At a Glance
- Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel, 52, has been charged with fatally poisoning her daughter last November.
- She also faces two counts of attempted murder and three counts of distributing prohibited food or beverage.
- Detectives linked her to an unsolved 2007 fatal fire that killed Michael Schmidt.
- Why it matters: Authorities say one arrest has closed two violent crimes spanning 18 years.
A Hendersonville, North Carolina, woman is facing multiple murder and attempted-murder counts after investigators concluded she poisoned her daughter and tried to kill two other people, while also tying her to a 2007 cold-case homicide, officials announced Wednesday.
Charges and Timeline
According to arrest warrants, Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel, 52, is accused of:
- Two counts of first-degree murder
- Two counts of attempted murder
- Three counts of distribution of prohibited food or beverage
Leela Livis, the woman’s daughter, died late last year from what detectives now say was intentional poisoning. “It is believed the poisoning took place last November just before the death of the female victim,” North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Chad Flowers told James O Connor Fields.
Authorities did not disclose what substance was used or how it was administered. They also would not describe the medical timeline between Livis falling ill and her eventual death.
Additional Victims
Investigators say Casper-Leinenkugel also attempted to poison:
- Richard Pegg
- Mia Lacey
Both survived, but officials have not detailed their current conditions or how the attempts were carried out.
2007 Cold-Case Connection
Detectives reopened the unsolved October 2007 fatal fire that claimed the life of Michael Schmidt inside a Hendersonville residence. County and state agencies have not explained what new evidence surfaced or how they definitively connected Casper-Leinenkugel to Schmidt’s death.
The renewed probe came only after the recent poisoning investigation gained momentum, according to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crime Unit, which worked alongside the State Bureau of Investigation.
“After an extensive and comprehensive investigation… [we] have charged Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel… in connection with the 2025 murder of Leela Livis and the attempted murder of Richard Pegg and Mia Lacey,” the agency said.
Community and Custody
Hendersonville, home to just under 16,000 residents, sits south of Asheville in the mountainous western part of the state. The town had no comment beyond confirming the suspect’s local address.
Casper-Leinenkugel was being held Wednesday in the Henderson County Jail. Court records did not yet list an attorney, and officials said they did not know whether she had retained counsel or been assigned a public defender.
Investigation Status
The State Bureau of Investigation has classified both the recent poisoning and the 18-year-old fire death as closed following the arrest. Detectives declined to answer additional questions, citing an ongoing review of forensic evidence that will be presented to prosecutors.
No trial date has been set. The Henderson County District Attorney’s Office expects to present the case to a grand jury within the next several weeks, according to News Of Philadelphia.
Key Takeaways
- Detectives say one suspect is now responsible for two deaths nearly two decades apart.
- Toxicology results linked the recent murder, but the fire connection remains sealed.
- Three separate victims, one fatal, have been accounted for in the multi-count indictment.
