The Chicago Rippers were a notorious group of serial killers who operated in the city of Chicago during the early 1980s. Led by Robin Gecht, a skilled carpenter with a penchant for violence, the group was responsible for the abduction, torture, and murder of at least 18 women. The murders were characterized by extreme brutality and sadism.
The Rippers would abduct their victims from the streets, take them back to their apartment, and subject them to horrific torture. The women would be mutilated, with body parts such as breasts and genitals being removed. In some cases, the group even engaged in cannibalism, consuming parts of their victims’ bodies. The Rippers were eventually caught in 1982, thanks in part to the bravery of one of their intended victims.
Beverly Washington managed to escape from the group’s clutches and alerted the police, leading to the arrest and conviction of Gecht and his accomplices. The investigation into the Chicago Rippers revealed a shocking level of depravity and sadism.
The group seemed to take pleasure in their heinous acts, with Gecht himself being responsible for the creation of a torture table used to inflict pain on their victims. The case of the Chicago Rippers remains one of the most notorious serial killer cases in American history. It serves as a grim reminder of the potential for evil that can exist within society, and the importance of vigilance and the pursuit of justice in the face of such atrocities. While the capture and imprisonment of the Chicago Rippers brought an end to their reign of terror, their legacy lives on as a warning of the horrors that can be unleashed by those who seek to do harm to others. It is a cautionary tale that continues to resonate with people today, and serves as a reminder of the need to remain vigilant against those who would seek to do harm to others.
Chicago Rippers (AKA The Ripper Crew) Victims and Timeline
1981:
- In May, Robin Gecht, a skilled carpenter, begins to assemble a group of individuals who share his interest in violence and sadism.
- Throughout the summer and fall, the group begins to abduct women from the streets of Chicago and take them back to Gecht’s apartment to torture and mutilate them.
- The first known victim of the group is Linda Sutton, who is abducted on May 23.
1982:
- On January 18, the body of Beverly Washington is discovered in a dumpster. She had been abducted by the Rippers but managed to escape and alert the police before being recaptured and killed.
- In April, Gecht is arrested on an unrelated charge of attempted murder. While in custody, he confesses to the murders of several women and implicates his accomplices, Edward Spreitzer, Andrew Kokoraleis, and Thomas Kokoraleis.
- The group’s apartment is searched, and police discover evidence of their crimes, including bloodstains and a homemade torture table.
- On October 25, the trial of the Chicago Rippers begins. All four men are found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.
1983:
- In March, Gecht’s death sentence is commuted to life in prison without parole.
- In August, Spreitzer is also sentenced to life in prison without parole.
- In November, Andrew Kokoraleis is sentenced to death.
1984:
- In March, Thomas Kokoraleis is sentenced to life in prison without parole.
1987:
- In May, the Illinois Supreme Court commutes Andrew Kokoraleis’s death sentence to life in prison without parole.
1994:
- In March, Andrew Kokoraleis is executed by lethal injection.
1999:
- In March, Thomas Kokoraleis is released from prison on parole after serving 17 years of his sentence.
The Chicago Rippers case remains one of the most notorious serial killer cases in American history and continues to be studied and discussed by criminologists and law enforcement officials. The case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that can lurk within society and the importance of vigilance and the pursuit of justice in the face of such atrocities.
