A Wisconsin woman, Jessy Kurczewski, was sentenced to life in jail for fatally poisoning her friend, Lynn Hernan, with eye drops and stealing $290,000 from her. Kurczewski remained emotionless during the sentencing but cried when she gave her testimony. She was found guilty of 1st Degree Intentional Homicide in November 2018 and is eligible for supervised release after 30 years. The judge emphasized the need to protect the public when deciding on the sentence.
The judge stated that Kurczewski would be close to 70 years old when she becomes eligible for release, emphasizing that 30 years is a significant amount of time but emphasized the goal is to keep her in prison until she is no longer a threat to anyone. Kurczewski was given the maximum sentences for two counts of theft and sentenced to 5 years in prison and 5 years of extended supervision for both charges. The judge highlighted her lack of a good track record in previous convictions.
During the victim impact statement, one of Hernan’s friends referred to Kurczewski as a monster and believed that the sentences were too lenient. He requested life in prison without the possibility of parole for Kurczewski. The friend accused Kurczewski of also being responsible for the deaths of Hernan’s pets and claimed that she had taken advantage of Hernan’s helpfulness. Kurczewski admitted to poisoning Hernan with Visine in 2018.
Medical examiners ruled Hernan’s death a homicide after finding tetrahydrozoline, the main ingredient in Visine, in her system. The emotional friend of Hernan described Kurczewski as pure evil and expressed hopes that she would be treated poorly in prison. He stated that the Devil awaits her and hoped that she would rot in hell, emphasizing the severity of her crimes and the impact on Hernan’s loved ones.
The judge mentioned that Kurczewski had crafted fake documents, covered up her tracks, and shifted blame when caught. She emphasized that Kurczewski posed a threat to others due to her willingness to steal and defraud. Kurczewski confessed to poisoning Hernan and attempting to steal her identity. The judge’s goal was to keep her in prison until she was no longer a danger to society, highlighting the seriousness of her offenses and the need to appreciate the gravity of her actions, expressing the fear and concern regarding Kurczewski’s behavior.