Woman accused of killing friend with eyedrops bound over for trial

 

WAUKESHA COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A Franklin woman accused of using eyedrops to kill her friend will stand trial.

Jessy Kurczewski is also accused of making the victim's death look like a suicide.

Kurczewski faces a first degree intentional homicide charge. Prosecutors say she also stole money from the victim.

"I am finding that you probably committed felonies within the jurisdiction of the court, and with that I am binding you over for trial," said Waukesha County Court Commissioner Kevin Costello.

Thirty-seven-year-old Kurczewski is accused of staging her friend's death as a suicide and using the relationship to steal money from the victim.

The criminal complaint says Kurczewski used eyedrops to poison her friend.

Police initially ruled the death a suicide after finding crushed up tetrahydrozoline in the victim's body. That's an ingredient found in eyedrops that's deadly when eaten.

Kurczewski's attorney argued the report doesn't prove she killed her friend.

"How it came to be into victim A we don't know," said defense attorney Maura McMahon.

The criminal complaint says Kurczewski used to the relationship to steal $290,000. At least $134,000 is believed to have been from fraudulent checks forging the victim's signature.

"There was testimony that the signature lines were different between those series of checks," said prosecutor Abbey Nickolie.

"She talked to officers and didn't deny it that victim A was giving her gifts," said McMahon.

Kurczewski will be back in court on Aug. 2.