48 Hours “Death by Eye Drops” February 1 2025 Recap & Preview
This Saturday, February 1, 2025, at 9:00 PM ET/PT, 48 Hours presents an encore of “Death by Eye Drops”, a chilling case about a woman accused of killing her close friend with eye drops. Contributor Jericka Duncan reports on the shocking trial of Jessy Kurczewski, who is accused of poisoning her good friend, Lynn Hernan, with tetrahydrozoline, the active ingredient in eye drops, which can be fatal when ingested.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7n4mpFZ8sY
In October 2023, Kurczewski went on trial for the intentional homicide of Hernan and two counts of felony theft for stealing from her. The case began five years earlier when Kurczewski called the police to report that she found Hernan dead in her recliner, in the living room of her Pewaukee, Wisconsin, condo. Kurczewski claimed she had been caring for Hernan, who had been struggling with health problems. However, after an investigation, Kurczewski was charged with poisoning Hernan with the eye drops.
Stephanie Rodriguez, who covered the trial for the CBS affiliate in Milwaukee, recalls that Jessy had been very close to Lynn, almost like an adopted daughter. Yet, despite their closeness, authorities began to piece together disturbing evidence, including multiple medication bottles found near Hernan’s body and a suspicious phone call Kurczewski made to a friend suggesting that Hernan “committed suicide.”
Toxicology reports revealed that Hernan had an unusually high amount of tetrahydrozoline in her system, which led prosecutors to accuse Kurczewski of stealing from her friend while she was alive and ultimately poisoning her for financial gain.
However, Kurczewski’s defense team argued that this was not a murder but a suicide, claiming that Hernan was exhausted by her ongoing health struggles and may have intentionally taken the eye drops. The defense contended that Lynn, had she been alive, would have defended Jessy’s innocence.
48 Hours takes viewers inside this gripping case, where the prosecution and defense clashed over whether it was a calculated homicide or a tragic end to a woman’s suffering. The episode features exclusive interviews and deep insight into the trial.
Don’t miss “Death by Eye Drops” this Saturday, February 1, 2025, at 9:00 PM ET/PT on 48 Hours on CBS. The episode will also be available for streaming on Paramount+ the next day.
