Przemyslaw “Przemek” Jeziorski, a respected UC Berkeley professor and father of two, was shot and killed in Greece on July 4 in what authorities describe as a broad daylight execution.
Jeziorski, 43, was gunned down outside the Athens home of his ex-wife, near where his two children live. The Polish-born scholar was in Greece for a custody hearing, according to both Greek media and U.S. outlets.
Greek police confirmed that Jeziorski was shot five times in the chest and neck at close range by a masked gunman. The suspect fled on foot, and surveillance footage reportedly shows a car waiting nearby.
“Our family is heartbroken,” Jeziorski’s brother, Łukasz, wrote on the crowdfunding platform WhyDonate. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that justice is served.”
A Scholar’s Life Cut Short
Jeziorski had been a part of UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business since 2012, serving as an associate professor of marketing since 2018. His academic focus included marketing science, industrial organization, and data analytics.
According to his biography, Jeziorski studied at institutions such as the SGH Warsaw School of Economics, University of Chicago, University of Arizona, and Stanford University. He also taught at Johns Hopkins University and was a visiting scholar at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
Outside of academia, Jeziorski worked as a research intern at Microsoft and co-founded Keybee, a platform helping Americans find short-term rentals.
“He loved teaching and sharing his passion for the intricacies of marketing analytics,” his brother shared.
His colleagues also paid tribute, including Zsolt Katona, who called the killing a “senseless tragedy”.
“Przemek was an amazing person, a friend, a colleague,” Katona said. “The Marketing Group and the entire Haas Community are mourning this tragic loss.”
Berkeley Haas Dean Jennifer Chatman added in a statement:
“We are heartbroken by news of the tragic and sudden death of Professor Przemyslaw Jeziorski. My heart goes out to Przemek’s family and loved ones.”
Family’s Double Tragedy
The Jeziorski family had suffered another loss just weeks before Przemek’s death. His father passed away on June 4.
“We barely started to get over it,” Łukasz said in a Facebook post.
Investigation Ongoing, Suspect Still at Large
Greek authorities are actively investigating the murder. As of now, no arrests have been made, and officials are working to determine whether the attack was targeted.
Jeziorski’s ex-wife, who returned to Greece six years ago after their divorce, is cooperating with the investigation. According to Greek newspaper Zougla, she told police she did not know anyone who would want to harm him.
The masked gunman was described as tall and athletic, but police have not released further identifying details.
Greek media have reported the attack as a “horrific execution” and a “terrible crime” that shocked both the local and academic communities.