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Effort drop effort to keep convicted killer in prison

Posted October 27, 2017 7:00 am

The Associated Press

WHEATON, Ill. (AP) - Prosecutors have dropped their effort to keep a man convicted in the 1982 murder of a suburban Chicago woman locked up after his scheduled release from prison by having him classified as sexually violent.

DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin has been investigating whether they could keep Thomas Kokoraleis locked up but on Friday Berlin said his office could not prove that Kokoraleis would likely commit acts of sexual violenceas is required by the state's Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act requires.

Officials announced last month that Kokoraleis - suspected of being part of the "Ripper Crew' that killed as many as 20 women in the 1980s - was eligible for parole but would remain in prison because he couldn't find a state-approved place to live. Friday's announcement means Kokoraleis will b released if he finds an approved place to live. If he doesn't, he can't be held in prison beyond March 2019.

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