Australian Erin Patterson convicted of mushroom murders
Erin Patterson, 50, has been charged with the murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband.
The four had gathered at Erin Patterson's home in Leongatha, a town of about 6,000 people some 135 km southeast of Melbourne, where the mother of two served them a meal of individual Beef Wellingtons accompanied by mashed potato and green beans, which were later found to contain death cap mushrooms.
On Monday, the jury in the case found her guilty of all four charges, the court heard in Morwell, a town around two hours east of Melbourne where the trial was being held.
Patterson, who had pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying the deaths were accidental, will be sentenced at a later date.
The 10-week trial attracted huge global interest, with local and international media descending on Court 4 at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court in Morwell, the nearest court to Patterson's home where she had requested to be tried, despite being warned of lengthy delays.
State broadcaster ABC's daily podcast on proceedings was consistently among the most popular in Australia during the trial, while several documentaries on the case are already in production.
MAJOR DECEPTION
The prosecution, led by barrister Nanette Rogers, told the court that Patterson had employed four major deceptions in order to murder her guests.
She first fabricated a cancer diagnosis to lure the guests to the lunch, poisoning their meals while serving herself an untainted portion, Rogers told the court.
Patterson then lied that she was also sick from the food to avoid suspicion, before finally embarking on a cover-up when police began investigating the deaths, attempting to destroy evidence and lying to police, the prosecution said.
Patterson, who said during the trial she had inherited large sums of money from her mother and grandmother, retained a four-person legal team, led by Colin Mandy, one of Melbourne's top criminal barristers.
She was the only witness in her defence, spending eight days on the stand, including five days of cross-examination.
Patterson told the court about a life-long struggle with her weight, an eating disorder and low self-esteem, frequently becoming emotional as she spoke about the impact of the lunch on the Patterson family and her two children.
She had lied about having cancer not to lure the guests to the lunch to kill them, but because she was looking for their help with telling her children and was embarrassed to say that she actually planned to have weight loss surgery, she told the court.
Patterson had also not become as sick as her lunch guests because she secretly binged on a cake brought by her mother-in-law and then purged herself, she told the court.
The jury of seven men and five women retired on June 30, taking a week to reach a verdict.
Justice Beale gave the jurors in the trial special dispensation to avoid jury duty for the next 15 years, due to the length and complexity of the case.
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Al Etihad
07-07-2025
- Al Etihad
Australian woman found guilty of murder for serving deadly mushroom meal
7 July 2025 17:25 SYDNEY (dpa)An Australian woman was found guilty on Monday on three charges of murder relating to a deadly mushroom-laced lunch she had served jury found 50-year-old Erin Patterson guilty on three charges of murder and one of attempted murder relating to the Beef Wellington lunch she had served in July 2023, according to Australian media had pleaded not guilty to the charges, arguing the incident was a tragic was found guilty of murder in relation to the death of her former in-laws and her former mother-in-law's sister. The trio died in hospital days after eating the was found guilty on a charge of attempted murder relating to the sister's husband, who was taken to hospital in a critical condition but mother of two children was arrested in November 2023, and her house was two months, the jury heard from more than 50 witnesses, including the two families, medical experts, a fungi scientist and Erin Beef Wellington was found to have contained highly poisonous death cap mushrooms. Patterson repeatedly insisted she did not know how the poisonous mushrooms got into the dish, telling the police she had prepared the meal using both fresh and dried before her arrest, Patterson sent investigators a written account of her version of events through her lawyers."I am now devastated to think that these mushrooms may have contributed to the illness suffered by my loved ones. I really want to repeat that I had absolutely no reason to hurt these people whom I loved," she herself was treated in hospital for severe stomach pains and diarrhoea after the meal, but discharged herself against medical advice, the attending physician told the court. Patterson faces life imprisonment for the crimes, although Judge Christopher Beale will not announce the sentence until a later date.
Khaleej Times
07-07-2025
- Khaleej Times
Australian woman found guilty of triple murder with toxic mushrooms
An Australian woman murdered her husband's parents and aunt by lacing their beef Wellington lunch with toxic mushrooms, a jury found Monday at the climax of a trial watched around the world. Keen home cook Erin Patterson hosted an intimate meal in July 2023 that started with good-natured banter and earnest prayer -- but ended with three guests dead. Throughout a trial lasting more than two months, Patterson maintained the beef-and-pastry dish was accidentally poisoned with death cap mushrooms, the world's most-lethal fungus. But a 12-person jury on Monday found the 50-year-old guilty of triple murder, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. She was also found guilty of attempting to murder a fourth guest who survived. "I think it's very important that we remember that we've had three people that have died," said Detective Inspector Dean Thomas after the verdict. "I ask that we acknowledge those people and not forget them." The trial has drawn podcasters, film crews and true crime fans to the rural town of Morwell, a sedate hamlet in the state of Victoria better known for prize-winning roses. Newspapers from New York to New Delhi have followed every twist of what many now simply call the "mushroom murders". 'Delicious' Family members of the victims declined to speak after the verdict, asking for privacy in a statement issued through police. A lone friend of Patterson appeared overcome with emotion as she left the courthouse. "I'm saddened. But it is what it is," she told reporters. On July 29, 2023, Patterson set the table for an intimate family meal at her tree-shaded country property. Her lunch guests that afternoon were Don and Gail Patterson, the parents of her long-estranged husband Simon. Places were also set for Simon's maternal aunt Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian, a well-known pastor at the local Baptist church. Husband Simon was urged to come but he declined because he felt "uncomfortable". In the background, Patterson's relationship with Simon was starting to turn sour. The pair -- still legally married -- had been fighting over Simon's child support contributions. Patterson forked out for expensive cuts of beef, which she slathered in a duxelles of minced mushrooms and wrapped in pastry to make individual parcels of beef Wellington. Guests said grace before tucking in -- and prayed once more after eating -- with Heather later gushing about the "delicious and beautiful" meal. Death cap mushrooms are easily mistaken for other edible varieties, and reportedly possess a sweet taste that belies their potent toxicity. 'Not survivable' The guests' blood was swiftly coursing with deadly amatoxin, a poison produced by the death cap mushrooms known to sprout under the oak trees of Victoria. Don, Gail and Heather died of organ failure within a week. Detectives soon found signs that Patterson had dished up the meal with murderous intent. Patterson told her guests she had received a cancer diagnosis and needed advice on breaking the news to her children, prosecutors alleged. But medical records showed Patterson received no such diagnosis. The prosecution said this was a lie cooked up to lure the diners to her table. She also lied about owning a food dehydrator which police later found dumped in a rubbish tip. Forensic tests found the appliance contained traces of the fatal fungi. "I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible," Patterson told the trial. A computer seized from her house had browsed a website pinpointing death cap mushrooms spotted a short drive from her house a year before the lunch, police said. 'Super sleuth' Death caps are the most lethal mushrooms on the planet, responsible for some 90 percent of all fatalities due to consuming toxic fungi. Baptist preacher Ian Wilkinson was the only guest to survive, pulling through after weeks in hospital. He told the court how guests' meals were served on four grey plates, while Patterson ate from a smaller orange dish. But he could not explain why Patterson wanted him dead. Patterson was a devoted mother-of-two with an active interest in her tight-knit community. She was also a well-known true crime buff, joining a Facebook group to chew over details from infamous Australian murders. Friend Christine Hunt told the jury Patterson had a reputation as "a bit of a super sleuth". Patterson maintained through her lawyers it was nothing more than a "terrible accident". "She didn't do it deliberately. She didn't do it intentionally," defence lawyer Colin Mandy told the trial. "She denies that she ever deliberately sought out death cap mushrooms." Confronted with countless hours of intricate expert testimony, it took the jury a week to find Patterson guilty. The court will soon set a date for a sentencing hearing that will determine how long Patterson spends in jail. Her legal team has 28 days after sentencing to appeal both her criminal convictions and her sentence. Patterson's lawyers have not yet indicated whether they will appeal.
Dubai Eye
07-07-2025
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Australian Erin Patterson convicted of mushroom murders
An Australian woman has been convicted of murdering three relatives of her estranged husband with a meal laced with poisonous mushrooms. Erin Patterson, 50, has been charged with the murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband. The four had gathered at Erin Patterson's home in Leongatha, a town of about 6,000 people some 135 km southeast of Melbourne, where the mother of two served them a meal of individual Beef Wellingtons accompanied by mashed potato and green beans, which were later found to contain death cap mushrooms. On Monday, the jury in the case found her guilty of all four charges, the court heard in Morwell, a town around two hours east of Melbourne where the trial was being held. Patterson, who had pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying the deaths were accidental, will be sentenced at a later date. The 10-week trial attracted huge global interest, with local and international media descending on Court 4 at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court in Morwell, the nearest court to Patterson's home where she had requested to be tried, despite being warned of lengthy delays. State broadcaster ABC's daily podcast on proceedings was consistently among the most popular in Australia during the trial, while several documentaries on the case are already in production. MAJOR DECEPTION The prosecution, led by barrister Nanette Rogers, told the court that Patterson had employed four major deceptions in order to murder her guests. She first fabricated a cancer diagnosis to lure the guests to the lunch, poisoning their meals while serving herself an untainted portion, Rogers told the court. Patterson then lied that she was also sick from the food to avoid suspicion, before finally embarking on a cover-up when police began investigating the deaths, attempting to destroy evidence and lying to police, the prosecution said. Patterson, who said during the trial she had inherited large sums of money from her mother and grandmother, retained a four-person legal team, led by Colin Mandy, one of Melbourne's top criminal barristers. She was the only witness in her defence, spending eight days on the stand, including five days of cross-examination. Patterson told the court about a life-long struggle with her weight, an eating disorder and low self-esteem, frequently becoming emotional as she spoke about the impact of the lunch on the Patterson family and her two children. She had lied about having cancer not to lure the guests to the lunch to kill them, but because she was looking for their help with telling her children and was embarrassed to say that she actually planned to have weight loss surgery, she told the court. Patterson had also not become as sick as her lunch guests because she secretly binged on a cake brought by her mother-in-law and then purged herself, she told the court. The jury of seven men and five women retired on June 30, taking a week to reach a verdict. Justice Beale gave the jurors in the trial special dispensation to avoid jury duty for the next 15 years, due to the length and complexity of the case.
