Ex-Restauranteur Poisoned Daughter to Death at Thanksgiving Dinner with Tainted Wine, Authorities Say By Christine Pelisek

A North Carolina woman died after drinking poisoned wine at Thanksgiving dinner — and now, authorities say her mother was the one responsible.

Leela Livis, 32, died on Dec. 1, shortly after she attended the 12-person dinner hosted by her mother Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel, according to FOX Carolina and the Hendersonville Lightning.

Casper-Leinenkugel, 52, is charged with the first-degree murder of her daughter as well as the attempted murders of two other dinner guests, Livis’ half-sister Mia Lacey and Richard Pegg. She is also charged with three counts of distribution of certain food and beverage prohibited.

Henderson County District Attorney Andrew Murray confirmed to PEOPLE that both Livis and Lacey are the woman’s daughters.

According to an arrest warrant obtained by PEOPLE, authorities accused Casper-Leinenkugel of lacing their beverages with acetonitrile — a solvent in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, for spinning fibers and in lithium batteries, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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

Casper-Leinenkugel has also been charged with the 2007 death of Michael Schmidt.

“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 Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

She was arrested on Jan. 16, 2026.

At a recent bond hearing, prosecutors said Livis, along with Lacey and Pegg, drank from the same bottle of wine at the gathering, the Lightning reported.

Casper-Leinenkugel allegedly searched “What happens if I accidentally ingest acetonitrile?” and “Does wine turn into cyanide?,” prosecutors said, per the outlet.

According to prosecutors, investigators found acetonitrile in her home.

In an interview with Mountain Xpress about opening a German style pub in 2016, Casper-Leinenkugel said she owned a laundromat at the age of 13. “I had to learn how to run the business and fix the machines,” she said. “It was a good learning experience.”

She told the newspaper that she had opened six restaurants and bars across the country.

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According to Livis’ LinkedIn page, she worked as a human resources payroll specialist at Western Carolina University.

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

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

A probable cause hearing is scheduled for Feb. 10.