CANTON, Ill. — Authorities say a man convicted of murder as a suspected member of the notorious "Ripper Crew" that killed as many as 20 Chicago-area women in the 1980s has been released from prison.
An alert from Illinois' victim notification system was issued Friday saying 58-year-old Thomas Kokoraleis had been discharged from the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Kokoraleis was initially sentenced to life in prison for the 1982 slaying of 21-year-old Lorraine "Lorry" Ann Borowski.
But prosecutors allowed him to plead guilty on appeal in exchange for a 70-year prison term. The deal allowed for his release this week.
He served 35 years in prison.
Relatives of some victims were infuriated in 2017 when they learned of Kokoraleis' expected release and delayed his initial parole date.
Borowski's relatives say they will be looking over their shoulders for years now that he has been released from prison.
Holding a photo of her daughter, Lorraine Borowski tearfully told reporters that Kokoraleis didn't receive the justice he deserved, but that she has no doubt God "will deliver the final judgment."
Records show Kokoraleis was held at the Illinois River Correctional Center in Canton, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Peoria.
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