On the morning of July 4, an American advertising professor was strolling in direction of his ex-wife’s home in Athens to select up their two younger kids. It ought to have been an unremarkable, if strained go to – the couple had apparently been disputing the phrases of custody preparations.
However Przemyslaw Jeziorski by no means made it to the entrance door.
In broad daylight, on this sometimes quiet, suburban neighborhood of Greece’s capital, he was shot a number of instances at shut vary, in keeping with police. Jeziorski died the place he fell, police stated, his physique riddled with gunshot wounds seen in grim images taken within the rapid aftermath.
As eyewitnesses rushed to his help, the masked gunman fled.
The alleged perpetrator, arrested 12 days later : His ex-wife’s new companion. The motive, he advised police: to forestall Jeziorski from taking away her kids.
“I did all of it for (her) and our youngsters in order that we might have a traditional life with out issues,” he stated, in keeping with a transcript of a press release he made to police within the aftermath of his arrest for premeditated homicide in addition to unlawful possession and use of a weapon.
One of the crucial outstanding elements of the case is that the statements made to police by the alleged perpetrators have been broadly leaked to Greek media, together with a CNN affiliate, CNN Greece. The statements, verified as genuine by a senior police supply talking to CNN, provide an perception into how the alleged homicide plot was put collectively, why it was undertaken, and supply clues as to who could have recognized what, and when. However there are key questions unresolved, too – not least the position, if any, of Jeziorski’s ex-wife.
In line with Greek police, she is dealing with ethical confederate fees, which she denies, in keeping with her lawyer, who spoke to CNN. Like all of the suspects on this case, her identification is understood to CNN however can’t be printed resulting from Greek authorized restrictions.
The alleged perpetrator’s confession, and different conflicting accounts from three alleged accomplices that have been additionally leaked to the press, units up what’s prone to be a prolonged and high-profile trial.
In the meantime, the killing and the aftermath have shocked the family and friends of the sufferer, who say Jeziorski was a form and introverted tutorial who cherished his kids.
Jeziorski, 43, who glided by the nickname Przemek or “PJ,” was an economist and tenured professor of selling on the College of California Berkeley’s Haas College of Enterprise. He was born in Poland and moved to america in 2004 to check economics and math on the College of Arizona, and he went on to acquire his PhD from Stanford.
“He was one of many sharpest individuals I’ve ever met,” stated Robert Kowalski, the sufferer’s pal from Stanford. “He was a fantastic man, a genius in lots of regards.”
UC Berkeley professor Przemyslaw Jeziorski pictured along with his pal, Robert Kowalski, in an undated picture. – Courtesy Robert Kowalski
UC Berkeley stated in a press release that Jeziorski “had a ardour for educating” and through his 13 years on the California college, he taught knowledge analytics abilities to greater than 1,500 graduate and PhD college students. His analysis work centered on rising markets, which took him world wide for discipline analysis, and Berkeley described him as “a number one knowledgeable in quantitative advertising, industrial group, and the economics of digital markets.”
The dean of UC Berkeley’s enterprise faculty, Jenny Chatman, stated she was “heartbroken” by the loss of life of Jeziorski, who she described as a “beloved member of our advertising school.”
Custody battle
Jeziorski met his ex-wife – a Greek nationwide – in San Francisco in 2013, they usually bought married the next 12 months, in keeping with Kowalski. The couple’s twins have been born shortly after.
In 2015, the couple co-founded a start-up known as Keybee, a short-term rental property administration platform.
It’s unclear what led to their relationship falling aside, however Kowalski advised CNN the couple broke up round 2020 after transferring to Greece in the course of the Covid pandemic.
Their kids are twin US and Polish residents, in keeping with a press release from the sufferer’s brother. The youngsters had utilized for Greek citizenship and have been awaiting a choice on that, in keeping with the ex-wife’s lawyer.
Jeziorski filed for divorce in June 2021, in keeping with California courtroom information.
It seems to be one component in a years-long custody battle for the youngsters, who finally lived with their mom in Greece, with a provision that their father, Jeziorski, might take the youngsters for one month each summer time.
Photos launched by mates of Przemyslaw Jeziorski present him along with his twin 10-year-old kids, who have been dwelling in Greece with their mom. – Chemtai Mungo
In line with Kowalski, Jeziorski requested in the course of the custody battle that his kids attend an American faculty in Greece, in order that they might be capable to attend highschool or school within the US sooner or later.
However his ex-wife was afraid of dropping the youngsters a lot sooner, in keeping with the assertion to police from the principal suspect, her boyfriend.
“We have been afraid that he (Jeziorski) would find yourself taking the youngsters utterly. That may utterly end off (my girlfriend), who was overly keen on them. This summer time Przemek needed to take the youngsters and take them to America. However (my girlfriend) didn’t agree and so she went again to courtroom with Przemek,” the suspect stated, in keeping with the testimony transcript.
On July 3, a custody judgement dominated that Jeziorski was certainly allowed to take the youngsters for a month.
Conflicting confessions
“A month and a half in the past I made the choice to finish this torment we have been experiencing as soon as and for all,” the suspect advised police, including that it was a “good alternative” provided that Jeziorski was in Athens to attend the custody listening to.
The assertion particulars how the suspect says he purchased a pistol greater than a month in the past and requested a pal, who’s from Bulgaria, to assist him “discover Przemek and scare him in order that he wouldn’t take our youngsters away from us.”
He stated all of it started in Nafplio, a coastal metropolis about two hours from Athens, “in order that it might seem that I used to be there” and his cellphone would “go away traces.”
The suspect stated that that he, his pal and two others – a person and a teen from Albania – he paid drove to Athens and waited on the identical road because the ex-wife’s home, the place the suspect stated he knew Jeziorski was coming that afternoon to select up the youngsters. “I approached him and shot him a couple of instances, however I don’t bear in mind what number of instances,” he stated.
In line with the assertion, the boys had rented a grey Porsche Cayenne as a getaway automobile, however the homicide suspect advised police that his accomplices left him on the scene after they noticed him shoot the sufferer.
Police stated Jeziorski died on the scene, the place seven bullet casings have been discovered after a masked gunman shot him within the neck and chest.
The three unnamed males who allegedly helped, two Albanian nationals and a Bulgarian nationwide, are dealing with confederate fees, police introduced Thursday. The suspected accomplices – one in every of whom is a minor – have confessed to their peripheral involvement within the killing, a Greek police supply advised CNN on Thursday. CNN has been unable to achieve attorneys for these males.
Greek police lead the ex-wife of murdered UC Berkeley professor Przemyslaw Jeziorski to courtroom in Athens on Thursday morning, alongside her new boyfriend and three others alleged to be concerned within the Polish educator’s taking pictures on July 4. CNN has added blur to this picture. – CNN Greece
“My consumer has confessed his actions however as you’ll be able to see from the simplicity of a few of the issues that came about this was not an organized plan. His accomplices solely knew a few plan to scare him (the sufferer) so he would avoid the youngsters,” the primary suspect’s lawyer, Ermis Papoutsis, advised CNN. “(The ex-wife), his companion, knew nothing about any of this.”
“My consumer had come to me prior to now to hunt recommendation. He had stated his companion’s ex-husband had severe alcoholism points and that he and the mom have been apprehensive about permitting entry to the youngsters. He needed to see if there was one thing he might legally do about limiting entry,” the lawyer added. “Now he’s utterly devastated after what occurred. We’ll ask for a psychiatric examination as a result of he has had some points prior to now.”
Jeziorski’s mates have denied the allegations that he abused alcohol.
On Friday, CNN Greece obtained the police testimony of the alleged confederate from Bulgaria, which contradicts the account of the alleged gunman. On this account, the alleged confederate claims the sufferer’s ex-wife had “organized the entire thing.”
He described his pal, the perpetrator, acquiring a gun after which asking “me to search out some individuals to take him to Athens the following day to scare and threaten the Pole in order that he would ‘again down’ on custody of the youngsters.”
“In reality, from what he advised me, (the ex-wife) made him do it as a result of she didn’t wish to give the youngsters to the Pole,” the confederate stated within the testimony,” including that the perpetrator supplied him hundreds of euros after he “did one thing we hadn’t agreed on.”
As for the ex-wife – her lawyer has stated that she maintains her innocence.
“She has nothing to do with the homicide. She had no prior information of the entire thing. She occurred to be the assassin’s girlfriend,” the ex-wife’s lawyer, Alexandros Pasiatas, advised CNN on Monday. “Now, a very powerful (factor) is that she is terrified about the way forward for her kids, as a result of she thinks that she could lose them.”
Exterior the courtroom, Pasiatas stated: “Primarily based on the case file and what we are going to current each in our written submission and in the course of the oral proceedings in the primary inquiry, we are going to spotlight the important thing factors that show she had completely no involvement.”
For causes which are unclear, nothing from her statements to police have made their solution to the Greek media.
‘Our household is heartbroken’
In the meantime, the sufferer’s household are coping with the aftermath of an unimaginable tragedy. The sufferer’s brother stated in a press release that “our household is heartbroken,” however grateful to Greek police and safety professionals who made the arrests.
“Przemek’s ten-year-old kids, who’re US and Polish residents, at the moment are below care in accordance with Greek baby custody procedures,” the sufferer’s brother Łukasz Jeziorski stated in a press release. “Our main concern is their security and wellbeing, and serving to them reconnect with their household to reduce the trauma they’ve already endured.”
Jeziorski’s household began a web-based fundraiser to repatriate his stays to his native Poland and pay for authorized illustration in Greece.
A US State Division spokesperson advised CNN the company is offering consular help to the household.
Photos launched by mates of Przemyslaw Jeziorski present him over time. – Chemtai Mungo
On Monday, the 5 suspects have been showing in individual in courtroom for his or her plea, in keeping with Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, the lawyer representing the sufferer’s household. The 4 males and the ex-wife have been remanded in custody pending the trial. A trial date will probably be set at a later stage, Dimitrakopoulos advised CNN.
“The sufferer’s mom and brother will take sole custody of the youngsters,” Dimitrakopoulos advised Greek media on Friday. The lawyer stated that “we’ve talked to the prosecutor for minors in order that the sufferer’s mother and brother can get full custody of the youngsters and dwell with them in Poland, the place they’re now.”
“They’ve the chance to lift them in a loving surroundings, in a totally protecting surroundings,” Dimitrakopoulos stated, including that “if the mom is acquitted, as a result of we respect the presumption of innocence, then she has the suitable to request sole custody of her kids.”
CNN’s Amy Croffey and Chris Dos Santos contributed to this report.
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