The Henderson County District Attorney will weigh pursuing the death penalty against a Western North Carolina business owner accused of poisoning four people. She is charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
On Feb. 17, District Attorney Andrew Murray’s office filed to hold a Rule 24 pretrial conference in the case of Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel, a hearing that is required when the state intends to seek capital punishment. Murray’s office applied for the conference to occur during a Feb. 26 disposition hearing in the case. Murray declined to comment when reached Feb. 24.
Casper-Leinenkugel, a Western North Carolina business owner who helped lead Haywood Road’s Bean Werks Coffee and Tea, and Patton Public House, also known as Bryish Haus and Pub. She was indicted Jan. 28 on two counts of first degree murder, two counts of attempted first degree murder and three counts of distribution of an illegal food or beverage, which was identified as a poisonous industrial chemical…