A satanic cult known for brutally murdering and cannibalizing several victims in Chicago
Religion: Satanic
Founder: Robin Gecht
Founded: Early 1980s
Ended: 1982
Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Other Names: The Ripper Crew, The Chicago Rippers, The Satanic Cult Murders
The Chicago Rippers, also known as the Ripper Crew, was as one of the most harrowing and controversial cult-like groups in the early 1980s, casting a long shadow over Chicago with their brutal and satanic-inspired crimes. The group consisted of Robin Gecht, the alleged ringleader, and three associates: Edward Spreitzer, and brothers Andrew and Thomas Kokoraleis. This notorious group was implicated in the abduction, torture, and murder of several women between 1981 and 1982.
The Ripper Crew’s modus operandi involved abducting women from various locations around Chicago, often in broad daylight and from public places, creating a feeling that no woman was safe. Victims included Lorraine Borowski, abducted outside her workplace, and Linda Sutton, kidnapped near a well-known tourist spot. The randomness and brutality of these abductions and killings sparked widespread fear and outrage.
In what appeared to be ritualistic killings influenced by satanic beliefs, the group would perform heinous acts of violence against their victims. The crimes often involved the mutilation of the victims’ bodies, with particular attention to the breasts, which were sometimes severed and used in their rituals. This aspect of their crimes became a signature mark of their brutality, one that the police used to link various murders to the group. The Ripper Crew conducted these rituals in Gecht’s attic, which had been transformed into a “satanic chapel” adorned with symbols associated with their beliefs. During these rituals, passages from the Satanic Bible were read as the victims were tortured and eventually killed.
The turning point in the case came with the survival of one victim, Beverly Washington, who was found near death but able to provide crucial information about her attackers and their vehicle. Her testimony led to the arrest and conviction of the Ripper Crew members. While Robin Gecht was not convicted of murder due to lack of evidence directly linking him to the killings, he was later sentenced to 120 years for attempted murder and rape for a different crime. Andrew Kokoraleis received the death penalty and was executed in 1999, marking the last execution in Illinois before the state’s death penalty was commuted. Edward Spreitzer and Thomas Kokoraleis were also convicted, with Spreitzer receiving a life sentence and Thomas Kokoraleis being released in 2019 under controversial circumstances.
The Ripper Crew’s connection to other notorious figures, such as John Wayne Gacy, with whom Gecht had worked, adds a layer of intrigue and horror to their story. Despite the gruesome nature of their crimes and the satanic rituals that accompanied them, members of the Ripper Crew, including Gecht, maintained a semblance of normalcy in their personal lives, with Gecht being married with children and living an ostensibly typical suburban life.
image via Chicago Tribune
