Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A Henderson County woman accused of poisoning and killing her daughter in 2025 and a man nearly two decades earlier is asking a judge to separate the two murder cases for trial.
Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel, 52, is facing murder charges and many felony charges connected to the deaths of her daughter, Leela Jean Livis, and Michael “Misha” Schmidt.
Investigators allege Casper-Leinenkugel poisoned a bottle of wine during a family Thanksgiving gathering in 2025, killing Livis. Prosecutors also accuse her of poisoning Schmidt, who died in 2007.
They claim she attempted to kill her other daughter, Mia Lacey, and Lacey’s boyfriend, Richard Pegg, during the Thanksgiving gathering.
On Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, the defense filed a motion asking a judge to separate the 2007 murder charge from the charges stemming from the 2025 case.
Casper-Leinenkugel’s attorney, Paul Bidwell, told News 13 there's not enough evidence.
“And that's certainly what we're seeing in this case, which is there's very little evidence other than very, very, very circumstantial evidence to support either of these,” Bidwell said. “So, it only makes sense for the state to want to try them together.”
Bidwell said trying the cases together could allow one case to bolster the other, something the defense describes as “bootstrapping.”
During an interview with News 13, Bidwell referenced a video he says is included in discovery provided to the defense. According to Bidwell, the video shows an investigator discussing the case with someone from out of state.
“That investigator had indicated that there's very little chance of gaining a conviction against our client unless both the case from 2007 involving a gentleman by the name of Misha Schmidt and the case involving our client's daughter are tried at the same time,” Bidwell said.
The filing also raises questions about the evidence surrounding Schmidt's death. The defense says no complete, current forensic record — including quantitative toxicology — has been produced establishing the cause and manner of Schmidt's death to the standard prosecutors would need to prove the charge on its own.
Prosecutors have alleged Casper-Leinenkugel was the last person seen with Schmidt before he was found dead after the two had been drinking alcohol together.
Questions also remain over what happened during the 2025 Thanksgiving gathering.
Casper-Leinenkugel's other daughter has said her mother never touched the wine investigators allege was poisoned.
News 13 asked Bidwell what the defense believes may have happened if Casper-Leinenkugel did not poison her daughter.
“When you finish looking at the analysis, or once you do the analysis of the evidence that's out there, it looks more and more as though this is just a really terrible accident,” Bidwell said.
Prosecutors allege both Livis and Schmidt died from acetonitrile poisoning.
Investigators have described acetonitrile as a chemical with industrial uses. Bidwell argues the chemical has other uses, like pesticides.
“I don't think it was under lock and key,” Bidwell said. “Is it possible that other people got to it? All those things are possible.”
At the most recent hearing in the case, prosecutors also said investigators found internet searches on Casper-Leinenkugel's device about what happens when someone ingests acetonitrile.
If the judge grants the defense motion, the 2007 murder charge would be tried separately from the charges stemming from the 2025 incident.
No trial date has been set. As of Wednesday evening, the state had not filed a response to the defense's motion.
#poisoning #murdercharges #crimenews
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A Henderson County woman accused of poisoning and killing her daughter in 2025 and a man nearly two decades earlier is asking a judge to separate the two murder cases for trial.
Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel, 52, is facing murder charges and many felony charges connected to the deaths of her daughter, Leela Jean Livis, and Michael “Misha” Schmidt.
Investigators allege Casper-Leinenkugel poisoned a bottle of wine during a family Thanksgiving gathering in 2025, killing Livis. Prosecutors also accuse her of poisoning Schmidt, who died in 2007.
They claim she attempted to kill her other daughter, Mia Lacey, and Lacey’s boyfriend, Richard Pegg, during the Thanksgiving gathering.
On Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, the defense filed a motion asking a judge to separate the 2007 murder charge from the charges stemming from the 2025 case.
Casper-Leinenkugel’s attorney, Paul Bidwell, told News 13 there's not enough evidence.
“And that's certainly what we're seeing in this case, which is there's very little evidence other than very, very, very circumstantial evidence to support either of these,” Bidwell said. “So, it only makes sense for the state to want to try them together.”
Bidwell said trying the cases together could allow one case to bolster the other, something the defense describes as “bootstrapping.”
During an interview with News 13, Bidwell referenced a video he says is included in discovery provided to the defense. According to Bidwell, the video shows an investigator discussing the case with someone from out of state.
“That investigator had indicated that there's very little chance of gaining a conviction against our client unless both the case from 2007 involving a gentleman by the name of Misha Schmidt and the case involving our client's daughter are tried at the same time,” Bidwell said.
The filing also raises questions about the evidence surrounding Schmidt's death. The defense says no complete, current forensic record — including quantitative toxicology — has been produced establishing the cause and manner of Schmidt's death to the standard prosecutors would need to prove the charge on its own.
Prosecutors have alleged Casper-Leinenkugel was the last person seen with Schmidt before he was found dead after the two had been drinking alcohol together.
Questions also remain over what happened during the 2025 Thanksgiving gathering.
Casper-Leinenkugel's other daughter has said her mother never touched the wine investigators allege was poisoned.
News 13 asked Bidwell what the defense believes may have happened if Casper-Leinenkugel did not poison her daughter.
“When you finish looking at the analysis, or once you do the analysis of the evidence that's out there, it looks more and more as though this is just a really terrible accident,” Bidwell said.
Prosecutors allege both Livis and Schmidt died from acetonitrile poisoning.
Investigators have described acetonitrile as a chemical with industrial uses. Bidwell argues the chemical has other uses, like pesticides.
“I don't think it was under lock and key,” Bidwell said. “Is it possible that other people got to it? All those things are possible.”
At the most recent hearing in the case, prosecutors also said investigators found internet searches on Casper-Leinenkugel's device about what happens when someone ingests acetonitrile.
If the judge grants the defense motion, the 2007 murder charge would be tried separately from the charges stemming from the 2025 incident.
No trial date has been set. As of Wednesday evening, the state had not filed a response to the defense's motion.
#poisoning #murdercharges #crimenews
MORE: wlos.com/news/local/poisoning-deaths-hendersonville-seperate-trials-woman-thanksgiving-daughter-defense-prosecutors-2007-2025-western-north-carolina-court-gundrun-casper-leinenkugel
_______________
Follow WLOS on social media:
WLOS ABC 13 News on Facebook: facebook.com/News13
WLOS ABC 13 News on X: https://x.com/WLOS_13
WLOS ABC 13 News on Instagram: instagram.com/wlos_13
Subscribe to WLOS on YouTube: youtube.com/user/ABC13Channel/?sub_confirmation=1
For all of the day’s top local and national news, visit wlos.com
Stream our newscasts LIVE: wlos.com/watch
Have a news tip? Send it directly to us:
Email us: news@wlos.com
Call the Newsroom: 828.684.1340
--
WLOS ABC 13 News serves the Asheville, NC area and the rest of western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina. We keep our audience informed through local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of community events, sports and entertainment programming since 1954.
This video and all Sinclair Broadcast Group content archives of local news and sports coverage are available for your use. For more information contact us at contentsales@sbgtv.com
