Overview
- Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel, 52, was arrested on January 16 and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and three counts related to distributing a prohibited beverage.
- Investigators allege she killed 32-year-old Leela Livis on December 1, 2025, and attempted to kill Richard Pegg and Mia Lacey, and they say evidence connects her to Michael Schmidt’s 2007 death.
- Arrest warrants state she knowingly placed acetonitrile into victims’ beverages, a chemical officials note can cause delayed toxicity after converting to cyanide in the body.
- Court records show a judge denied her release and she is being held without bond at the Henderson County Detention Center, with a probable cause hearing set for February 20.
- Authorities say at least four people were poisoned and two died, no motive has been disclosed, and the SBI reports no ongoing threat to the public.