After more than two decades since a Gold Coast murder left the city shaken, justice may finally be on the horizon. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office has charged David Barklow, 68, with first-degree murder for the 2004 killing of Kent Projansky. This development comes following Barklow's extradition from Peru, as detailed in a recent release from the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.
Barklow was located and detained at an airport in Lima on April 17, 2025, and brought back to face the court in Cook County on November 15. The case, once cold, saw new life when a state project for unsolved homicides matched latent fingerprints from the crime scene to Barklow. Assistant State's Attorneys Katie Siefert and Krystyn Dilillo will handle the prosecution. "My office will never stop working to seek justice for victims and their families, no matter how much time has passed," State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke stated.
The victim, Kent Projansky, was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside his apartment on North Dearborn Street back in December 2004. A construction worker later discovered a duffel bag with the murder weapon, bloodstained clothing, and an ammunition box 14 miles from the crime scene. Despite the fingerprints on those items, the leads ran dry until the state project picked up the case in 2017, as recounted by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.
The prosecution claims Barklow knew the victim and lived nearby at the time of the murder. After his initial questioning, he fled first to Canada, then to Sweden, and later his trail had gone cold. An arrest warrant was issued in Cook County in April 2022, followed by a federal warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Cooperation between the DOJ’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. State Department, and Peruvian authorities was instrumental in Barklow’s capture and extradition.
Looking ahead, the court proceedings will likely shed more light on a case that haunted the Gold Coast community for over 20 years. As the trial unfolds, many will be watching for signs of a closure long overdue for the family of Kent Projansky and the city at large. For those seeking more information, the CCSAO communications office has provided details and will continue update as they become available.
