Greek Police Arrest Five in Murder of UC Berkeley Professor Przemyslaw Jeziorski, Including Ex-Wife and Her Partner

Przemyslaw Jeziorski, 43, an economist and professor of marketing at UC Berkeley, was shot multiple times on July 4 in a suburb of Athens

Greek authorities have arrested five individuals in connection with the July 4 shooting death of UC Berkeley professor Przemyslaw Jeziorski in Athens, including his ex-wife and her current partner. Jeziorski, a 43-year-old economist and professor of marketing at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, was in Greece to visit his children and attend a custody hearing when he was gunned down in a residential neighborhood.

The suspects include two Greek nationals—Jeziorski’s ex-wife, Konstantina “Nadia” Michelidaki, 43, and her current partner, a 35-year-old man—along with two Albanian nationals and one Bulgarian. All five are expected to testify before a Greek prosecutor on Thursday morning. Michelidaki denies any involvement in the killing, according to her legal team.

The fatal shooting took place in Agia Paraskevi, a suburb of Athens, near Michelidaki’s residence, just one day after Jeziorski attended a court hearing concerning the custody of his two children. According to police reports, a masked man dressed in black approached the professor on foot and opened fire at close range around 4:15 p.m., hitting him multiple times in the neck and chest. Seven bullet casings from a 9mm handgun were recovered at the scene. Witnesses described hearing multiple gunshots and seeing the masked assailant flee on foot.

Greek police confirmed that Jeziorski had no criminal record in the country. His death shocked both the academic and international communities.

Jeziorski was shot in a residential suburb of Athens on July 4 while visiting the Greek capital to see his children and attend a family custody hearing

Jeziorski’s children, U.S. and Polish citizens aged ten, are now under the protection of Greek child custody services. “Our primary concern is their safety and well-being,” said his brother, Łukasz Jeziorski, in a statement. “Przemek loved his children and fought for them until the end. He paid the heaviest price, unnecessarily, for this.”

The family revealed that Jeziorski had plans to bring his children to his hometown of Gdynia, Poland, for the summer. “This death and the circumstances surrounding it remain impossible for us to accept, but we find some measure of comfort knowing that progress is being made toward justice,” the statement added. They also expressed gratitude to Greek authorities, the U.S. Consulate in Athens, and the Polish Consulate for supporting the children’s welfare.

In addition to their existing U.S. and Polish citizenship, the children had also applied for Greek citizenship and were awaiting a decision, according to Michelidaki’s lawyer.

Jeziorski’s family has launched a fundraiser to cover legal costs in Greece and repatriate his remains to Poland. UC Berkeley issued a statement honoring his contributions, describing him as a professor who had “a passion for teaching” and taught data analytics to more than 1,500 graduate and PhD students over 13 years. The dean of the Haas School of Business, Jenny Chatman, called him a “beloved member” of the faculty and expressed deep sorrow at his loss.

In addition to his academic work, Jeziorski was also the co-founder of Keybee, a short-term rental property management startup, which he founded with Michelidaki.