Custody Battle Turns Deadly: Five Charged in UC Berkeley Professor’s Murder in Greece

 

Five individuals, including the ex-wife of a University of California at Berkeley marketing professor Przemyslaw Jeziorski, appeared in a Greek court on Monday in connection with his fatal shooting in Athens on July 4. The suspects—Jeziorski’s ex-wife, her current partner, and three alleged accomplices—face serious charges ranging from premeditated murder to moral complicity.

Jeziorski, 43, was in Greece to visit his twin children and attend a custody hearing when he was gunned down near his ex-wife’s residence in the suburb of Agia Paraskevi. According to police, the masked shooter fired multiple rounds at close range before fleeing the scene. Six bullet casings were recovered.

Authorities allege that the ex-wife’s partner confessed to the killing, citing fears that Jeziorski would take the children to the U.S. permanently. The ex-wife denies any involvement, though she is accused of orchestrating the attack. The other three suspects—one Bulgarian and two Albanian nationals—are believed to have assisted in planning and executing the ambush.

The case has shocked both the academic community and the public, with UC Berkeley mourning the loss of a respected scholar known for his work in digital markets and data analytics. A prosecutor will soon determine whether the suspects will remain in custody pending trial.