What to know about the trial of Jessy Kurczewski, accused of killing friend with eye drops
The jury trial of Jessy Kurczewski, a Franklin woman facing felony charges for allegedly poisoning a family friend with eye drops and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from her starts Oct. 23.
She pleaded not guilty to the charges in 2021.
Here’s what you need to know before the trial begins.
When does the trial start?
The trial begins at 8:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 23, and is estimated to last for approximately five weeks.
What charges is Jessy Kurczewski facing?
Kurczewski is facing one felony count of first-degree intentional homicide, one felony count of theft of movable property greater than $100,000, and one felony count of theft of movable property over $10,000 but less than $100,000.
Who is representing Kurczewski?
She is represented by attorney Pablo Galaviz and attorney Donna Jean Kuchler.
Who is the judge for this case?
Judge Jennifer Dorow will hear the case ― the same judge who presided over the Waukesha Christmas parade attack trial of Darrel Brooks.
What happened?
Authorities found a Pewaukee woman unconscious in a recliner on Oct. 3, 2018, with crushed medication and prescription bottles. Kurczewski had called to tell police that her friend was not conscious or breathing, according to the criminal complaint filed in June 2021.
Kurczewski told police she was a family friend and had been checking in on the woman daily. She said there was "a possibility" the victim was suicidal.
The death was ruled a homicide when the Waukesha County Medical Examiner found a fatal amount of tetrahydrozoline, the main ingredient in eyedrops, in the victim’s system, the complaint said.
The victim was not named in the initial criminal complaint.
When was Kurczewski arrested?
Kurczewski was arrested in July 2019 after law enforcement got a warrant to search her residence. She denied killing the victim, assisting or staging her death.
The victim's financial activity had “changed over time as contact with Kurczewski increased" and began to "more closely resemble" Kurczewski's, according to the complaint.
More: The trial of a Franklin woman accused of poisoning a friend with eyedrops starts Oct. 23
Why was there a delay?
The delay was mostly due to numerous representation changes for Kurczewski. Four attorneys have withdrawn from representing Kurczewski since late 2021 with the most recent withdrawing in January 2023.
The criminal complaint was filed June 4, 2021, and a $1 million arrest warrant was issued for Kurczewski by Judge Dorow that same day. Kurczewski's initial court appearance was June 7, 2021.
A 12-person jury trial was initially scheduled for Feb. 13, 2023; however, the defense filed a motion of continuance of the jury trial and a motion for extension of trial order deadlines on Feb. 3 and the jury trial was pushed back to Feb. 27, 2023.
A second motion for continuance was filed Feb. 15 and the trial was rescheduled for Oct. 23.
Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page, The Redheadliner, and follow him on Twitter @Redheadliner.
Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.
DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about trial of Jessy Kurczewski, accused eye drop killer
