Naman Shrestha
In 2018, Lynn Hernan was found seated lifeless in her recliner next to various prescription pills on the table. Though her caregiver Jessy Kurczewski dialed 911 and informed the police about the same, the evidence pointed towards her being the primary suspect with a motive to kill. As the investigation intensified, Jessy turned out to be the actual killer. In the episode titled ‘Death by Eye Drops’ of CBS’ ’48 hours,’ we are intimated with all the intricate details surrounding the tragic case and how Jessy was brought to justice for her heinous actions.
Jessy Kurczewski Spiked Her Friend’s Water With a High Dose of Eye Drops
Jessy R. Kurczewski was not only a caregiver to the Wisconsin resident and hairstylist Lynn Hernan but also a close and trustworthy friend. On the fateful day of October 3, 2018, when Jessy entered Lynn’s house in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, she found her sitting in the living room recliner, unconscious and not breathing, with prescription pills by her side. Immediately, the caregiver called the authorities and told them about the situation. Upon the arrival of police officers at the 62-year-old woman’s house, they found her dead with crushed medication on her chest, indicating a case of drug overdose.
When Jessy was interrogated about Lynn, she claimed that the hairstylist could have been suicidal due to her deteriorating health conditions. Three months after the tragedy, the case was reopened when the toxicology report came back and indicated that her system contained a fatal dose of tetrahydrozoline, the primary ingredient in most of the eye drops. Almost a year into the death of Lynn, by September 2019, suicide or accidental overdose was ruled out as the cause of her death as the police officially declared the case to be homicidal.
With all the suspicions lying on Jessy, the investigators brought her in for questioning. During the interview, Jessy denied any involvement in foul play, but she did allege that she noticed Lynn purchasing substantial quantities of eye drops and mixing them with vodka before consuming them. In another interview with the detectives, she reportedly admitted that she added six bottles of Visine eye drops into a water bottle and gave it to Lynn to help her die by suicide. According to police reports, in June 2021, the detectives arrested Jessy Kurczewski.
She was charged with murdering her friend Lynn Hernan by spiking her water bottle with a high dose of eye drops and making the crime scene appear to be accidental or suicidal. At the same time, 37-year-old Jessy was also accused of defrauding Lynn of about $300,000 before as well as after her death. She spent most of this money on gambling at casinos and other extravagant things, such as spa treatments for her friends and acquaintances. After her demise, one of Lynn’s accounts only contained $88. For the time being, she was held on $1 million bail at the Waukesha County Jail.
Jessy Kurczewski is Incarcerated at a Wisconsin Prison
It was on June 7, 2021, when Jessy Kurczewski reportedly made her first court appearance after being charged with first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of felony theft. During the trial, the prosecutors and the defense made several arguments supporting their respective claims. While the prosecutors claimed that Lynn was worth more dead than alive to Jessy as the latter was one of the beneficiaries of Lynn’s will, the defense argued that Lynn was not poisoned by the defendant. The defense stated, “She just liked vodka. She also liked Visine. I have no idea why.” At first, Jessy pleaded not guilty to all the charges against her. However, in November 2023, the jury evaluated both sides of the coin and returned with the guilty verdict after deliberating over a couple of days.
Consequently, Jessy was convicted of intentional homicide and theft, after which she began crying in court. After the conviction, one of Lynn’s family friends, Anthony Pozza, stated, “It’s been five years of stress. I’m just glad we finally have justice.” A few months later, on April 5, 2024, the Wisconsin-based woman was sentenced to life imprisonment with a possibility for parole after three decades on the homicidal charge, which would be followed by two sentences of five years each for both the theft charges against her. Thus, she would be approximately 80 years old at the time of her parole eligibility. Currently, she is placed behind bars at Waukesha County Jail at 515 West Moreland Boulevard in Waukesha, where she is serving her sentence while awaiting her parole eligibility date.
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