Where Is Freed Ripper Crew Killer Thomas Kokoraleis Living?

AURORA, IL — After convicted murderer Thomas Kokoraleis, a member of the notorious Ripper Crew, was released from prison Friday, Patch and multiple other media sources reported that he would be living in Wheaton. This sent a flurry of concern throughout the city, but on Sunday, the Daily Herald reported that Aurora Police said Kokoraleis had registered as a sex offender living at Wayside Cross Ministries in Aurora, which the Christian facility confirmed in a statement on its website Monday afternoon.

But where did the information first come from stating that Kokoraleis would live in Wheaton?

On Friday, Chicago Tribune initially reported,"[a]uthorities in Wheaton have been put on notice of his plans to live in town, according to a Tribune source. Another law enforcement source confirmed that Wheaton was his destination."

Two days later, the Daily Herald reported that Aurora Police Sergeant William Rowley said on Sunday that Kokoraleis registered in Aurora as living at Wayside Cross Ministries, 215 E. New York St. Wayside Ministries issued a statement on its homepage stating that, "Wayside Cross Ministries (WCM) did not seek out Thomas Kokoraleis upon his release from prison. He came to us seeking our help."

Wayside Cross is located about 30 minutes west of Wheaton.

Late Monday afternoon, Kokoraleis's sex offender registration information online showed an address of Locust Street with a zip code of 61520. The city listed was Wheaton.

Prior to Kokoraleis's release, he lived in the Illinois River Correctional Facility, which has an address of 1300 Locust Street, zip code 61520. The prison is located in Canton.

Patch reached out to Illinois State Police regarding the information on its sex offender registry website, but did not immediately receive a response Monday morning.

Sgt. Rowley told Chicago Tribune that the sex offender registry website should be updated with Kokoraleis's address Monday. As of 4 p.m. Monday, the Illinois State Police sex offender website still showed the information pictured above.

Read the full statement from Wayside Cross Ministries below:

Wayside Cross Ministries (WCM) did not seek out Thomas Kokoraleis upon his release from prison. He came to us seeking our help. Ours being a Bible-based, Christ-centered ministry, we are mandated by our Lord Jesus Christ to love our neighbors. According to Luke 10:25-37, anyone in a genuine need is a neighbor. Almost 1/3 of the residents in our Master’s Touch program come to us immediately after being released from one of the many correctional facilities in Illinois. Some are former sex offenders. We do not discriminate. While participating in our Master’s Touch program, many of our residents have experienced permanent spiritual transformation through the power of the gospel of Christ. The Bible clearly commands us to show kindness and mercy towards all, even our enemies, the ungrateful and the wicked. This is because God, Himself is kind and merciful to all (Luke 6:35-36). As a Bible-based, Christ-centered ministry, we are also required by Scripture to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). For more than nine decades, WCM has been committed to empowering the afflicted and the powerless in collaboration with scores of local churches and hundreds of godly mentors. Recognizing that God is the source of our competence (2Corinthians 3:5), we are called to help people like Thomas. God‘s grace transcends any human depravity and wickedness. Therefore, we hope and pray that Thomas would one day return to society as a God honoring productive member, displaying the amazing transforming power of Christ. We ask you to join us in this prayer.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.

Read more:

• 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