After nearly 20 years, a long-dormant Near North murder case has circled back dramatically. A 68-year-old man extradited from Peru is now charged with first-degree murder in the 2004 shooting of his neighbor inside a North Dearborn apartment, according to Chicago police. Authorities say David Barklow has been identified in the killing of 40-year-old Kent Projansky, who was found dead in his unit in December 2004. The arrest caps years of cold-case work and an international search to get the suspect back into a Cook County courtroom.
Police say Barklow was found in Peru and brought back to Chicago on Friday with help from federal agencies and foreign partners, according to FOX 32 Chicago. Investigators say he left the United States in late 2019, and was later traced first to Ecuador, then to Peru, before authorities moved ahead with the extradition this year.
Evidence That Reopened The Case
In the days after Projansky was killed, investigators recovered a duffel bag from a Northwest Side dumpster that contained bloody clothing and an unloaded .32-caliber revolver. That weapon was later tied to ballistic evidence recovered in Projansky’s apartment, according to CBS Chicago. The case then went cold for years.
That changed in 2017, when a retired detective pulled the file back off the shelf and resubmitted latent evidence to the Illinois State Police crime lab. Updated forensic testing eventually produced what investigators say was a match to Barklow, who at the time of the killing lived across the street from Projansky.
How Investigators Tracked Him Down
According to ABC7 Chicago, U.S. Marshals first arrested Barklow in October 2019. He was released, however, while detectives waited for final confirmation from the crime lab. Once the forensic link was confirmed, authorities secured arrest warrants and launched a wider effort to bring him back.
Investigators then worked with INTERPOL, the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, and officials in Peru to locate, detain, and extradite Barklow. That multi-country effort ended with his return to Chicago to face the murder charge tied to the 2004 slaying.
Courthouse Scene And Family Reaction
At his first appearance in Cook County court on Saturday, a judge ordered Barklow held in custody. Projansky’s family members, who have waited nearly two decades for an arrest to stick, told reporters the ruling felt overdue, CBS Chicago reported.
Relatives said they learned in court that witnesses on the night of the killing reported hearing a gunshot and whispering. Prosecutors described the crime as an execution-style killing, a characterization that underscores how brutal investigators believe the attack was.
Legal Status And Next Steps
Cook County prosecutors have filed at least one felony count of first-degree murder against Barklow and cited what they describe as his unlawful flight from the United States in their extradition efforts, according to ABC7 Chicago. Pretrial motions and scheduling hearings are expected as both sides brace for what could be a lengthy prosecution of a case that started two decades ago.
Police say the arrest is another example of how advances in forensic testing, combined with persistent detective work, can breathe new life into long-stalled investigations. Detectives also praised the across-the-board cooperation from local, federal, and international partners that ultimately led to Barklow’s return, according to FOX 32 Chicago. Barklow remains in custody while prosecutors prepare their case, and Projansky’s family continues to carry a loss that has weighed on them for more than 20 years.
