Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel, a 52-year-old from Hendersonville, North Carolina, faces two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, and three counts of distributing prohibited food or beverages after allegedly poisoning drinks with acetonitrile, a solvent that metabolizes into cyanide. Authorities link her to the December 1, 2025, death of 32-year-old Leela Livis and attempts on Richard Pegg and Mia Lacey, plus evidence tying her to Michael Schmidt’s 2007 death in Henderson County. Arrested January 16, 2026, she remains in Henderson County Detention Center without bond after a judge’s denial; no attorney or victim relationships are confirmed publicly.
Charges Breakdown
Acetonitrile, per EPA and NIH data, is a colorless liquid used in pharmaceuticals and batteries, causing delayed cyanide toxicity when ingested. Warrants allege she placed it in beverages with “malice aforethought,” potentially violating N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-202.1 for prohibited substances and § 14-17 for murder (death penalty eligible). Multi-agency probe (Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, SBI, others) uncovered the 2007 link during 2025 investigation.
Investigation Notes
Former Asheville restaurant owner; unclear public threat now. Contact Henderson Violent Crime Unit at 828-694-2938 for tips. No SC jurisdictional tie, but NC cases like this often invoke toxicology delays (weeks for cyanide confirmation) and cold case reopens via modern forensics. Parallels your legal interests—NC’s poison statutes emphasize intent via access/knowledge.
