The jury trial for Jessy Kurczewski, a 37-year-old woman from Franklin, accused of killing her friend by poisoning her with eyedrops, is scheduled to begin on Monday, October 23. Kurczewski is facing charges of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of felony theft.
The case originated in 2018 when Kurczewski called the police to report that her friend was not breathing. Upon arrival at the Pewaukee home, a deputy discovered a woman with a significant amount of crushed medication on her chest and nearby plate, along with prescription medications in the vicinity. Initially, investigators suspected a possible drug overdose.
However, witnesses and acquaintances of the victim raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding her death and the validity of Kurczewski inheriting the victim’s estate. Kurczewski has a history of forgery and fraud.
In January 2019, the medical examiner’s toxicology report revealed a lethal amount of tetrahydrozoline, the primary ingredient in eye drops, in the victim’s blood. The medical examiner ruled the cause of death as homicide, dismissing suicide or accident as possibilities. Months later, Kurczewski claimed that she had given her friend a water bottle containing six bottles’ worth of Visine, asserting that she was assisting her friend in carrying out her wishes.
Detectives also uncovered evidence that Kurczewski had fraudulently transferred over $130,000 from the victim’s accounts to her own through check transactions.
Kurczewski is expected to appear in court for a hearing on Friday, October 13, preceding the jury trial.
