On July 4, Przemyslaw Jeziorski, a 43-year-old UC Berkeley professor, was shot multiple times outside his ex-wife’s home in a suburb of Athens while he was on his way to pick up their two children.
Greek police said the gunman fled the scene as bystanders tried to help. Jeziorski, a respected economist and academic, died at the location.
Greek authorities later arrested the suspect—his ex-wife’s current partner—who reportedly confessed to the shooting.
According to a police transcript leaked to local media, the man said he wanted to prevent Jeziorski from gaining custody of the children.
He claimed he acted to protect his relationship and avoid further disputes over the children’s living arrangements.
The investigation led to the arrest of four more people, including Jeziorski’s ex-wife. Three of the suspects—two Albanian nationals and one Bulgarian—are accused of helping in the plan.
One of the accomplices told police the murder was not part of the original plan, which was only meant to scare Jeziorski.
A conflicting account by the Bulgarian suspect claims the victim’s ex-wife was the one who coordinated the plot. She denies any involvement.
Jeziorski, originally from Poland, had lived in the U.S. since 2004. He earned his PhD from Stanford and taught at UC Berkeley for 13 years.
Friends and family describe him as a caring father and dedicated teacher. He had been in a long custody dispute with his ex-wife, who lived in Greece with their twin children.
A court ruling the day before the murder granted him permission to take the children for a summer visit.
The five suspects are expected to appear in court to enter pleas.
Meanwhile, Jeziorski’s children are under protective custody in Greece, with plans for them to be placed with their paternal grandmother and uncle in Poland.