Thomas Kokoraleis and the Crimes of the Chicago Ripper Crew
Member of a Notorious Murder Group
Thomas C. Kokoraleis was a member of the violent group commonly known as the Chicago Ripper Crew or the Chicago Rippers. The group operated in northeastern Illinois during 1981 and 1982 and included Kokoraleis, his younger brother Andrew Kokoraleis, Edward Spreitzer and alleged leader Robin Gecht. Investigators connected the men to a series of abductions, sexual assaults, mutilations and murders committed against women in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
The Ripper Crew was suspected of attacking numerous women, although the precise number of victims has never been conclusively established. Some accounts have attributed as many as seventeen murders or disappearances to the group, but prosecutors obtained convictions in only a limited number of cases. Thomas Kokoraleis was ultimately held legally responsible for the murder of 21-year-old Lorraine "Lori" Ann Borowski. Statements attributed to him also described his participation in the killing of Linda Sutton and supplied investigators with disturbing information about the group's methods.
The Abduction of Linda Sutton
Linda Sutton, a 28-year-old woman from Chicago, disappeared on May 23, 1981. She was reportedly abducted while walking near the Elmhurst area. Her mutilated body was discovered approximately ten days later in a field near the Villa Park and Elmhurst area, behind a motel close to Route 83. Her remains showed evidence of severe violence, including the amputation of one of her breasts.
During police questioning in November 1982, Thomas Kokoraleis made statements concerning Sutton's murder. According to the prosecution's account, Kokoraleis described being with other members of the group when Sutton was abducted and taken to a motel. The statements contained details about her restraint, stabbing and mutilation. Prosecutors later introduced this information during proceedings against Kokoraleis, although the murder charge involving Sutton was eventually dismissed as part of the agreement under which he pleaded guilty in the Borowski case.
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