By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-20 17:46:13 | Updated at 2024-11-23 21:19:15
3 days ago
A prominent doctor who was shot dead in a leafy Chicago suburb in a domestic-related incident told her friends she had to make a 'quick stop' before she was murdered.
Endocrinologist Olga Duchon, 42, died of a single gunshot to the chest and the father of her child, William R. Zientek, 46, has been charged with murder.
The shooting unfolded on Sunday at a townhouse on the 400 block of W. Russell Street in Barrington, a quiet northwest Chicago suburb.
Duchon had just delivered a speech to the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America in the nearby suburb of Wheeling when she stopped by the home.
Her family said they planned to celebrate her keynote after the event, but she told them she briefly needed to speak to the father of her young daughter first.
'She said, 'ladies, just go ahead. Wait for me. I need to make a quick stop, and I'll come join.' And she never did,' longtime family friend Yuliya Abushevich told ABC7.
Another doctor at the Illinois conference, Dr. Maria Hrycelak, said Duchon had been scheduled to speak for 40 minutes on Sunday, but her oration was so well-received she ended up spending an hour and a half on the lectern.
Hrycelak described her as 'knowledgeable to the max,' adding to ABC7, 'I mean she was so interactive with the audience.'
Endocrinologist Olga Duchon (pictured), 42, died of a single gunshot to the chest on Sunday. (Pictured: Duchon giving a speech to a Ukrainian medical association hours before she died)
William R. Zientek, 46, has been charged over the shooting death of doctor Olga Duchon
The doctor said she parted ways with Duchon, of Vernon Hills, at around 4 pm.
'Then, an hour and a half later, she's tragically killed,' Hrycelak told ABC7.
'Anybody who was there was just stunned because the connection that you got in that hour and a half of her talking was just, I can't explain it.'
Barrington Police Department were called to the scene of the shooting at around 5:40 pm, and found Duchon with a single gunshot wound to the chest.
She died at the Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital soon after.
Duchon's heartbroken relatives said she met Zientek several years ago, and filed an order of protection against him in November 2021 - though this order was terminated.
Abushevich told ABC7 friends and family had been excited to celebrated Duchon's upcoming 43rd birthday.
'I just can't believe, we're preparing for her birthday together, that she won't be here for that.'
'She was an incredible mom, always reading, always taking her to museums, educating her beyond her age,'
The shooting unfolded on Sunday at a townhouse (pictured) on the 400 block of W. Russell Street in Barrington, a quiet northwest Chicago suburb
A fundraiser has been launched for Duchon's four-year-old daughter Isla
'She was an incredible mom, always reading, always taking her to museums, educating her beyond her age,' friends said of Olga Duchon. (Pictured: Duchon with her four-year-old daughter)
Barrington Police Department were called to the scene of the shooting at around 5:40 pm, and found Duchon with a single gunshot wound to the chest
A fundraiser has been launched for Duchon's four-year-old daughter Isla, and has garnered $16,000 toward its $50,000 goal.
'Olga was not just a respected doctor; she was a beacon of hope and healing for people around her,' the page reads.
'Her exceptional skills and heartfelt compassion made her a trusted figure among her patients and a source of pride for her family.
'Tragically, Olga's life was cut short by an act of domestic violence, a harrowing reminder of the dangers many face in silence.
'Her loss is not just a personal tragedy; it highlights the urgent need to confront and address domestic violence in our communities.'
Barrington Police said the shooting was part of a 'domestic-related incident between family members'. The investigation is ongoing.
Zientek is set to appear in court on Wednesday.
