidents.Murray, Thomas Edward, and Thomas R. Murrell (2002). ''The language of sadomasochism: a glossary and linguistic analysis.'' Greenwood Press, * Kenyon became the subject of

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...

's song "The Illinois Enema Bandit", that he and his group played live from September 1975, recorded live in December 1976 and first released on ''

Zappa in New York ''Zappa in New York'' is a double live album by Frank Zappa released on his own DiscReet Records label. It was recorded in December 1976 at a series of concerts at the Palladium in New York City. The album was scheduled for release in mid 1977 b ...

(1978).''Staff report (December 11, 1993). Absolutely free: Frank Zappa bituary ''

The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...

'' After the song's first live performance, Zappa made it part of the set list of every tour, including the final tour in 1988. * Jazz composer

Henry Threadgill Henry Threadgill (born February 15, 1944) is an American composer, saxophonist and flautist. He came to prominence in the 1970s leading ensembles rooted in jazz but with unusual instrumentation and often incorporating other genres of music. He h ...

recorded "Salute to the Enema Bandit" on the 1986 album '' Air Show No. 1.''Chinen, Nate (September 24, 2010)
Whether Jazz, Rock Or War Anthems, A Vintage Harvest.
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' * British comedy metal band,

Lawnmower Deth Lawnmower Deth are an England, English thrash metal band, who parodied the genre and recorded three and a half albums. Initially active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, they reformed in 2008. Biography Main career (1987–1993) Lawnmower Deth ...

, recorded a song titled "The Illinois enema bandit" on their album "return of the metal bozo clowns"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kenyon, Michael H. Year of birth missing (living people) American robbers Living people People from Champaign, Illinois People from Elgin, Illinois