In 'eye drops' homicide trial, focus shifts to altered financial statements, changed spending habits

The trial of a Franklin woman accused of fatally poisoning a Pewaukee woman in 2018 with eyedrop fluid continued in its second week Wednesday.

Jessy Kurczewski, 39, of Franklin, is accused of poisoning beautician Lynn Hernan, staging an overdose scene and stealing more than $290,000 from her over time.

Kurczewski faces charges of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of felony theft. She has pleaded not guilty.

The seventh day of testimony brought into evidence what prosecutors said were altered credit card statements and three recordings of Kurczewski impersonating Hernan in phone calls to financial institutions. Nathan Plennes, a detective with the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department, appeared as the only witness Wednesday to answer questions about his review of Hernan and Kurczewski’s financial records and accounts in his department’s investigation into Hernan’s death.

Wednesday's testimony centers on financial statements

Plennes subpoenaed many financial institutions for a full picture of what money was going in and out of Hernan and Kurczewski's accounts. Part of Plennes' job in the investigation was to look for a “pattern of life” for both women to track how they typically spent their money and detect any differences in their financial habits, he said.

Hernan’s financial records between July 2014 and September 2018 on her BMO Harris account showed she was the type of person to fill out forms in person at the bank. She never used an ATM during that time, according to her financial records, and appeared to transfer money into the account to pay bills, Plennes said. Hernan also didn’t have internet access in her house and likely didn’t have an email address, Plennes testified.

But in September 2018, mobile and online payments start to pop up on Hernan’s financial statements.

Plennes testified that he noticed payments to Potawatomi Casino, Scott E.’s Pub and Stallis Palace, all places that hadn’t shown up on Hernan’s accounts previously.

“The transactions just were not normal,” he testified.

Records show Kurczewski downloaded a BMO Harris Banking app onto her phone the same day as the first day Hernan deposited mobile checks.

Hernan’s account balance depleted from $2,118.82 on Sept. 19, 2018, to $52 in October 2018, according to Plennes. In that time, 61 withdrawals occurred, almost three times the previous high for activity.

The detective also testified that over time, 20 of 21 checks written from Hernan’s money market account with BMO Harris Bank were written to Kurczewski.

The memo line on one check paid to Kurczewski said it was for “court order pay.” Plennes found no payments made to a court or clerk by Kurczewski after the check was deposited, and no payments that could relate to any court-related manner. Another check for $6,000 had a memo of “Dr. Endoscopy”; Plennes found no outgoing payments to any doctor’s office in Kurczewski’s account.

Plennes found more strange spending while Hernan was in the hospital Sept. 21 to Sept. 28, 2018. During that time, her debit card racked up $4,338.25 worth of transactions, including ATM withdrawals from a machine in Potawatomi Casino. Hernan died on Oct. 3, 2018.

Jessy Kurczewski fabricated financial records, detective testifies

In more than seven hours on the stand, Plennes described how his investigation of checks and bank statements through subpoenas led him to find that Kurczewski tampered with multiple financial records and obtained loans in Hernan's name.

An account through Goldman Sachs in Lynn Hernan’s name included a phone number associated with Kurczewski. The Wells Fargo documents provided to Goldman Sachs to open the account were not consistent with the documents Plennes received back from Wells Fargo in his subpoena.

“Whoever was altering these forgot to change the date at the top,” Plennes testified about one document. On others, the statement didn’t match and the transaction history was not the same.

Plennes testified that with more than 10 of Hernan’s credit cards, she typically had the same habits: she used them infrequently, the balances were low, and payments were made on time. That pattern changed for the majority of the cards in the summer and early fall of 2018.

Phone calls to banks record Jessy Kurczewski impersonating Lynn Hernan, detective testifies

Prosecutors played three recordings of phone calls made to financial institutions by a woman who identifies herself each time as Lynn A. Hernan. In one call made in 2018, the woman says, “I normally use my mobile app and I was blocked online.” Plennes testified that he recognized the voice to be Kurczewski’s in each call and that Kurczewski attempted to gain access to Lynn Hernan’s Citibank account in two of the phone calls played for the jury.

Hernan's credit score worsened right before she died

Plennes testified that numerous accounts associated with Hernan changed around the day that she died, Oct. 3.

The final financial documents discussed Wednesday were Hernan and Kurczewski's Discover Card accounts. Monthly statements showed Hernan had consistent and relatively high credit scores. Most of Hernan's credit cards maxed out after her death, Plennes testified. Kurczewski’s credit score was at its highest around September 2018 and in October 2018, close to when Lynn Hernan died on October 3, 2018.

Someone also opened a JCPenney credit card in Lynn Hernan's name online on the same morning that Hernan died. From what Plennes learned in this investigation, Hernan did not have the ability to access internet at her home. Plennes testified he found multiple attempts to purchase items more expensive than the $200 credit limit that same day.

In total, the detective found $87,598.89 to have been stolen from Lynn Hernan’s estate, $15,756.34 of which was paid to Kurczewski's accounts or Jennifer Flowers, Kurczewski's mother. Kurczewski is accused of stealing $290,210 from Hernan over time.

The trial continues Thursday when the defense will cross examine Detective Plennes.

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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: 'Eye drops' homicide trial of Jessy Kurczewski continued Wednesday