Former Restaurant Owner Charged with Murder On Allegations She Slipped Deadly Poison into Someone's Drink By KC Baker

A North Carolina woman is facing murder and attempted murder charges for allegedly poisoning the drinks of at least four people, killing two, authorities say.

On Friday, Jan. 16, Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel, 52, of Hendersonville, was arrested and charged with murder in connection with the death of Leela Livis, 32, on Dec. 1, 2025, and with the attempted murders of Richard Pegg and Mia Lacey, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) said in a statement.

Detectives also found evidence allegedly linking Casper-Leinenkugel to the 2007 death of Michael Schmidt in Henderson County the SBI alleged in the statement.

Casper-Leinenkugel is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and three counts of distribution of certain food and beverage prohibited, the SBI specified.

According to an arrest warrant obtained by PEOPLE, the authorities allege that Casper-Leinenkugel “distributed or otherwise caused to be placed in position of human accessibility or ingestion” a beverage that contained the poisonous chemical, acetonitrile, “which might cause death or serious physical injury.”

Acetonitrile, according to the EPA, is a clear, colorless liquid “with a sweet ethereal odor” that is used mainly as a solvent in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, for spinning fibers and for the casting and molding of plastic materials in lithium batteries.

According to the NIH, acetonitrile is slowly converted to cyanide, which results in “delayed toxicity.”

According to the arrest warrants, the authorities claim Casper-Leinenkugel knowingly placed acetonitrile into the victims’ beverages.

Casper-Leinenkugel allegedly killed Livis and Schmidt with “malice aforethought,” the warrant alleges.

Casper-Leinenkugel previously operated a restaurant in Asheville, WKRC reports.

She is currently being held in the Henderson County Detention Center after a judge denied her request for release.

It is unclear how or if she knew her alleged victims.

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It is unclear whether she has retained an attorney who can speak on her behalf.

Anyone with information relevant to this investigation is asked to contact the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crime Unit by calling 828-694-2938.