In a dramatic turn of events, a man has been apprehended in Chicago more than two decades after a murder took place in the city’s downtown area. This arrest follows an extensive international search for the suspect.

The individual in question, 68-year-old David Barklow, was extradited to Chicago from South America on Friday, according to police reports.

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Barklow is accused of fatally shooting Kent Projansky, who was 40 years old at the time, on December 18, 2004. The incident occurred inside Projansky’s apartment, located on the 1100 block of N. Dearborn in Chicago’s Near North neighborhood.

Investigations revealed that Barklow lived directly across the street from Projansky at the time of the murder. On October 16, 2019, the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Barklow after piecing together evidence from the prolonged investigation.

Despite being in custody, Barklow managed to escape the country in December 2019. It was only in early 2022 that authorities discovered he had relocated to Ecuador, leading to his eventual capture and extradition back to the United States.

Police secured an arrest warrant for Barklow for First Degree Murder and Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution.

In April 2025, detectives learned from INTERPOL that Barklow traveled from Ecuador to Peru, CPD said. “The U.S. Department of Justice, the DOJ’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. State Department, the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru and Peruvian authorities” worked together to arrest Barklow.

The suspect is now back in Chicago and has been charged with one felony count of First-Degree Murder, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said. It was not yet announced when he will appear in court.

“This investigation highlights the relentless work of CPD’s homicide detectives,” the Chicago Police Department said in a statement. “No matter how many years passed, detectives continued to work the case until this offender was in custody. They were determined to pursue justice for Projansky and bring a small measure of closure to his family, who for more than two decades, grieved knowing the offender responsible for the murder of their loved one was living freely. CPD’s detectives will continue to pursue justice, just as they did in this case, for all who have been victimized and traumatized by violence.”

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