Barrington man indicted on charge of first-degree murder in estranged girlfriend’s death

Cook County prosecutors Friday announced an indictment against a Barrington man charged with fatally shooting his estranged girlfriend last month.

William R. Zientek, 46, is charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 17 death of Vernon Hills endocrinologist Olga Duchon, who is the mother of their young child.

Zientek, who was remanded to Cook County jail, will be arraigned Jan. 9 in Rolling Meadows.

After inviting Duchon to his home for a discussion, prosecutors say Zientek struck her twice in the head with a baseball bat and shot her with a gun he had previously reported stolen.

Zientek attorney Thomas Glasgow claims his client acted in self-defense.

According to prosecutors, the couple was conversing in Zientek’s living room when he struck and shot her. Officers responding to Zientek’s 911 call found Duchon laying on her side with a child’s blanket over her. They recovered a 9 mm handgun, fired cartridges and a baseball bat. In the attached garage, officers found a backpack containing 9 mm bullets and an empty holster.

Glasgow said his client filed a report with Barrington police the day before the shooting alleging the former couple’s child was being molested by a relative.

Glasgow said Duchon had asked to come to Zientek’s house to see the child who is “the subject of a paternity action,” according to Glasgow. He added his client told Duchon he was filing a petition to remove the child from her.

During the conversation, Duchon pulled a weapon on Zientek who saw the weapon covered with a blanket, Glasgow said.

The child, who was present at the time of the shooting, told authorities Duchon “was holding a gun, pointing it at my client,” Glasgow said. The child repeated that statement to other individuals, he added.