North Carolina woman accused of poisoning daughter at Thanksgiving

Authorities in North Carolina have charged a woman with murder and attempted murder after her daughter allegedly died from a poisoned drink at a family Thanksgiving gathering.

Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel now faces two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder, along with several additional charges, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Prosecutors said Casper-Leinenkugel hosted a large family dinner for the occasion in 2025.

During the meal, she allegedly poisoned a bottle of wine her daughter, Leela Livis, was drinking.

Another daughter and her boyfriend also drank from the same bottle. All three later became violently ill, per a report by Fox Carolina.

Livis died on December 1, days after the dinner. Investigators later discovered the wine contained acetonitrile, a colourless chemical commonly used in industrial processes such as fibre production and lithium batteries.

As the investigation deepened, authorities revealed the case may not be isolated. She is also being investigated over the death of a man in 2007 in Hendersonville, according to NBC News.

During a court hearing on January 16, prosecutors disclosed that she may be linked to additional deaths still under investigation.

Police have not yet explained how she became connected to the 2007 case.