Jessy Kurczewski sentenced to life in prison in eye drop murder trial

 

FRANKLIN, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A woman convicted of killing a friend with eye drops will spend the rest of her life in prison.

Life in prison is the mandatory sentence for first-degree intentional homicide, but on Friday, a Waukesha judge decided whether Jessy Kurczewski would ever be able to apply for parole.

Kurczewski was given life in prison and won't be eligible for parole until she's almost 80 years old, for poisoning and stealing from Lynn Hernan in 2018.

In court Friday, friends of Hernan asked Judge Jennifer Dorow to give Kurczewski life in prison without the possibility of parole.

"I believe Jessy is pure evil," James Kelliher said.

Antony Pozza, the only other person named in Hernan's estate, spoke directly to Kurczewski.

"I hope you know your charade is up and you will never fool anyone again," he said.

Pozza said he wanted to focus more on the woman he knew as Aunty Lynnie than on the woman convicted of killing her.

"She was more than just a statistic, more than just a name in a news headline," he said. "She was a beloved friend, a cherished family member, a bright light extinguished too soon."

Kurczewski's mom and a cellmate spoke on her behalf, asking the judge to be sympathetic while Kurczewski spent two hours denying her conviction."

"Mark my words when I say you are sending an innocent person to prison today," she said.

She also read letters she claims were written by Hernan, including a suicide note.

"I am choosing this on my own terms and how I see fit," Kurczewski said, reading the alleged letter by Hernan. "No one played any part in this decision or acted in it. I have chosen to drink Visine to end my life."

However, just Jennifer Dorow did not buy Kurczewski's stories, calling them too convenient to be believable.

"Those letters, there's no way Lynn Hernan wrote those," Dorow said.

Dorow gave Kurczewski life in prison, with eligibility for parole after 30 years. She will have to serve five years for both counts of theft she was found guilty of consecutively, meaning she will be around 80 by the time she can apply for parole.

The decision to give Kurczewski an opportunity for parole is one Pozza said after the sentencing that he is okay with.

"We have to put some compassion in everything, and [Judge Dorow] is very good at making sure the story is truly portrayed as it really is," Pozza said. "I think that was this circumstance and I think justice was served."

Kurczewski was ordered to pay $386,000 in restitution and said in court Friday she plans to appeal her conviction.