Member of satanic 'Ripper Crew' scheduled for release, police say

ELMHURST, Ill. (WGN) -- A member of a satanic cult, whose members were accused of rape, torture and murder, will be released later this month after serving half of his prison sentence.

The Elmhurst Police Department announced on Facebook Tuesday that Thomas Kokoraleis, 59, will be released from the Illinois River Correctional Center on Friday, March 29, after serving half of his 70-year prison sentence for the abduction, rape and murder of 21-year-old Lorraine “Lorry” Ann Borowski. Police believe he and his brothers, plus two other men, were responsible for the murder of up to 20 women during the 1980s.

His brother, Andrew Kokoraleis, received the death penalty and was executed by lethal injection in 1999 before it was abolished in Illinois. Two other men connected to the murders are still behind bars, with one eligible for parole in 2042.

Due to Illinois sentencing laws at the time, Kokoraleis was eligible for day-to-day credit for good behavior.

The Kokoraleis brothers and the two other men were part of the satanic cult group known as the “Ripper Crew.” According to the Chicago Tribune, the group was known to stalk the streets of Chicago, and the suburbs, in a red van looking for women to kidnap, beat, rape, torture and kill. The Tribune said the group members would cut off their victims' breasts as part of a cannibalistic ritual.