How long was Eye Drop Killer Jessy Kurczewski sentenced to prison for?

After months of delay upon her lawyers quitting at the end of the trial procedures, Jessy Kurczewski has finally been sentenced for poisoning Lynn Hernan to death with Visine, also known as tetrahydrozoline. 

As per usual, Kurczewski denied creating fake suicide letters and that she requested a friend to do that for her. Nevertheless, her lawyers quit upon the fraudulent plot surfacing and Judge Jennifer Dorow – who also presided over the Darrell Brooks’ trial – thought the best way to proceed would be to delay the sentencing hearing.

Before being sentenced, Kurczewski spent nearly two hours reading a letter she wrote in court. If that was supposed to mitigate her sentence it’s doubtful whether it worked. She may have gotten the possibility for parole, but this won’t happen for many, many years.

Sentenced concurrently for all three counts

Jessy Kurczewski was found guilty of two counts of theft, one for stealing thousands of dollars from Lynn Hernan before she passed, and another for stealing from her “friend” after her death. And, of course, one count of murder.

In her poignant monologue to the court, Judge Dorow demonstrated how she thought deeply about whether to give Kurczewski the possibility of parole, and she ended up deciding she would. The Judge ruled she’d give Kurczewski the chance to be released at one point, however, if this happens, the murderer will be an old lady in her 80s, likely no longer capable of hurting others.

“Lynn Hernan was better dead to you than alive.” The Judge unequivocally stated “And you thought you could get away with it.”

But the reality is, Kurczewski didn’t get away with murder, Judge Dorow sentenced her to life with the possibility of parole after 30 years. Deeming that it was not enough, the Judge added 10 consecutive years for the two theft counts, which makes parole only possible after 40 years.

On top of her prison sentence, Kurczewski has a hefty sum of retribution to pay, for things such as funeral expenses and lawyer fees. This was Judge Dorow’s way to ensure the convicted killer doesn’t profit off of her crimes, as this was a high-profile case whose trial and sentencing hearing were broadcast to the public.