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Eye drop poisoning homicide, woman in court
A Franklin woman accused of killing her friend with poisoned eye drops in 2018 appeared in court Friday, Oct. 13 ahead of her upcoming trial.
PEWAUKEE, Wis. - A woman accused of killing her friend with poisoned eye drops in 2018 appeared in court Friday, Oct. 13 ahead of her upcoming trial.
Jessy Kurczewski, 39, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of felony theft. Her jury trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 23, court records show.
Prosecutors said Kurczewski called police to her friend’s Pewaukee home, stating her friend was not breathing. Upon arrival, a Waukesha County sheriff’s deputy noticed an unconscious woman laying in a recliner with a "large amount of crushed medication on her chest" and a plate next to her with "a large amount of what appeared to be crushed up medication still on the plate."
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Investigators, who initially believed the woman’s death could have been the result of a drug overdose, according to the complaint, learned Kurczewski had been providing care to the victim and had keys to her home. Kurczewski indicated she was also the power of attorney for the victim.
During witness interviews, the complaint states another friend of the victim stated that he "did not believe her death was a drug overdose" – but rather believed Kurczewski was involved.
The complaint states autopsy results showed the victim had a fatal dose of tetrahydrozoline – the main ingredient in eye drops – in her system. The Waukesha County medical examiner concluded it would be "impossible to have that level of tetrahydrozoline in the blood just by using it in the eyes."
On July 9, 2019, investigators conducted a search warrant at Kurczewski’s home. Kurczewski was arrested and placed on probation and parole.
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During an interview, Kurczewski "adamantly denied" killing her friend and said she didn’t give the victim any eye drops. Kurczewski went on to say that the victim "must have staged her own suicide with the crushed pills." In 2019, she told investigators she "wasn’t buying what the medical examiner is saying." She then said she "actually had seen the victim drink Visine with vodka before her death," according to the complaint.
The day after that 2019 interview with investigators, the complaint states Kurczewski stated that, on the day of her friend’s death, she gave her a water bottle with six Visine bottles in it.
Prosecutors also said Kurczewski committed more than $290,210 in fraud – including more than $130,000 that was "transferred fraudulently" by check from the victim to Kurczewski.