HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Charges have been filed in connection with a 2025 homicide, two attempted murders and a decades-old cold case following what authorities described as an extensive investigation, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said.
The sheriff’s office Violent Crime Unit charged Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel, of Hendersonville, with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. Investigators allege she is responsible for the 2025 killing of Leela Livis and the attempted murders of Richard Pegg and Mia Lacey.
Detectives also said evidence uncovered during the investigation links Casper-Leinenkugel to the 2007 murder of Michael Schmidt in Henderson County.
In addition to the homicide-related charges, Casper-Leinenkugel faces three counts of distribution of a prohibited food or beverage. Casper-Leinenkugel is being held in the Henderson County Detention Center.
Authorities said no additional details will be released to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and emphasized there is no current threat to the public.
Sheriff Lowell S. Griffin thanked the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina Department of Insurance and the District Attorney’s Office for their assistance.
Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crime Unit at 828-694-2938.
