Kokoraleis Protest: Calls To 'Burn Him,' Calls For Action

AURORA, IL — A group of more than a dozen residents gathered outside of Aurora City Hall Friday to protest convicted Ripper Crew murderer and rapist Thomas Kokoraleis, who is living at Wayside Cross Ministries in the city's downtown area since being released from prison last week. Amid shouts of "burn him" directed at Kokoraleis and calls of "the mayor has to go" targeting Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, one woman stood in front of the crowd without a megaphone and gave voice to the women of Aurora.

"No one can understand ... besides a woman reading the crimes [that have happened] ... what it must have felt like to be a woman in the position of those victims during those crimes," the woman said.

Kokoraleis was part of the notorious Ripper Crew, a satanic cult tied to the sadistic murders of as many as 18 women in the early 1980s. He was released from prison on March 29 after serving a 35-year sentence for the rape and murder of Lorry Borowski, 21, of Elmhurst.

"We've had limited voices from the women in this community," the woman said, going on to mention women who are rape and trauma survivors who are "triggered by the fact that this man lives one mile from my house, one mile from your house, one mile from your house."

Another woman at the protest, Julie Steineke, said she was 12 years old when Lorry Borowski was murdered "less than a mile" from her house.

"I never felt safe," Steineke said, suggesting that Kokoraleis be placed in another location "where he didn't ruin lives."

Protesters also called for action from Irvin, with protest organizer Matt Harrington telling Patch that Irvin was not "blindsided" by the news that Kokoraleis would settle in Aurora. Harrington asserts that Irvin knew ahead of time.

On Sunday, Aurora Police told the Daily Herald that Kokoraleis had registered to live in Aurora at 215 E. New York St., the location of Wayside Cross Ministries.

Two days earlier, news broke that Kokoraleis would be living in Wheaton. Harrington speculated about what brought Kokoraleis to Wayside Cross instead of a Christian facility in Wheaton.

"I don't think they expected a backlash," Harrington told Patch.

"The guy was supposed to go to Wheaton," Harrington said. "And let's face it, Wheaton is a lot richer and they don't have the 35 percent Hispanic population [that Aurora has]."

(video credit: Naeem Khan)

Mayor Irvin said he was "blindsided" by Kokoraleis' arrival in a statement on Monday, but Harrington called that "nothing but a lie." "Wheaton people" had called Irvin ahead of time and told him Kokoraleis would be moving to Aurora, Harrington claimed.

When Patch asked Harrington if he would identify anyone who influenced the decision to send Kokoraleis to Aurora, Harrington suggested "people that give money to Wayside Cross Ministries."

Wayside Cross Ministries recently released a statement saying they had met with Aurora government officials and were working on finding a solution that is "mutually beneficial" to Kokoraleis and Aurora citizens.

Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin responded by doubling down on his request that Kokoraleis be relocated, but he also said Wayside Cross has heightened its security and set up Kokoraleis with a "full-time monitor."

Read more on Patch:

• Where Is Freed Ripper Crew Killer Thomas Kokoraleis Living?
• Ripper Crew Member Who Killed Elmhurst Woman To Be Freed
• Release Delayed For Ripper Crew Member Who Killed Elmhurst Woman
• Satanic Cult Murders: Elmhurst Family Fights Ripper Crew Killer's Parole