Nearly 21 years later, charges made in Chicago cold case murder: police

Man charged in 2004 cold case in Near North

A man, who was on the run, is arrested in connection to a murder that happened more than two decades ago in the city's near north neighborhood.

CHICAGO - Chicago Police have secured murder charges against a suspect who fled the country during an investigation in 2004.

On Saturday, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office filed first-degree murder charges against the suspect.

What we know:

On Dec. 18, 2004, Kent Projansky, 40, was found by a friend inside his apartment on the 30th floor in the 1100 block of N. Dearborn in the Near North neighborhood. He had been shot and killed. There was no sign of the apartment being ransacked.

Officers responded to the incident immediately and began processing evidence, including two shell casings found near the victim.

 Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Projansky sustained a gunshot wound to the back of his head, one to his left upper eyelid that included gunshot stippling, a gunshot wound to the left side of  the face that showed evidence of close-range firing, a contact gunshot wound to his lower lip and a gunshot wound to his left shoulder.

Three days later, a construction worker found a duffel bag found inside a garbage can on the Northwest Side that contained bloody clothes, a box of ammunition, and a firearm that matched the firearm used in Projansky's murder.

Now-retired Police Officer Christopher Lappe notified detectives about the possible connection. The evidence was processed, and a link was determined between the two cases.

Detectives assigned to the case were unable to find a suspect with the evidence, and the case went cold.

In 2017, now-retired Detective James Browne took another look at the case. He resubmitted all evidence to be processed, and, due to new technology, a suspect was identified.

David Barklow, who knew Projansky and had lived across the street from him at the time of the murder, was identified as the offender.

David Barklow, 68 (Chicago Police Department)

Barklow was arrested on Oct. 16, 2019, but he was released without charges while detectives waited for confirmation of a forensic link.

The lab was able to confirm a link between Barklow, the firearm and clothing found inside the recovered duffel. Blood inside the duffel was also matched to the victim.

While detectives continued the investigation, Barklow fled the country in December 2019, first to Canada, then to Sweden, and then his location became unclear. In early 2022, detectives learned that Barklow had moved to Ecuador.

An arrest warrant was secured for first degree murder and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

In April 2025, Investigative Response Team Detectives John Campbell and Jeff Rodenberg learned that Barklow had traveled from Ecuador to Lima, Peru.

Now 68, Barklow was extradited and arrived in Chicago on Friday.

He has been charged with one felony count of first-degree murder and one issuance of a warrant.

What's next:

Barklow's next court hearing is scheduled for Saturday.