Current:Home > ScamsWisconsin woman found guilty of fatally poisoning family friend with eye drops-LoTradeCoin
Wisconsin woman found guilty of fatally poisoning family friend with eye drops
View Date:2024-12-23 18:19:10
MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — A Wisconsin woman was convicted Tuesday of fatally poisoning a family friend's water bottle with eye drops and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from her.
Jessy Kurczewski, 39, of Franklin, Wisconsin, was accused of poisoning 62-year-old Lynn Hernan with Visine drops in 2018, according to a criminal complaint. Kurczewski was also accused of stealing nearly $300,000 from Hernan.
A Waukesha County jury found Kurczewski guilty Tuesday of one felony count of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of theft in connection to Hernan's death. Kurczewski faces mandatory life in prison for the homicide charge while the two theft charges carry a maximum of five years in prison for each.
Kurczewski had pleaded not guilty to the three charges in 2021. At the time of Kurczewski's arrest in 2019, she denied killing the victim, assisting or staging her death.
The defense did not speak with reporters following the verdict. Kurczewski’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 7.
Following the verdict, Waukesha County Deputy District Attorney Abbey Nickolie thanked the jury and witnesses for their efforts, saying the trial was “seeking justice for life that was unjustly taken.” She called the verdict “a step toward closure to all those who grieve Lynn.”
Anthony Pozza, a friend of Hernan who said she was more like an aunt, said said the ordeal has been “five years of stress,” but knew he had to be part of it for “Aunt Lynny.”
Former Mayo Clinic resident charged:A poison expert researched this drug before his wife died from it. Now he's facing prison.
Lynn Hernan was found dead on Oct. 3, 2018
On Oct. 3, 2018, Kurczewski called police and said her friend was not conscious or breathing, according to a criminal complaint filed in June 2021. Hernan was then found dead in her condo in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, with crushed medication on her chest and surrounded by prescription bottles.
Kurczewski told police that she was a family friend of the victim and her power of attorney, according to the complaint. She said there was "a possibility" that Hernan was suicidal.
Various medications were found in her system along with tetrahydrozoline, an ingredient found in Visine, according to toxicology reports. The Waukesha County medical examiner determined Hernan was poisoned and ruled the death a homicide.
Defense Attorney Donna Kuchler said Hernan’s death was due to a "polydrug overdose" ― a lethal mixture of various drugs in her system ― and not from the tetrahydrozoline.
Jessy Kurczewski claimed the victim staged suicide
After investigators told Kurczewski that Hernan was poisoned and the scene was staged to look like a suicide, she claimed that Hernan must have staged her own suicide, according to the complaint. Kurczewski also said Hernan had consumed eye drops with vodka on her own.
Kurczewski later told investigators she brought Hernan a water bottle that contained six bottles’ worth of Visine, according to the complaint.
Kurczewski was arrested in July 2019 after law enforcement got a warrant to search her residence. Investigators also concluded that Kurczewski stole more than $290,210 from Hernan.
Hernan's financial activity had "changed over time as contact with Kurczewski increased," according to the complaint.
'Financial motives to murder':A woman is accused of poisoning boyfriend with antifreeze to get at over $30M inheritance
Closing arguments on Nov. 13
The state’s closing arguments on Nov. 13 focused on the tetrahydrozoline, citing it as what killed Hernan.
But Nickolie also noted the drop in Hernan’s credit score months before her death due, in part, to maxed credit cards. She said a “fraudulent” loan and multiple checks being made out to Kurczewski for large amounts drained Hernan’s bank account.
And Waukesha County Sheriff's Department Detective Nathan Plennes determined the documents Kurczewski provided to authorities to show where the money went were fake, according to Nickolie.
Kuchler argued Hernan’s death was due to a mixture of various drugs in her system and that she was in a lot of pain due to a myriad of health issues. Kuchler said Hernan decided to start spending money, including giving a lot to Kurczewski, after a palliative care consultation and before allegedly deciding to commit suicide.
“Lynn gave Jessy money all the time because she wanted to,” Kuchler said. “Giving money to Jessy made her happy. Jessy was like her daughter.”
Nickolie rebutted, saying the defense was turning their argument into “a full-blown attack on Lynn Hernan” in an effort to “mislead” the jury.
Contributing: The Associated Press
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Man is 'not dead anymore' after long battle with IRS, which mistakenly labeled him deceased
- Fixing the health care worker shortage may be something Congress can agree on
- Are there places you should still mask in, forever? Three experts weigh in
- Dear Life Kit: My husband is living under COVID lockdown. I'm ready to move on
- New York nursing home operator accused of neglect settles with state for $45M
- Hispanic dialysis patients are more at risk for staph infections, the CDC says
- Biden set his 'moonshot' on cancer. Meet the doctor trying to get us there
- 18 Bikinis With Full-Coverage Bottoms for Those Days When More Is More
- College Football Fix podcast addresses curious CFP rankings and previews Week 12
- Home prices drop in some parts of U.S., but home-buying struggles continue
Ranking
- Louisville officials mourn victims of 'unthinkable' plant explosion amid investigation
- Unsolved Mysteries Subject Kayla Unbehaun Found Nearly 6 Years After Alleged Abduction
- Meet the self-proclaimed dummy who became a DIY home improvement star on social media
- NYC Mayor Eric Adams Calls Out Reckless and Irresponsible Paparazzi After Harry and Meghan Incident
- Ryan Reynolds Clarifies Taylor Swift’s Role as Godmother to His Kids With Blake Lively
- Medicare announces plan to recoup billions from drug companies
- Growing Number of States Paying Utilities to Meet Energy Efficiency Goals
- Standing Rock: Tribes File Last-Ditch Effort to Block Dakota Pipeline
Recommendation
-
Utah AD Mark Harlan rips officials following loss to BYU, claims game was 'stolen from us'
-
Here are the 15 most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history
-
Are there places you should still mask in, forever? Three experts weigh in
-
Get $640 Worth of Skincare for Just $60: Peter Thomas Roth, Sunday Riley, EltaMD, Tula, Elemis, and More
-
Mississippi expects only a small growth in state budget
-
Cook Inlet Gas Leak Remains Unmonitored as Danger to Marine Life Is Feared
-
A kid in Guatemala had a dream. Today she's a disease detective
-
Allow Zendaya and Tom Holland to Get Your Spidey Senses Tingling With Their Romantic Trip to Italy