Woman Found Guilty of Poisoning Friend with Eye Drops

A Wisconsin woman has been found guilty of poisoning her friend with eye drops, officials announced Tuesday.

A jury found 39-year-old Jessy Kurczewski guilty of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of theft in the 2018 murder of her family friend Lynn Hernan, Waukesha County District Attorney's office said in a press release.

Hernan was found dead in her Pewaukee condo in October 2018 with crushed medication on her chest. According to a criminal complaint, Kurczewski called the police and said her friend wasn't conscious or breathing. Kurczewski said she was a family friend and had been checking on Hernan daily. She had said there was a possibility Hernan was suicidal.

The Waukesha County medical examiner ruled Hernan's death a homicide after discovering tetrahydrozoline, an ingredient in Visine, in Hernan's system.

When investigators told Kurczewski that Hernan was poisoned and the scene was staged to look like a suicide, she said it was what Hernan wanted and she must have staged her suicide, according to the complaint. Kurczewski later told investigators she brought Hernan a water bottle loaded with six bottles' worth of Visine, according to the complaint.

Detectives also eventually concluded Kurczewski stole $290,000 from Hernan.

Verdict Reached in Hernan's Case

After a long and arduous trial, a verdict has been reached in the case of Lynn Hernan. Prosecutors have expressed their satisfaction with the outcome and offered their condolences to Hernan's family.

"The verdict today is a significant step towards closure for those who grieve for Lynn, and it sends a clear message to the community that our society will not tolerate the intentional act of taking someone's life," stated Abbey Nickolie, the county's deputy district attorney.

The defendant, whose name has been redacted, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2023. The homicide charge carries a mandatory life sentence, and additional imprisonment of 10 years for each count of theft, as stated by prosecutors.