Andrew Kokoraleis

Serial Killer

Andrew Kokoraleis: Crimes and Victims

Background

Andrew Kokoraleis was a member of the notorious "Ripper Crew," a group of serial killers active in Illinois during the early 1980s. The crew, comprising Robin Gecht, Edward Spreitzer, and brothers Andrew and Thomas Kokoraleis, was implicated in the brutal murders of multiple women between 1981 and 1982. Their crimes were characterized by abduction, rape, torture, and mutilation, often involving the amputation of the victims' breasts.

Crimes

The Ripper Crew's modus operandi involved cruising the streets of Chicago and its suburbs in a van, searching for women walking alone. Upon selecting a target, they would abduct the victim, subject her to heinous acts of violence, and ultimately murder her. The following is a detailed account of their known victims:

• Linda Sutton
  • Date: Abducted on May 23, 1981; body found on June 1, 1981
  • Location: Villa Park, Illinois
  • Details: Linda Sutton, 26, was abducted and later found in a field near the Brer Rabbit Motel. Her body had been mutilated, with her hands cuffed behind her back and her breasts amputated. The cause of death was determined to be multiple stab wounds and blood loss.
• Lorraine Borowski
  • Date: Abducted on May 15, 1982; body found on October 10, 1982
  • Location: Elmhurst, Illinois
  • Details: Lorraine Borowski, 21, was abducted while heading to work at a real estate office. Her skeletal remains were discovered months later in a cemetery in Clarendon Hills. She had been beaten, stabbed, and her left breast was amputated.
• Shui Mak
  • Date: Abducted on May 29, 1982; body found four months later
  • Location: Hanover Park, Illinois
  • Details: Shui Mak was abducted, and her body was discovered months later. Similar to other victims, she had been subjected to severe mutilation.
• Sandra Delaware
  • Date: Body found on August 28, 1982
  • Location: Chicago, Illinois
  • Details: Sandra Delaware was found on the bank of the Chicago River. She had been stabbed, strangled, and her left breast was amputated.
• Rose Davis
  • Date: Body found on September 8, 1982
  • Location: Chicago, Illinois
  • Details: Rose Davis, 30, was found in an alley, having suffered similar injuries as previous victims, including mutilation and stab wounds.
• Rafael Tirado
  • Date: October 6, 1982
  • Location: Chicago, Illinois
  • Details: Rafael Tirado, 28, was shot and killed in a random drive-by shooting orchestrated by the Ripper Crew. He was the gang's only male victim.
• Beverly Washington
  • Date: October 6, 1982
  • Location: Chicago, Illinois
  • Details: Beverly Washington was found by railroad tracks with severe injuries, including the amputation of her left breast and slashes to her right breast. She survived the attack and provided descriptions of her assailants and their vehicle, aiding in the investigation.

Arrest and Convictions

The investigation into the Ripper Crew intensified following the survival of Beverly Washington, whose detailed descriptions led authorities to Robin Gecht's van. Subsequent arrests of Gecht, Spreitzer, and the Kokoraleis brothers unveiled the extent of their crimes. Andrew Kokoraleis confessed to participating in multiple murders, detailing the gruesome acts committed by the group. In 1984, Andrew Kokoraleis was convicted for the murder of Rose Davis and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Later, in 1987, he was convicted for the murder of Lorraine Borowski and received a death sentence. Despite appeals, his sentence was upheld, and he was executed by lethal injection on March 17, 1999, at the Tamms Correctional Center in Illinois. His last words included an apology to the Borowski family and a citation from the Bible. Andrew Kokoraleis's execution was the last to occur in Illinois before the state abolished the death penalty in 2011. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (6)

Linda Sutton Age: (31), Date of Death: May 23, 1981

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People v. Kokoraleis :: 1989 :: Supreme Court of Illinois Decisions

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