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Woman found guilty of killing friend with eye drops, stealing $290K

Lynn Hernan's death was ruled a homicide after the medical examiner discovered tetrahydrozoline, an ingredient in Visine, in her system.
Woman found guilty of killing friend with eye drops, stealing $290K
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A jury found Jessy Kurczewski guilty of fatally poisoning her friend, Lynn Hernan, with eye drops and stealing nearly $300,000 from her.

Kurczewski, 39, who is from Wisconsin, was charged with first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of theft on Tuesday after telling investigators that she had given Hernan, 61, a bottle of water filled with six bottles of Visine in 2018.

According to a report by the Associated Press, Hernan was found dead in her condo in Oct. 2018 after Kurczewski called the police, stating her friend was unconscious and suicidal.

Later, the Waukesha County medical examiner determined Hernan's death as a homicide upon finding tetrahydrozoline, an ingredient in Visine, in her system.

When questioned, Kurczewski said that Hernan may have staged her own suicide but then later confessed to giving Hernan the poisoned water.

During opening statements on Tuesday, it was clarified by the state that Kurczewski, who was both a caregiver and a friend to Hernan, had depleted Hernan's bank accounts and had opened credit cards under Hernan's name, stealing about $290,000.

Kurczewski's sentencing is set for Dec. 7, and she’s facing a mandatory life sentence for the homicide conviction and an additional 10 years for the two felony theft counts.

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