A University of California, Berkeley professor whose brilliant academic journey is renowned has been k!lled in Greece in a bizarre crime that has left the academic fraternity and the rest of his supporters in mourning.
Unfortunately, his former wife is one of the five individuals who have been detained over his death.
Przemyslaw Jeziorski, a Polish citizen and well regarded faculty member at the Haas School of Business of the University of California, Berkeley, had been killed on July 4, 2007 in Athens, Greece, during a custody hearing over his two young children.
The murder took place in Agia Paraskevi, a suburb of Athens, a stone-throw away from the residence of his ex-wife.
A Young Scholar Nipped in the Bud
Friends and family referred to him as Przemek; he was 47 years old. He was in Greece to settle a protracted custody battle over his children, who were below the age of 11.
Reports shared by the Greek outlet Ta Nea and the national broadcaster ERT indicated that he was shot repeatedly after he started moving towards his children.
Local police confirmed that seven 9mm bullet casings were recovered at the scene.
According to witnesses, a masked gunman walked up to Jeziorski minutes before a time when he was supposed to visit his kids and shot him several times at point-blank range.
Greek officials immediately went on a manhunt, and within a few days five individuals were apprehended in relation to the crime.
One of them was an ex-wife of Jeziorski, a 43-year-old economist. Her new man, a 35-year-old male, was also arrested, as well as two Albanian citizens and one Bulgarian national.
Former Wife Refutes the Allegations
Details have been hush-hush in Greek police but it has been reported that in recent years, the custody battle between Jeziorski and his ex-wife had turned bitter.
Ta Nea asserts that the professor was dreaming of taking his children to his native place of Gdynia, Poland, during the summer. This plan had been opposed by his ex-wife.
The ex-wife of Jeziorski, through her attorney, has refused all the accusations, saying that she was not involved in the murder of her ex-husband. However, police are handling her as one of the key suspects in the unfolding case.
The Greek police have not made any statement in regard to motives behind the crime, but a source close to the investigation informed local media that the killing was a very well-planned one.
Children Destroyed
His family back in Poland is devastated by the news of the death of Jeziorski. His brother, Lukasz Jeziorski, made a touching statement, expressing the sorrow of losing a brother who was also a great scholar and a very caring father.
Przemek adored his children and defended them till the end. It is something he did not need to pay dearly to be a part of, as it is what he said in a statement that CNN quoted:
He said the 10-year-old children belonging to the couple are currently under the custody of Greek child protection agencies.
The family is collaborating with the Polish and U.S. embassies in Athens to make sure that the children are safe and can be returned to their extended family.
“Their well-being and getting them back in touch to family is our first priority: to reduce the trauma that has already occurred to them,” Łukasz explained.
UC Berkeley Saddened with the Death of a Loved Professor
At Berkeley, jeziorski demise has left a ripple effect in the college community. Zsolt Katona, another professor at Haas School of Business, said in a publicly posted statement that Jeziorski was a genius who had a heart to match.
Katona said, speaking of his influence in the marketing field and not just on his research but on his kindness and his presence. He would never hesitate in helping or giving valuable suggestions to the colleague and students.
His peers recall Jeziorski as an enthusiastic teacher who showed his students his love of economics and marketing strategy. He has a long academic legacy and a gap that his colleagues say will be so difficult to fill.
International Campaign against Injustice
Another subject is the justice of Jeziorski and the safe release of his children to their relatives to which family, friends, and colleagues are now interested.
A fundraising campaign is already organized online to meet the costs of the funeral and support legal actions in Greece.
His brother Lukasz described it as a nightmare that they could not wake up on the fundraising page. We are, however, bent at upholding his memory and safeguarding his children.
In the meantime, Greek law enforcement agencies are still investigating, and the suspects, including the former wife of Jeziorski, are likely to be tried.
With his loved ones grieving, the wider scholarly and global community pays close attention, with anticipation that justice will be served in what is being described as a senseless and heartbreaking tragedy.
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