A North Carolina mother has been charged with first-degree murder, accused of poisoning a bottle of wine served at a 2025 Thanksgiving gathering that killed her 32-year-old daughter and sickened two other guests, authorities said. The woman, 52-year-old Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel, was arrested Jan. 16 and is being held without bond while investigators review lab findings and electronic records tied to the case.
Officials say the death of Leela Livis on Dec. 1, 2025, set off a homicide probe that soon centered on a bottle opened during dinner at a home in Henderson County. Investigators allege the wine was contaminated with acetonitrile, a solvent that metabolizes into cyanide and can cause delayed, lethal toxicity. Two other guests — identified by authorities as Livis’ half-sister, Mia Lacey, and Lacey’s boyfriend, Richard Pegg — became ill after drinking from the same bottle and later recovered. The arrest moves a months-long inquiry into a courtroom phase as prosecutors weigh additional counts and detectives examine whether the Thanksgiving bottle links to earlier suspicious incidents.
Detectives said paramedics were called after multiple people reported sudden illness in the hours after the holiday meal. Livis was hospitalized and died days later. Toxicologists flagged cyanide poisoning based on clinical findings, prompting a broader search for the source. According to charging documents summarized by authorities, investigators seized electronic devices and found searches about acetonitrile’s toxicity and availability. During follow-up interviews, guests told detectives that only three people drank from a particular bottle that evening. “The symptoms progressed rapidly and were consistent with cyanide exposure,” a law enforcement official said in a briefing. Prosecutors obtained warrants after state crime lab tests indicated acetonitrile contamination consistent with ingestion from the shared bottle.
Casper-Leinenkugel faces two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and three counts of distributing prohibited food or beverages, officials said. One murder count is tied to Livis’ death; the second stems from a separate case in 2007 that investigators recently revisited in Henderson County. Authorities have not released a detailed narrative of that earlier homicide but said new forensic review and witness work led to the additional charge. In the Thanksgiving case, officials allege acetonitrile was the delivery agent: the clear liquid can release cyanide inside the body and has an almond-like odor that may go unnoticed when mixed with flavorful drinks. Investigators have not said where or how the chemical was obtained, whether a supplier has been identified, or whether other containers at the home tested positive.
Casper-Leinenkugel is a former restaurant and bar owner with ties to the Asheville area. Relatives said Livis worked at a university in western North Carolina. The Thanksgiving gathering took place in Henderson County, a mountainous region south of Asheville known for farms and small towns. In recent years, homicide detectives in the region have leaned more on toxicology and digital forensics to unravel deliberate poisonings, which can present like sudden medical crises unless clinicians and investigators spot patterns. In this case, officials say the focused victim pool — only those who drank from the same bottle — and the specific lab results narrowed the field quickly, steering the inquiry toward the dinner table and everyone who handled the bottle before it was opened.
Court filings indicate the investigation draws on hospital toxicology, crime lab analyses, and seized electronics. Detectives also reviewed messages and search histories, looking for planning, purchase attempts or discussions about chemical agents. Authorities said interviews with guests and family helped establish when the bottle appeared on the table, who poured and who drank. The state crime lab’s report, while summarized by officials, has not been filed publicly in full. Investigators have not detailed the exact dose, the brand or vintage of the wine, or the route the bottle took to the home. They also have not said whether fingerprints or DNA on the container advanced the case.
Prosecutors added a second first-degree murder charge linked to a 2007 death in Henderson County after a cold-case review surfaced parallels, officials said. That earlier victim, identified by local media as Michael Schmidt, died in a suspicious incident nearly two decades ago. Detectives said newly tested evidence and re-interviewed witnesses prompted the additional count this month. Authorities cautioned that the Thanksgiving case and the 2007 charge will proceed on separate tracks, and they declined to say whether the same method is alleged in both. “The legal processes are distinct, even as the investigations inform one another,” a spokesperson said.
Poisoning cases are uncommon and can be complex to prosecute. Cyanide exposure acts quickly by blocking the body’s ability to use oxygen, and acetonitrile’s delayed conversion can complicate timelines. Medical examiners typically look for hallmark findings alongside blood and tissue testing, then correlate results with scene evidence. Forensic chemists analyze glassware, residual liquids and containers to establish source and concentration. Digital evidence — searches, messages, location data — often fills in planning and opportunity. In Henderson County, detectives said they also canvassed local stores and online marketplaces to see whether any purchase records match the chemical profile in lab reports.
Casper-Leinenkugel is being held without bond at the county jail. A probable cause hearing is set for Feb. 10, according to court schedules released with the arrest announcement. Prosecutors said they have not decided whether to seek the death penalty. Defense counsel of record had not been listed as of the latest docket posting. In the coming weeks, investigators are expected to complete supplemental interviews, finalize chain-of-custody documentation for the bottle and associated evidence, and deliver a fuller discovery packet to the District Attorney’s Office. Any grand jury presentments would follow after those steps. Separate hearings are expected later in the 2007 case.
Neighbors said they were stunned by the allegations. A resident who lives near the address associated with the Thanksgiving gathering said emergency vehicles crowded the street that night and then returned in the days after, when detectives conducted searches. Friends described Livis as upbeat and devoted to her work. Former patrons recalled Casper-Leinenkugel’s previous restaurant ventures in the region. “It’s hard to believe a family holiday could end like this,” said a longtime family acquaintance who asked not to be named to protect privacy. Grief counselors at local schools and workplaces said they have been in contact with people close to the family.
As of Feb. 1, investigators had not released the full lab report or a complete evidence inventory. Officials said additional updates would come after the probable cause hearing and as records are filed in court. The sheriff’s office and the State Bureau of Investigation asked anyone with relevant information to contact detectives. Both the Thanksgiving case and the 2007 homicide charge remain active.
Author note: Last updated February 1, 2026.