Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel faces first-degree murder charges for allegedly poisoning her daughter Leela Livis with acetonitrile-laced wine during Thanksgiving dinner last year. Authorities also charged her with two counts of attempted murder after two other people fell ill from the same bottle. Warrants link her to a 2007 death previously ruled accidental.
Hendersonville resident Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel, 53, stands accused of killing her 32-year-old daughter Leela Livis, who died the day after consuming wine tainted with acetonitrile, a chemical that metabolizes into cyanide. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation announced the charges in a January press release, including two counts of attempted murder and three counts of distributing prohibited food or beverages. Both of Casper-Leinenkugel's daughters and one daughter's boyfriend drank from the bottle at the holiday dinner, suffering flu-like symptoms that night, according to recently unsealed warrants obtained by Law&Crime. The surviving daughter reported mild issues after a few sips, while her boyfriend required six days in hospital with cyanide levels over five times the lethal limit. Casper-Leinenkugel told investigators another household member bought the acetonitrile, found in the home, and suggested the open wine bottle had been stored near chemicals like rat poison. She also told a treating physician that children might have accessed it. The surviving daughter noted the bottle was already open with a small amount missing when presented. Investigators have connected Casper-Leinenkugel to the 2007 death of Michael Schmidt, 42, who lived on her property after transferring ownership to her in 2006. His death, initially ruled accidental from acute acetonitrile toxicity, is now under scrutiny as a homicide. The local district attorney states she is linked to additional deaths currently being investigated. Casper-Leinenkugel is scheduled to appear in court on April 30.