A decades-old murder on Chicago's Gold Coast has finally been brought to justice. David Barklow, 68, was formally charged with first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of his neighbor, Kent Projansky, 40, inside a high-rise apartment building on Dearborn Street back in December 2004.
The case had gone cold, with investigators unable to crack it despite finding some crucial fingerprints that linked Barklow to the crime scene. However, after being added to a state project for unsolved homicides in 2017, new leads emerged, and police were finally able to track down Barklow, who was living in Peru at the time.
According to prosecutors, Barklow knew Projansky and lived in a neighboring building, but instead of turning himself in, he fled the country. He evaded arrest for over 20 years, traveling to Canada, Sweden, and eventually Peru before being detained at an airport in Lima earlier this year. He was extradited back to Illinois and made his first court appearance last week.
The case has finally brought closure to Projansky's family, who had been left to pick up the pieces of their lives after losing a loved one to such a senseless act of violence. "My office will never stop working to seek justice for victims and their families, no matter how much time has passed," said Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke.
The Chicago Police Department, along with federal agencies like the FBI and DOJ, played a crucial role in solving the case, which had been shrouded in mystery for over two decades. "I am grateful to the Chicago Police Department for its thorough investigation of this case, and for crucial support from the DOJ, the FBI, and Peruvian authorities who helped ensure that the defendant would face these charges in Cook County," Burke added.
Barklow was formally ordered detained until trial, a move that many are hopeful will bring some sense of justice to Projansky's family.
The case had gone cold, with investigators unable to crack it despite finding some crucial fingerprints that linked Barklow to the crime scene. However, after being added to a state project for unsolved homicides in 2017, new leads emerged, and police were finally able to track down Barklow, who was living in Peru at the time.
According to prosecutors, Barklow knew Projansky and lived in a neighboring building, but instead of turning himself in, he fled the country. He evaded arrest for over 20 years, traveling to Canada, Sweden, and eventually Peru before being detained at an airport in Lima earlier this year. He was extradited back to Illinois and made his first court appearance last week.
The case has finally brought closure to Projansky's family, who had been left to pick up the pieces of their lives after losing a loved one to such a senseless act of violence. "My office will never stop working to seek justice for victims and their families, no matter how much time has passed," said Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke.
The Chicago Police Department, along with federal agencies like the FBI and DOJ, played a crucial role in solving the case, which had been shrouded in mystery for over two decades. "I am grateful to the Chicago Police Department for its thorough investigation of this case, and for crucial support from the DOJ, the FBI, and Peruvian authorities who helped ensure that the defendant would face these charges in Cook County," Burke added.
Barklow was formally ordered detained until trial, a move that many are hopeful will bring some sense of justice to Projansky's family.
and now he's gonna face justice 
for killin that dude Kent Projansky back in 2004 
. I feel so bad for Projansky's fam, they must be relieved finally get some answers 
. The cops did an amazing job trackin him down with those fingerprints lol 
. Now let's hope Barklow gets what's comin to him 
. Justice is finally served 
and it's a huge relief 4 Projansky's fam and the whole Chicago community 
. Can't wait for the trial tho 
20 yrs is way too long for someone to evade justice, especially when they know the victim! #JusticeForKent #ColdCaseSolved 
The fact that new leads came in after being added to a state project in 2017 shows you never give up on seeking answers 
#NeverGiveUpOnJustice #FBI & DOJ did an amazing job working together to bring David Barklow to justice 
#ChicagoPoliceDepartment # closureForTheProjanskyFamily 
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The Chicago PD, FBI, DOJ, and Peruvian authorities all played a huge role in solving this case 
It's not just about catching the bad guy, it's also about bringing closure to the victims' families 
My heart goes out to Projansky's family, I hope they can finally find some peace of mind 
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. I hope that the formal detention of Barklow will bring some semblance of resolution to the family and provide them with a sense of vindication 
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! The case may have gone cold, but determination and perseverance led to the truth coming out in the end. It's a great reminder that even after 20 years, justice can still be found, and it shows that the system truly works 
. The investigators must've worked their butts off to track down Barklow all these years... good on 'em! 
federal agencies like fbi and DOJ also played a huge role in this case so kudos to them too 
it's crazy how one person's actions can affect so many people for so long. anyway, glad to see the state's attorney is still committed to finding justice, even after all these years 
finally! After all those years it took for justice to be served. I mean, 20+ yrs in hiding and the guy thought he could just live life as normal? No way! 