A mother is accused of causing the death of her daughter by poisoning her with contaminated wine during a holiday gathering, prompting an investigation into potential connections to other unexplained deaths.
Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel, 52, allegedly poisoned her daughter, making her and her daughter’s boyfriend ill in November of last year, according to prosecutors. The daughter, Leela Levis, shared the wine with her sister and her sister’s partner during a Thanksgiving dinner attended by 12 family members.
While Casper-Leinenkugel and the other nine guests avoided the wine, the trio who consumed it fell ill shortly after. Tragically, Leela passed away on December 1, leading law enforcement to launch a thorough investigation.
The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina, with support from the state’s bureau of investigation, initiated the probe following Leela’s death. Authorities revealed that the wine ingested by the trio had been tampered with acetonitrile, a clear liquid commonly found in batteries that can transform into cyanide over time, as argued by prosecutors.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Casper-Leinenkugel had reportedly searched for information on ingesting acetonitrile accidentally. Authorities also found potential links between the mother and the unsolved case of Michael Schmidt, who perished in a house fire in 2007.
North Carolina prosecutors mentioned that the mother might also be connected to other undisclosed deaths that are currently under scrutiny. Casper-Leinenkugel previously operated a restaurant inspired by council houses in Germany, her place of origin.
The accused has been formally charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, and three counts of distributing prohibited food and beverages, as reported by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. She has been denied bail and faces the possibility of the death penalty under North Carolina’s push to reintroduce the death penalty through “Iryna’s Law,” named after a Ukrainian refugee who was fatally stabbed by a mentally ill repeat offender.
“Iryna’s Law” aims to broaden the execution methods to include death by firing squad and the electric chair, as opposed to the current option of lethal injection for convicted individuals.
