The identity of the murdered Polish professor in Agia Paraskevi is slowly coming to light, but the motives behind his execution remain shrouded in mystery. The 43-year-old university lecturer from Berkeley, USA, had traveled from his permanent residence in New Jersey to Greece for court appearances concerning visitation rights with his twin children, aged 10, whom he had with his Greek ex-wife, an economist.
Tragically, the professor was shot dead on Eirinis Street just hours before he was due to pick up the twins under the legal framework allowing him supervised access.
His former spouse was the one who identified his body after realizing he had not arrived to collect the children. Upon reading news of a murder in Agia Paraskevi, she reported his disappearance to the police at GADA headquarters. After being shown photographs and video footage by investigators, she confirmed her ex-husband’s identity and proceeded to give an eight-hour testimony during which she stated she had no idea who could be responsible for the cold-blooded killing.
She even handed over her mobile phone to homicide detectives to assist in verifying her claims that she knew nothing about the masked killer or his motives.
The couple met around ten years ago when the Greek economist traveled to the United States for postgraduate studies. Their connection began via Facebook, and within two months they were married and expecting twins. However, what started as a passionate romance soon turned into a toxic relationship marked by alcoholism and violent outbursts from the professor.
There were numerous incidents of domestic abuse, including attacks not only against his wife but also directed at their children. At one point, while caring for the twins during a month-long visit in the U.S., he reportedly left them unattended on a park bench for two days after consuming excessive amounts of alcohol—so intoxicated that acquaintances said he couldn’t even remember his own name.
In a bizarre twist, the couple once vacationed in North Korea. Eventually, six years ago, the economist managed to escape across the Atlantic with her children and return to Greece.
Back in Athens on June 27, the professor rented an Airbnb on Kanari Street in Kolonaki. His purpose in visiting was twofold: to see his children and to attend court hearings regarding child custody arrangements.
On the fateful Friday, both parents took the twins to a child psychologist, where they remained for approximately two and a half hours. Later, the professor returned to Kolonaki, agreeing to meet again at 4 p.m. in Agia Paraskevi to retrieve the children.
At 4:15 p.m., as he walked along Eirinis Street, a masked man approached and fatally shot him five times.