Eye Drop Killer Murders Woman She Loved Like a Mom
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Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Lynn Hearnen, 62, suffered from severe gastrointestinal issues, high blood pressure, and lung disease, leading to frequent hospitalizations.
- ❖Jesse Kesky, daughter of Lynn's best friend, became Lynn's full-time caretaker after her release from prison for forgery and identity theft.
- ❖Lynn was found dead on October 3, 2018, with crushed pills on her chest, initially suggesting a drug overdose or suicide.
- ❖The medical examiner's toxicology report in January 2019 found a fatal dose of tetrahydrozoline, the main ingredient in eye drops, in Lynn's blood.
- ❖Medical experts stated tetrahydrozoline should not be in blood and the levels found were impossible from ocular use, indicating ingestion.
- ❖Investigators discovered Jesse had power of attorney and had transferred over $290,000 from Lynn's accounts to herself, including significant amounts after Lynn's death.
- ❖Jesse's ex-boyfriend, Scott Craig, and an inmate roommate testified that Jesse confessed to giving Lynn eye drops to end her suffering.
- ❖The medical examiner reclassified Lynn's death as a homicide, citing the presence of tetrahydrozoline and the staged scene (crushed pills not ingested, no suicide note).
- ❖Jesse Kesky was found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide and theft of movable property in November 2023.
- ❖Judge Jennifer Duro sentenced Jesse Kesky to life in prison with parole eligibility at age 80, emphasizing the targeting and control of Lynn.
Insights
1Unconventional Poison and Staged Scene
Lynn Hearnen's death was initially suspected to be a suicide or accidental overdose due to her poor health and the presence of crushed pills. However, the toxicology report revealed a fatal concentration of tetrahydrozoline, the active ingredient in eye drops, in her system. Medical experts confirmed this substance is poisonous when ingested and should not be present in blood. The scene, with crushed pills on Lynn's chest but not ingested, and the absence of a suicide note, led the medical examiner to rule the death a homicide, indicating a deliberate attempt to mislead investigators.
Toxicology report (), Medical Examiner Dr. Linda Bedrretzky's testimony (, ), Detective Timothy Loberg's testimony on crushed pills and lack of suicide note (, ).
2Systematic Financial Exploitation and Motive
Jesse Kesky, Lynn's caretaker, had a history of forgery and identity theft. Investigations revealed she had systematically siphoned over $290,000 from Lynn's accounts over three years, including fraudulent checks written directly to herself and unauthorized transactions at casinos and pubs after Lynn's death. The prosecution argued that Lynn became 'worth more dead than alive' to Jesse, providing a clear financial motive for the murder, especially as Lynn's funds were depleting.
Jesse's prior convictions (), Witness B's suspicion about Lynn's estate (), Forensic accountant's estimate of $190,000-$300,000 transferred (, ), Prosecution's closing argument on motive (, ), Evidence of 20 checks totaling $134,337.71 to Jesse ().
3Jesse Kesky's Shifting Confessions and Denials
Throughout multiple interviews, Jesse Kesky's story evolved. Initially, she denied any involvement and suggested Lynn was suicidal. Later, she admitted to buying eye drops for Lynn and then claimed Lynn was trying to find 'an easy way out' using eye drops mixed with vodka. Eventually, under pressure, she admitted to giving Lynn the bottle, framing it as assisted suicide due to Lynn's pain. However, she consistently denied committing murder, stating she didn't force Lynn to drink it. Her ex-boyfriend and an inmate roommate corroborated her confessions of giving Lynn the eye drops.
Jesse's initial statements to deputies (), Jesse's denial of giving eye drops (), Jesse's admission of Lynn looking for a 'way out' with Visine (), Jesse's admission of giving Lynn the bottle (, ), Scott Craig's testimony about Jesse's confession (), Witness G's inmate testimony ().
Notable Moments
The medical examiner's discovery of tetrahydrozoline in Lynn's system, a substance not meant for ingestion, fundamentally shifted the investigation from suicide to homicide.
This finding provided the critical forensic evidence that contradicted Jesse's initial claims and pointed towards a deliberate act of poisoning, despite the scene being staged to look like an overdose.
The revelation of Jesse Kesky's extensive financial exploitation of Lynn Hearnen, totaling over $290,000, established a compelling motive for murder.
This financial evidence transformed the case from a suspicious death into a clear-cut murder driven by greed, demonstrating how a caretaker's position of trust can be abused for extreme personal gain.
Quotes
"And there's an anomaly in her toxicology. There's a drug in her system that's not supposed to be there. And what would that be? Um, it's called tetrahydroine. What is that? Commonly known as eye drops."
"Lynn Hearnan became worth more dead than alive to Jesse Kerseski."
"Based on your training and experience as a detective at these death scenes, have you ever observed a presumed suicide to have crushed pills on their chest? No. When you were on scene and in your investigation, was a suicide note ever found? No."
"I determined it was a homicide, which is a medical determination, not um not based on law enforcement or criminal rules. It's a public health determination actually. And how this injury occurred is that she was given tetrahydroine by another, which is why I called it a homicide."
"She said she helped Lynn kill herself... She said that Lynn wanted to kill herself and Lynn knew that there were they both knew that there was a bottle with like six bottles of Iene in it. And Lynn had allegedly told Jesse that she knew by could kill her and Lyn asked her for that bottle. And Jesse said that she gave Lynn that bottle knowing that there were six in there, knowing it could kill her, and gave it to her and let her let her drink it."
"But as I saw everything, I have to ask out loud, it's an a rhetorical question, but were you poisoning Lynn Hearnen all along following your release from prison?"
Q&A
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