Ripper Crew
Ripper Crew or Chicago Rippers was a satanic cult and organized crime group composed of Robin Gecht (who once worked for the serial killer John Wayne Gacy)[citation needed] and three associates (Edward Spreitzer with brothers Andrew and Thomas Kokoraleis).[1] They were suspected in the disappearances of 18 women in Chicago, Illinois in 1981 and '82.
Ripper Crew | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Other names | The Chicago Rippers The Ripper Crew |
| Criminal penalty | 120 years imprisonment (R.G.) Death (E.S., commuted to life; A.K., executed) Life imprisonment (T.K.) |
| Details | |
| Victims | 18 |
Span of crimes | May 23, 1981 – October 8, 1982 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Illinois |
Date apprehended | November 5, 1982 |
Robin Gecht | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robin Gecht 1953 (age 70–71) Menard, Illinois |
Edward Spreitzer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Edward Spreitzer 1958 (age 65–66) IL |
Andrew Kokoraleis | |
|---|---|
| Born | Andrew Kokoraleis 1961 |
| Died | March 16, 1999 (aged 37–38) |
| Cause of death | Execution by lethal injection |
Thomas Kokoraleis | |
|---|---|
| Born | Thomas Kokoraleis 1958 (age 65–66) IL |
Murders
The first victim of the gang was 28 year-old Linda Sutton, who was abducted on May 23, 1981. Ten days later, her body was found in a field in Villa Park, Illinois. Her body had been mutilated and her left breast amputated.[2] It was almost a year before the gang struck again. On May 15, 1982, they abducted Lorraine Borowski, just as she was about to open the realtor's office where she worked. Her body was discovered five months later, in a cemetery in Villa Park.[2] On May 29, they abducted Shui Mak from Hanover Park, just north of Villa Park. Her body was not found for four months. Two weeks after they abducted Mak, they picked up a prostitute known as Angel York in their van, handcuffed her and slashed her breast before throwing her out of the van, still alive.[2] Unfortunately, York's description of her attackers failed to produce any leads and the gang didn't strike again for two months.
On August 28, 1982, the body of prostitute Sandra Delaware was discovered on the bank of the Chicago River. She had been stabbed, strangled, and her left breast was amputated.[2] On September 8, 31 year-old Rose Davis was found in an alley, having suffered almost identical injuries as Delaware.[2] On September 11, Carole Pappas, wife of Chicago Cubs pitcher, Milt Pappas, disappeared and was never seen again (Her body was recovered and there was no connection to the Ripper Crew.)[3] A month later, the gang committed their last crime. Their victim, prostitute Beverley Washington was found by a railroad track on December 6.[4] In addition to other injuries, her left breast had been amputated and her right breast was severely slashed. Miraculously she was still alive and was able to give description of her attackers and the van they had used to abduct her.[5]
Arrest and Convictions
When Gecht was first arrested, he had to be released because the police had little evidence connecting him to the crimes. But after further investigation, the police discovered that in 1981, he had rented a room in a motel along with three friends - each with adjoining rooms. The hotel manager said that they had held loud parties and appeared to be involved in some kind of cult. Police then tracked down the other men, Edward Spreitzer and the Kokoraleis brothers.[5] When interrogated, Thomas Kokoraleis confessed that he and the others had taken women back to Gecht's place - what Gecht called a "satanic chapel."[5] There they had raped and tortured the women, and amputated their breasts with a wire garrotte. Kokoraleis went on to say that they would eat parts of the severed breasts as kind of a sacrament, and that Gecht would masturbate into the breasts before putting them in a box. Kokoraleis claimed that he once saw 15 breasts in the box.[5]
The Kokoraleis brothers and Spreitzer confessed to their crimes, but Gecht protested his innocence. After a series of trials, Thomas Kokoraleis was convicted of murder but only sentenced to life imprisonment as his reward for his initial confession. Since then his life sentence has been commuted and he is now scheduled to be released on September 30, 2017. He is currently located in the Illinois River Correctional Center.[4] Andrew Kokoraleis on the other hand was sentenced to death and was executed by lethal injection on March 16, 1999.[6]
Edward Spreitzer was sentenced to death but the sentence was commuted in George H. Ryan's last-minute commutation of all death sentences in Illinois in 2003. Incidentally, Andrew Kokoraleis' was Governor Ryan's only execution, just over two months into his administration. Kokoraleis was also the last inmate executed in Illinois, almost 12 years before Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation to abolish the death penalty on March 9, 2011, and commuted 15 death sentences to life imprisonment without parole.[7]
See also
References
- ^ Ramsland, Katherine. (2005) The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation, Berkley Books, ISBN 978-0-425-20765-9 p. 220.
- ^ a b c d e Greig, Charlotte (2005). Evil Serial Killers: In the Minds of Monsters. New York: Barnes & Noble. p. 142. ISBN 0760775664.
- ^ Houston, Jack (1987-08-09). "Pappas Identified – No Sign Of Foul Play". articles.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
- ^ a b Ramsland, Katherine. "The story of Robin Gecht & the notorious Chicago Rippers". Crime Library. truTV.com/Turner Broadcasting. Retrieved 2009-01-06.
- ^ a b c d Greig, Charlotte (2005). Evil Serial Killers: In the Minds of Monsters. New York: Barnes & Noble. p. 143. ISBN 0760775664.
- ^ "Greek-American Executed in Illinois for 1982 Murder". Macedonian Press Agency. Hellenic Resources Network. 1999-03-17. Retrieved 2009-01-06.
- ^ Long, Ray (March 9, 2011). "Quinn signs death penalty ban, commutes 15 death row sentences to life". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2011-03-09.