A North Carolina woman accused of secretly poisoning drinks with a deadly chemical now faces multiple murder charges, after investigators linked her to a second homicide dating back nearly two decades.
Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel, 52, has been charged with first-degree murder in the 2025 death of 32-year-old Leela Livis, according to a statement released by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI).
Authorities allege that Livis died after consuming a beverage laced with acetonitrile, a toxic industrial chemical that can form cyanide in the body. As the investigation progressed, detectives uncovered evidence connecting Casper-Leinenkugel to an earlier killing.
“During the course of the investigation, Detectives located evidence linking Casper-Leinenkugel to the murder of Michael Schmidt that occurred in Henderson County in 2007,” the NCSBI said.
The discovery resulted in an additional murder charge, intensifying what prosecutors describe as a disturbing pattern of deliberate poisoning.
In addition to the two murder charges, Casper-Leinenkugel is also facing two counts of attempted murder and three counts of distribution of a prohibited food or beverage.
According the to arrest warrant, investigators allege that the defendant “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did knowingly distribute or otherwise cause to be placed in a position of human accessibility or ingestion a beverage which contained a poisonous chemical, acetonitrile, which might cause death or serious physical injury.”
Acetonitrile is a chemical solvent commonly used in pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and battery production. The Centers for Disease Control warn that the substance “forms cyanide in the body” and can cause “delayed toxicity,” making exposure especially dangerous and difficult to immediately detect.
Casper-Leinenkugel was previously known in the Asheville area as a restaurateur. A 2016 profile by local outlet Mountain Xpress reported that she had opened Patton Public House and claimed to have launched “six restaurants and bars across the country.”
Court records show that a judge has denied her request for release. She remains in custody at the Henderson County Detention Facility, and no future court date has been announced.
Investigators have not disclosed how the victims were connected to Casper-Leinenkugel or whether additional charges may follow as the case continues.
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