Franklin Woman Killed Friend With Eye Drops: Criminal Complaint

FRANKLIN, WI— A Franklin woman was charged in Waukesha County with first-degree intentional homicide for poisoning someone to death with eye drops, a criminal complaint states.

The complaint states 37-year-old Jessy Kurczewski poisoned her friend in Pewaukee with an otherwise unsuspecting household object: Eye drops. Kurczewski was also charged with two counts of felony theft, according to the complaint. The victim was identified by WISN 12 through estate paperwork as Lynn A. Hernan.

The case began when Kurczewski called police from the victim's home in October 2018 to report that the victim was unconscious. Waukesha County Sheriff responded and found the victim in a chair with crushed up medication on her chest, the complaint stated.

A county medical examiner report from the complaint found that the victim had a fatal dose of tetrahydrozoline in her system. The substance is the main ingredient in many eye drops. Many may be unware, but eye drops are incredibly toxic when ingested, according to a report from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Police obtained a warrant, searched Kurczewski's home and arrested her in July 2019. The complaint said that after her arrest, Kurczewski admitted to putting six eye drops in a water bottle that she then gave to the victim.

Kurczewski appeared in Waukesha County Circuit court on Monday where cash bond was set at $1 million and an initial hearing was slated for June 25.

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