Wisconsin woman GUILTY of poisoning friend with eye drops
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A Wisconsin woman openly cried as she was convicted of poisoning her with eyedrops in a staged suicide before stealing nearly $300,000 from her.

Jessy Kurczewski, 39, murdered Lynn Hernan, 62, by administering a fatal dose of tetrahydrozoline, the main ingredient in eye drops.

She then arranged the scene to look like a suicide before committing almost $300,000 of fraud including writing a $130,204 check from the victim to herself.

Kurczewski wept as she was found guilty by a jury of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of theft at Waukesha County on Tuesday. She faces a mandatory life sentence. 

‘The defendant betrayed Lynn out of greed,’ said Deputy District Attorney Abbey Nickolie. 

Jessy Kurczewski has been found guilty of murdering Lynn Hernan by poisoning her with eyedrops and making it look like suicide before stealing almost $300,000 from her

Jessy Kurczewski has been found guilty of murdering Lynn Hernan by poisoning her with eyedrops and making it look like suicide before stealing almost $300,000 from her

Jessy Kurczewski has been found guilty of murdering Lynn Hernan by poisoning her with eyedrops and making it look like suicide before stealing almost $300,000 from her

Kurczewski broke down as she was convicted found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of theft at Waukesha County on Tuesday

Kurczewski broke down as she was convicted found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of theft at Waukesha County on Tuesday

Kurczewski broke down as she was convicted found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of theft at Waukesha County on Tuesday

Nickolie added the verdict was, ‘a step toward closure to all those who grieve Lynn,’ the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Hernan was found dead at her Milwaukee home on October 3, 2018, with the scene littered with opened bottles of pills. An autopsy found a lethal dose tetrahydrozoline, an ingredient in Visine eye drops among other drugs in Hernan’s system.

Kurczewski had known her victim for years with defense lawyers claiming she was ‘like her daughter.’

She admitted to handing Hernan a bottle filled with six vials worth of Visine brand eyedrops, which she drank.

She claimed Hernan had been suicidal and she was trying to help.

Months before the murder, Kurczewski’s credit score had plummeted due to maxed-out credit cards.

Kurczewski's defense team argued Hernan (left) was like a mother to Kurczewski (right) saying the accusations would have made Hernan 'crazy'

Kurczewski's defense team argued Hernan (left) was like a mother to Kurczewski (right) saying the accusations would have made Hernan 'crazy'

Kurczewski’s defense team argued Hernan (left) was like a mother to Kurczewski (right) saying the accusations would have made Hernan ‘crazy’

Financial statements also revealed several payments made from the victim to the killer and a ‘fraudulent’ loan. 

Hernan’s entire estate was left to Kurczewski, who told authorities she had power of attorney. However, one of the victim’s cousins told them it was strange she had been bequeathed the estate. 

After police conducted an autopsy on Hernan, pictured here, they discovered a fatal dose of tetrahydrozoline in her system, which is the main ingredient in eye drops

After police conducted an autopsy on Hernan, pictured here, they discovered a fatal dose of tetrahydrozoline in her system, which is the main ingredient in eye drops

After police conducted an autopsy on Hernan, pictured here, they discovered a fatal dose of tetrahydrozoline in her system, which is the main ingredient in eye drops

The court heard that after carrying out the murder, Kurczewski went shopping and opened accounts in Hernan’s name.

 ‘She didn’t spend the day worried about Lynn,’ Assistant District Attorney Randy Sitzberger said, WISN reports.

‘She was opening a JC Penney account in Lynn’s name, and she was using other accounts of Lynn to go shopping, do some online shopping, while she knew she just had given Lynn poison.’

Investigators originally thought it could be a drug overdose, with Kurczewski saying she told investigators she had been taking care of Hernan who was ‘acting odd.’

Kurczewski denied all the charges against her, with her defense team trying to argue that Hernan’s death was as a result of a combination of drugs in her system that she had taken to manage her pain.

They claimed Hernan became suicidal and wanted to gift her money away prior to her death. 

Attorneys for the defendant claimed Hernan would have found it ‘crazy’ that Kurczewski had been accused of any wrongdoing.

‘Lynn gave Jessy money all the time because she wanted to,’ Defense Attorney Donna Kuchler said. ‘Giving money to Jessy made her happy. Jessy was like her daughter.’

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