The Ripper Crew of Chicago: Inside the Ritualistic Cult Behind the City’s Most Disturbing Murders

Between 1981 and 1982, a cult-like group of men stalked the streets of Chicago, abducting, torturing, mutilating, and murdering women in one of the darkest crime sprees the city has ever witnessed.

What made this case unlike any other wasn’t just the brutality — it was the group dynamic. This wasn’t a single serial killer.This was a team, bound by ritual and ideology, operating under the command of one man:

Robin Gecht.

Today, the Ripper Crew remains one of the most shocking and misunderstood cases in true crime history. This deep-dive reveals how four seemingly ordinary men formed a cult of mutilation… and the survivors who brought them down.

Chicago in the Early 1980s — A City Already Haunted

To understand how the Ripper Crew operated undetected, you must understand Chicago in the early 1980s.

• The city was still reeling from John Wayne Gacy’s conviction.

• Economic decline led to increased street-level crime.

• Police departments across counties often failed to share information.

• Sex workers faced extreme danger and almost no protection.

This environment allowed predators to move freely…and the Ripper Crew used it to their full advantage.

The Formation of a Cult — Who Was Robin Gecht?

Robin Gecht wasn’t charismatic.He wasn’t brilliant.He wasn’t the type of man anyone would expect people to follow.

And that’s what makes him so terrifying.

A Manipulator Hiding in Plain Sight

Gecht worked construction.He was married.He had kids.

But behind closed doors, he was building something else — a twisted, pseudo-religious ideology rooted in misogyny, dominance, and ritualized violence.

He recruited young, vulnerable men:

• Edward Spreitzer

• Andrew Kokoraleis

• Thomas Kokoraleis

These men would become his loyal followers… even accomplices in murder.

The Attic Ritual Room — Where the Violence Began

Inside Gecht’s home was a small attic room that investigators would later call the ritual chamber.

Witnesses and crew members described:

• Black candles

• Crude hand-drawn symbols

• A single chair placed like a throne

• Knives and restraints

• A makeshift altar

• Women’s personal belongings kept as “trophies”

According to confessions, women were brought here for ritual mutilations — ceremonies Gecht claimed gave him “power.”

This was the psychological heart of the Ripper Crew.

The First Confirmed Murder — Linda Sutton

On May 23rd, 1981, 28-year-old Linda Sutton disappeared.

Ten days later, her body was found behind a motel in Villa Park.

She had been brutally tortured.One of her breasts had been removed with alarming precision.

At the time, police believed this was an isolated homicide.

They had no idea they had just discovered the Ripper Crew’s first confirmed victim.

The Red Van — A Moving Hunting Ground

Between 1981 and 1982, reports across Chicago and its suburbs kept mentioning the same detail:

A red Ford van.

Women were:

• Grabbed from street corners

• Pulled into the van

• Brutally assaulted

• Dumped miles away

• Or… never seen again

Survivors described:

• Multiple attackers

• A calm “leader” giving instructions

• Ritualistic mutilations

• Cold, expressionless faces

• Silence, as if the acts were routine

The van became a ghost on the city’s streets.

The Survivors Who Broke the Case

Angel York — August 1982

Angel survived a brutal attack that nearly killed her.Her testimony revealed:

• Multiple men

• A coordinated assault

• A ritualistic style

• A red van interior layout

But she didn’t know their names.

Beverly Washington — October 1982

Beverly was abducted and mutilated just like the others — but she survived.

Barely.

Her detailed description of the van’s configuration led detectives to a match:

A red van owned by Edward Spreitzer.

This was the breakthrough police needed.

The Arrests — The Crew Falls Apart

Edward Spreitzer Confesses

Once in custody, Spreitzer broke first.He described:

• Rituals

• Mutilations

• Gecht’s leadership

• The attic room

• The coordinated killings

The Kokoraleis Brothers Talk

Andrew and Thomas, both cognitively vulnerable, confessed in detail.They confirmed everything:

• The hierarchy

• The ceremonies

• The victims

• The group involvement

Robin Gecht Denies Everything

Despite three confessions, Gecht:

• Smiled through questioning

• Denied all involvement

• Claimed his attic was “storage”

• Said his followers were lying

He never confessed — not then, not ever.

Trials, Sentencing, and Fate

Robin Gecht

He was convicted of:

• Attempted murder

• Aggravated battery

• Kidnapping

But not murder, due to lack of direct physical evidence.

Sentence: 120 years

He remains imprisoned and has never admitted guilt.

Edward Spreitzer

Convicted of multiple murders.

Sentence: Death penalty, later commuted to life without parole.

Andrew Kokoraleis

Convicted of murder.

Sentence: Death penaltyExecuted in 1999.

Thomas Kokoraleis

Convicted of murder.Sentence overturned, modified, and…

Released in 2019, sparking statewide outrage.

The Victims — Their Names Must Be Remembered

Confirmed victims include:

• Linda Sutton

• Rose Davis

• Lorraine “Lori” Borowski

• Shirley Williams

• Stefana Wood

Survivors:

• Beverly Washington

• Angel York

Investigators believe there were more.

Possibly many more.

Why the Ripper Crew Still Haunts True Crime Today

It was a group — not a lone killer

Highly unusual in U.S. serial crimes.

It involved rituals and ideology

This was more than violence.This was belief-driven mutilation.

The leader was never convicted of murder

Gecht remains a symbol of how manipulative cult leaders can evade justice.

Survivors were key

Without them, this case may never have been solved.

Final Thoughts — A Legacy of Horror and Unanswered Questions

Decades later, the Ripper Crew case leaves us with haunting questions:

• How many victims were never found?

• Was there a fifth member?

• Did Gecht kill before forming the crew?

• How did this happen in a residential neighborhood?

Most chilling of all:

Evil does not always work alone.Sometimes…it works as a team.