Investigators say poisoned wine served at Thanksgiving dinner leads to a mother’s murder charge of her own daughter

The story began on WLOS News 13 with anchor Holly Headrick calling it a disturbing investigation, because it stretches across nearly two decades and, according to deputies, runs straight through one family’s dinner table.

In the video report, Elijah Skipper said investigators believe an alleged poisoning happened during a Thanksgiving gathering in Henderson County, with wine served at the meal that authorities now say was laced with a chemical that later converts into cyanide.

The suspect is Gudrun Linda Jean Casper-Leinenkugel, and the case is being described by investigators as both complex and still unfolding, with more connections possibly waiting to be uncovered.

Skipper’s reporting made the stakes painfully clear: deputies say the alleged poisoning is tied to the death of Casper-Leinenkugel’s own daughter, Leela Jean Livis, along with claims of attempted poisonings involving another daughter and her boyfriend.

Even more unsettling, investigators also charge that the same poison was involved in a separate death dating back to 2007, which is the kind of detail that turns a single shocking case into a long, creeping timeline.

A Thanksgiving Gathering That Turned Into A Criminal Case

Skipper said investigators believe the poisoning happened during Thanksgiving 2025, and they allege wine served at that family gathering was intentionally contaminated.

In the report, he explained that detectives believe the wine was laced with a chemical that later transfers to cyanide, which is a sentence that reads like a crime novel until you remember this is a real kitchen table and real people.

Headrick’s introduction set the tone by describing charges that include the daughter’s death and the attempted murder of the other daughter and her boyfriend, all tied to that same alleged poisoned wine.

This part of the case hits like a punch because Thanksgiving is usually framed as comfort food, family rituals, and noisy conversation, not forensic chemistry and arrest warrants.

And it’s hard not to think about how, in alleged poisoning cases, the weapon isn’t loud or obvious; it’s hidden inside something meant to be shared, which makes the betrayal feel especially cold.

Skipper stressed that investigators are still piecing together how it happened and whether other connections are involved, which suggests this isn’t being treated like a closed box with one clean explanation.

What The Warrants And Charges Allege

Skipper reported that arrest warrants filed in Henderson County District Court accuse Casper-Leinenkugel of multiple serious crimes, including counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and multiple counts tied to distributing a prohibited food or beverage.

He said court records allege she killed Livis and is also responsible for the 2007 death of Michael Schmidt, both by poisoning.

Investigators also allege she attempted to kill her other daughter, Mia Lacey, and Lacey’s boyfriend, Richard Pegg, during that same Thanksgiving gathering.

The chemical named in the case is acetonitrile, described in the report as an industrial solvent that converts into cyanide once ingested, and Skipper said warrants accuse the suspect of knowingly distributing a drink containing that toxic substance.

That detail is important because prosecutors generally have to show intent in cases like this, and the language described in the warrants – “knowingly distributing” – signals what investigators believe they can prove.

Skipper also reported that the alleged poisoning tied to Schmidt is dated to October 2007, while the more recent allegations are tied to the Thanksgiving gathering in 2025.

It’s an uncomfortable pairing of dates, because it implies investigators believe the same person used the same kind of method years apart, which raises obvious questions about what was known then, what was missed, and why it took so long for the cases to intersect.

A Prior Life In Asheville And New Voices Coming Forward

Skipper said that as investigators continue examining whether the cases are connected, people who knew Casper-Leinenkugel in other parts of her life are reacting, and he centered part of his report around someone who says they once worked for her.

That person, a former bar manager who asked to be identified only by the nickname Jacks, told News 13 they worked for Casper-Leinenkugel nearly a decade ago at Patton Public House, a now-closed Asheville restaurant the suspect owned.

Jacks described the experience in a way that sounded both uneasy and careful, saying they didn’t want to be targeted simply because they were once in close proximity to a murder suspect.

In the video, Jacks said, “I don’t want to say that I wasn’t surprised, but I was like, the lady, she was weird,” adding they didn’t know how to put it into words.

That kind of quote matters because it shows how, when a high-profile arrest happens, people who once knew the suspect often try to re-score old memories, searching for warning signs that may not have seemed meaningful at the time.

Skipper also noted that Patton Public House had previously been the subject of News 13 reporting in 2016 after employees complained about payroll problems and management disputes, and he referenced a recorded heated meeting involving Casper-Leinenkugel.

In the report, audio from that earlier dispute captured a tense exchange, and Skipper made clear that no criminal charges were filed in connection with the restaurant situation, while Casper-Leinenkugel denied wrongdoing at the time and blamed payroll issues.

Jacks said they were hired after that earlier reporting and never personally missed a paycheck, yet still described the workplace as unpredictable, which paints a picture of volatility without claiming that volatility equals violence.

One of the more haunting parts of Jacks’ comments was how they tried to square their memory of the person they knew with the allegations now being described in court documents.

Jacks said the suspect was high-energy, sporadic, and surrounded by controversy, but also said they never expected to see her accused of murdering multiple people by poison, which is the kind of line that sticks because it sounds like genuine disbelief, not performance.

The Family Details That Make This Harder To Read

Skipper’s report didn’t just focus on paperwork and charges; it also captured the emotional shock of seeing a family member named as both suspect and alleged victim.

Jacks told News 13 that, years ago, their perception was that the mother and daughter seemed close, saying they were “always together” and would come to the bar together.

They described the daughter as quiet, bookish, and friendly, and then asked the question many people ask when a case like this breaks wide open: what in the world was going on behind the scenes.

That’s the part that makes stories like this so unsettling, because outsiders often see the surface of a relationship – shared errands, casual conversations, familiar routines – while the real dynamics stay hidden until something terrible forces them into daylight.

And if investigators are right, the alleged method adds another layer of dread, because poisoning isn’t just about harm; it’s about trust, timing, and control, and it turns an everyday drink into the delivery system.

It also forces everyone around the table into a kind of after-the-fact detective role, where they replay who poured what, who drank what, and who may have noticed something that didn’t feel right until it was too late.

Where The Case Stands Now

Skipper reported that court documents show Casper-Leinenkugel was arrested on January 16 and served with the warrants later that morning.

He also said the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office describes the investigation as active and involving multiple agencies, which is usually a sign that investigators believe there is more work to do than a single arrest can resolve.

Authorities are asking anyone with relevant information about Casper-Leinenkugel or past interactions to contact the sheriff’s office violent crime unit, and Skipper’s framing suggested investigators are still building a fuller picture of the suspect’s past.

A case like this tends to widen as it grows, because once people hear there’s an arrest tied to an alleged poisoning, anyone who had a strange illness, a suspicious encounter, or even just an odd memory may start wondering if it belongs in the same file.

That can be helpful to investigators, but it can also flood a case with noise, which is why law enforcement often emphasizes “relevant” information and tries to separate rumor from evidence.

Skipper also noted that Casper-Leinenkugel has not entered a plea, and like any defendant, she is presumed innocent under the law unless and until proven guilty.

That legal reality matters, especially in a case this inflammatory, because “charged” and “convicted” are not the same thing, and the courtroom is where the claims will be tested, not on social media or in whispered retellings.

Still, the seriousness of the allegations – and the multi-decade span investigators are outlining – makes this a story that’s hard to shrug off, because it suggests authorities think this isn’t just one bad moment, but a pattern with deep roots.

And the most chilling detail may be the simplest: investigators say the alleged poison was placed into something ordinary, during a holiday meal, inside a family setting where people are supposed to feel safest, which is exactly why this case is drawing such intense attention.