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March 29 (UPI) -- Thomas Kokoraleis, a convicted killer and reputed member of a gang responsible for as many as 20 deaths in the 1980s, was released from an Illinois prison on Friday. Kokoraleis, 58, was released from state custody and left the Illinois River Correctional Center in Canton, Ill. He must register as a sex offender, and be placed on the state's killer registry.
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Kokoraleis was convicted of the 1982 abduction, rape and death of Lorraine Ann Borkowski and received a 70-year sentence in a plea bargain. As a result of modified sentencing guidelines, he became eligible for parole after completing half his term.
Police say Kokoraleis, his brother Andrew and two other men formed the "Ripper Crew," known for stalking the Chicago area in a red van and seeking female targets. Andrew Kokoraleis was convicted of murder and executed by lethal injection in 1999 and the other two are still in prison.
Since Kokoraleis has no record of mental health issues, he is free to live or travel without restriction. He was initially scheduled for release in 2017 but didn't have an approved place to live. Prosecutors worked to keep him in prison as a sexually violent offender, but no test proved any mental disorders that allowed the state to keep him past his parole date.
The Borowski family said they can never forget what happened to Lorraine.
"He took something that was very close to me," brother Ray Borowski said. "I live it every day of my life. I'll never forget it. It is just like yesterday to me."
