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Holiday Dinner Turns Deadly: Mom Accused of Murder
21 Oct
Summary
- A mother is accused of poisoning her daughter and two others.
- One victim died after drinking wine at a post-Thanksgiving dinner.
- The alleged poisoning incident occurred during a 2025 holiday gathering.
A 2025 holiday gathering tragically turned deadly when Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel allegedly poisoned a bottle of wine. The incident led to the death of her daughter, Leela Livis. Another daughter, Maija Lacey, and Lacey's boyfriend, Richard Pegg, also became violently ill after consuming the tainted wine during a post-Thanksgiving dinner hosted by Casper-Leinenkugel.
Pegg required hospitalization but ultimately recovered. Tragically, Livis was found deceased at her home on December 1, 2025. In 2026, Casper-Leinenkugel was formally charged with murder in connection with her daughter's death and attempted murder for the poisonings of Lacey and Pegg. She has entered a plea of not guilty to these serious charges.
