Background: The rural road where Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina (Google Maps). Inset: Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel (North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation).
A North Carolina woman faces serious accusations after allegedly poisoning the drinks of three individuals, resulting in one fatality. Authorities reveal this isn’t her first encounter with murder charges.
Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel, aged 52, now stands accused of first-degree murder following the death of 32-year-old Leela Livis in 2025. This revelation comes from a public statement by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, shared via their Facebook page.
In addition to the current charge, investigators have uncovered evidence connecting Casper-Leinenkugel to an unsolved homicide from years past, thus bringing a second murder charge against her.
The NCSBI statement detailed that evidence was discovered linking her to the 2007 murder of Michael Schmidt in Henderson County.
Casper-Leinenkugel, who reportedly once operated a restaurant in Asheville, also faces charges of two attempted murders and three counts of distributing forbidden substances, according to state officials.
The arrest warrant, examined by Law&Crime, alleges that she “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously” distributed or enabled access to a drink laced with acetonitrile, a toxic chemical. This solvent, which poses serious health risks, is commonly utilized in industries such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and battery production, as detailed in an article on its industrial applications.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, acetonitrile “forms cyanide in the body” and can result in “delayed toxicity.”
The defendant was the subject of a 2016 story on local news website Mountain Xpress about the opening of her restaurant, Patton Public House, in nearby Asheville.
According to that story, Casper-Leinenkugel had opened “six restaurants and bars across the country.”
Court records show that a judge denied Casper-Leinenkugel’s request for release, and that she is currently being held at the Henderson County Detention Facility. No future court date was indicated.
