5 Reasons This Mom Could Be A Serial Killer: Forensic Psychologist

5 Reasons This Mom Could Be A Serial Killer: Forensic Psychologist

Did this mom poison her family at Thanksgiving dinner? And even worse, could she be a serial killer? North Carolina investigators are asking if Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel could be the rare female serial killer. Authorities say Gudrun poisoned wine served at a Thanksgiving gathering, killing her daughter Leela Livis and sickening two others. But as investigators dug into her past, they uncovered another death from 2007 involving the same chemical and began examining additional suspicious deaths of people connected to her. In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, investigative journalist Anne Emerson sits down with forensic psychologist Dr. Joni Johnston to do a deep dive into the psychology behind the allegations and explain why female serial killers often look very different from the serial killers most people imagine. Why do female serial killers often target people closest to them? Why is poison such a common weapon? And does Gudrun fit the profile investigators are now considering? Subscribe to Criminally Obsessed for exclusive true crime interviews, expert analysis on the true crime stories you're following, and the latest developments in the shocking Thanksgiving poisoning case.

Thanksgiving Poisoning Mom Chose The “Perfect Cover,” Says Victim's Father

A Thanksgiving dinner. A bottle of wine. One daughter dead. And a question investigators are now asking: could this be the work of a female serial killer? Authorities say North Carolina mother Gudrun Casper-Leinenkugel poisoned members of her own family during Thanksgiving dinner by allegedly lacing wine with acetonitrile, a chemical that converts to cyanide in the body. Her 32-year-old daughter, Leela Livis, died. Two others survived. But investigators say the story doesn't stop there. As they dug into Gudrun's past, authorities uncovered another death from 2007 involving the same chemical and reopened questions surrounding a third death in 2017. Now prosecutors are pursuing multiple murder charges as they continue to investigate whether these deaths are connected. In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, investigative reporter Anne Emerson sits down with Travis Peterson, Leela's father, for an emotional and revealing conversation about losing his daughter, the evidence that convinced him investigators got the right person, and why he believes Thanksgiving may have been the "perfect cover." Subscribe to Criminally Obsessed for exclusive true crime interviews, expert analysis, and the latest updates on the cases everyone is talking about.

Alex Murdaugh Retrial Latest - Attorney General Says 'Everything Is On the Table'

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson calls Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial ‘more than a trial. It's  a saga.” The South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Alex Murdaugh's double murder convictions of ihis wife Maggie Murdaugh and son Paul Murdaugh.  They were shot to death June 7, 2021 at the family’s Moselle property in Colleton County, South Carolina. Alan Wilson won’t be back to personally prosecute what some might call part two of South Carolina’s trial of the century.  In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, investigative reporter Anne Emerson sits down with Wilson for an unfiltered conversation about the Alex Murdaugh murder case, the shocking decision by the South Carolina Supreme Court to overturn the original convictions, and whether prosecutors believe they can secure another guilty verdict in one of the biggest true crime cases in America. We ask Wilson our burning questions about disgraced Clerk of Court Becky Hill, Alex’s alleged co-conspirator and cousin Curtis “Eddie” Smith, and the still unsolved Stephen Smith investigation, and hear about his real-time reactions to seeing key evidence in the case for the first time, like the infamous kennel video. Subscribe to Criminally Obsessed for our ongoing coverage of all things Murdaugh, and go beyond the true crime headlines with exclusive interviews, expert analysis, and authentic conversations with the people closest to these true crime headlines.

“A Monster Of A Case” — Police Share Inside Information On Roxanne Sharp’s Murder

When the Roxanne Sharp murder case went cold, Louisiana State Police tried something unusual to help solve the 1982 killing: they partnered with a trusted local radio host in a small Louisiana town to launch a true crime podcast. In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, Anne Emerson speaks with Louisiana State Police PIO Marc Gremillion about how podcaster Charles Dowdy and the "Who Killed Roxanne?" podcast helped generate new leads in the decades-old cold case murder investigation. After Roxanne Sharp’s case was featured on the true crime podcast and shared across social media, tips started pouring in from Louisiana and across the country. Former Covington residents, people connected to the case, and even younger generations who had only heard rumors about the murder mystery began reaching out to investigators. Louisiana State Police say this was one of the first times the agency partnered so closely with a podcast during an active cold case investigation — and after seeing the response, they believe podcast collaborations could become an important tool in future murder investigations and unsolved cases. The Roxanne Sharp case is now one of the most compelling examples of how true crime podcasts and local journalism can help revive cold cases, reexamine crime scene evidence, and generate new leads. Do you think podcasts and true crime documentaries can help solve crimes? Could more police agencies begin partnering with local media and podcasters to reopen unsolved murder cases? Let us know in the comments.

Why It Took 44 Years (and a True Crime Podcast) to Bring Charges in Roxanne Sharp’s Killing

A murdered teenage girl. A cold case that went unsolved for more than four decades. After years without answers, Louisiana State Police tried something different: they helped launch a true crime podcast to generate new leads. Now, four men have been charged in connection with the 1982 killing of Roxanne Sharp. Roxanne was 16 when her body was found in a wooded area near the St. Tammany Parish Fairgrounds in Covington, Louisiana. According to Louisiana State Police, the initial investigation determined she had been raped and murdered, but due to limited physical evidence and a lack of public and witness cooperation, the case remained unsolved for more than four decades. That changed after Louisiana State Police took over the investigation and teamed with local radio host Charles Dowdy of the Lake 94.7 to produce the podcast "Who Killed Roxanne?" Authorities say the podcast generated new information, leads, and witness cooperation that had previously been unknown to investigators. In April 2026, arrest warrants were obtained for four men: Perry Wayne Taylor, Darrell Dean Spell, Carlos Cooper, and Billy Williams Jr., all of Covington, Louisiana. They were charged with aggravated rape and second-degree murder. In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, Anne Emerson speaks with the podcast's host, Dowdy, about the case, the podcast, and how storytelling helped move forward a murder investigation that haunted Louisiana for more than four decades.