Australian woman Erin Patterson convicted of mushroom murders of husband's relatives
After a week of deliberation, the jury found Erin Patterson lured her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, to lunch at her home and poisoned them with individual servings of Beef Wellington that contained death cap mushrooms.
They also found the 50-year-old guilty of the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, who survivedthe 2023 meal at Erin Patterson's home in Leongatha, a town of about 6,000 people some 135 km (84 miles) southeast of Melbourne.
Patterson had pleaded not guilty to thefour charges, saying the deaths were accidental.
The mother of two will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum life sentence. She can appeal against the verdict.
More: 3 relatives dead after suspected mushroom poisoning at family lunch in Australia
Colin Mandy, Patterson's defence lawyer and one of Melbourne's top criminal barristers, made no comment as he left the court through a scrum of journalists.
Jessica O'Donnell, a spokesperson for Patterson's estranged husband, Simon Patterson and his siblings, also declined to comment.
Dean Thomas, a detective with Victoria Police, thanked investigators for their work on the case.
"I think it's very important that we remember that three people have died, and we've had a person that nearly died and was seriously injured," he said in a brief statement outside the court.
The families of the victims had requested privacy and would not be making a statement, he added.
The 10-week trial in Morwell, a former coal mining town around two hours east of Melbourne, attracted global interest with local and international media descending on Court 4 at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court where Patterson had requested the case be heard.
Public 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, then poisoned 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 investigating officers, 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 Mandy.
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 to her guests because she was embarrassed to admit she was actually having weight loss surgery, Patterson told the court. Shewanted her relatives' advice on how to tell her children about the surgery, she said.
Patterson told the court she had also not become as ill as her guests because she secretly binged on a cake that her mother-in-law had brought to the lunch and then made herself sick.
The jury of seven men and five women retired on June 30 to consider the evidence.
Justice Christopher 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.
(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Saad Sayeed, Kate Mayberry and Michael Perry)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Warning over 'harmless' $500 cash boost as side hustle's dark underbelly exposed
Aussies have been urged not to rent out their bank accounts as they are likely being used as money mules for criminals. (Source: Getty) Australians have been urged not to be duped into signing up for a seemingly harmless side hustle that has roped in thousands of people. It might not sound that bad to rent out your bank account to someone, however, this is usually done for nefarious purposes. A money mule is someone who receives illegally acquired money from someone, typically a scammer or hacker, and then transfers it to another account, sometimes overseas, to avoid it being traced and returned to the victim. Mules can be paid between $200 to $500, plus commissions of up to 10 per cent, for each completed transfer. But the Australian Banking Association (ABA) and Australian Federal Police (AFP) are cracking down on this trend. RELATED The money mule problem in Australia is growing There were 9,000 mule accounts detected in the 2023-24 financial year, and nearly 13,000 were discovered in the 2024-25 financial year. A Sydney woman was jailed in April this year after authorities found she had rented out 10 bank accounts to an overseas money laundering syndicate. After a thorough investigation, they found those accounts had been used to launder nearly $4 million worth of criminal funds. That money was eventually transferred overseas, which made it much harder for Australian police and banks to retrieve it. Do you have a story? Email How does the money mule system work? Criminals will usually reach out to unsuspecting people on social media, messaging or gaming platforms, chat forums, online advertisements and even in face-to-face meetings. They'll lure them in with promises of easy money without having to lift a finger and claim that everything they're doing is above board. All they need is access to your bank account and you'll get to rake in the money, they'll claim. The AFP said these offers will typically present themselves in three distinct ways:
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Trump accuses Obama of treason. Obama calls it a 'weak attempt at distraction'
President Donald Trump is ramping up accusations that former President Barack Obama was involved in a 2016 conspiracy to undermine Trump's victory, which the former president's office called a 'weak attempt at distraction.' When asked about the Epstein case in the Oval Office on July 22, Trump pivoted quickly to an attack on Obama. "The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama absolutely cold," Trump said, going on to accuse him of treason without providing evidence, Reuters reported. Trump also said in a July 21 Truth Social post that Obama manufactured the "Russia HOAX." Obama has not been arrested or charged. Trump's comments follow Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's claim she has evidence of a "treasonous conspiracy" related to the intelligence about Russian interference in the 2016 election. The focus on Obama comes as the Trump administration continues to receive backlash from some Republicans over the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal files. Putting attention on the 2016 election and investigations into Russia's interference could be part of a broader effort to distract from the Epstein fallout, according to The Washington Post and Axios. "Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response," Patrick Rodenbush, a spokesperson for Obama, said in an emailed statement. "But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction." More: Jeffrey Epstein is sowing division among MAGA. What to know about the late sex offender Trump posted fake AI video of Obama, but he wasn't actually arrested Trump has long criticized Obama. Before becoming a presidential candidate, Trump repeatedly spread false rumors that Obama wasn't born in the U.S., and wasn't eligible to be the president. But since returning to office this year, Reuters reported Trump had not gone so far as to accuse Obama of a crime. The accusations come after a deepfake video depicting Obama's arrest (which did not happen). The July 20 post on Truth Social was a TikTok video by an account named "neo8171," with a montage of Democratic elected officials saying "no one is above the law." While it is unclear where the clips were from, Democrats have used that phrase when talking about Trump's criminal cases, including an arrest in Georgia and a felony conviction in New York. The video then shows Pepe the Frog, a popular internet meme that was added to a hate symbol database during the 2016 election. As "YMCA" starts to play, the video shows Trump and Obama sitting in the Oval Office, and an artificially rendered scene shows FBI agents dragging Obama out of his chair and cuffing his hands behind his back. The fake video then shows Obama in an orange jumpsuit in jail. A representative for Obama previously declined to comment on the fake AI video. Gabbard, Trump revisit 2016 Russian interference amid Epstein backlash On July 18, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard issued a press release saying she had evidence that the Obama administration after the 2016 election produced "politicized intelligence that was used as the basis for countless smears seeking to delegitimize President Trump's victory." In 2020, a Republican-led, bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee backed the conclusion of the intelligence agencies that found Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election in favor of Trump. Trump had long said the investigation into his campaign was a hoax. Ranking Member on the Intelligence Committee Rep. Jim Himes, D-Connecticut, said Gabbard's new claim is a "dangerous lie," while speaking on CBS News' "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," on July 20. He said Gabbard is using a "sleight of hand" by focusing on intelligence about Russia's failed voting infrastructure manipulation rather than Russia's meddling to discredit Trump's 2016 Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. "Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes," Rodenbush said in the July 22 statement. Appearing on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," Gabbard said she intended to send her findings to the Department of Justice and the FBI for criminal referral. 'As is always the case, President Trump was right about the Obama-Biden administration's clear involvement in the greatest witch hunt in American history and the genesis of the decade-long hoax saga that tore our nation apart and undermined the will of the people," White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in an emailed statement previously shared with USA TODAY. "The President and his entire administration are committed to unearthing wrongdoing and holding any individual accountable for this gross abuse of power and blatant conspiracy against President Trump and his supporters.' Contributing: Kevin Johnson, Kristine Phillips, USA TODAY; Reuters Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@ Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @
Miami Herald
9 hours ago
- Miami Herald
As Bolsonaro defies Brazil's courts, Trump and Rubio escalate U.S. pressure
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a close ally of President Donald Trump in Latin America and a divisive figure across the region, is facing mounting legal troubles in his home country as Brazil's Supreme Court threatened to order his arrest over alleged violations of a court-imposed social media ban. The Supreme Court issued the warning despite Trump's threat to impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports starting Aug. 1 unless the South American country halts the prosecution of Bolsonaro. Florida, which imports billions of dollars in goods from Brazil each year, could be hit hard by the 50% tariffs. The Sunshine State relies on Brazil for key commodities like coffee and orange juice. Trade experts warn that the tariffs could significantly raise prices for everyday consumers and spark retaliatory moves. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the judge overseeing the case against Bolsonaro for allegedly plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election, issued the warning Monday evening, giving Bolsonaro's legal team 24 hours to explain why their client breached a court order. The showdown between Bolsonaro and the judiciary in Brazil has triggered an international backlash, including dramatic moves by Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio — both of whom have framed the case as political persecution On Friday, Moraes had ordered Bolsonaro to wear an electronic ankle monitor and banned him from using social media, citing allegations that he had solicited help from Trump and others to interfere in Brazil's democratic process. The order was upheld by a court panel. In a defiant interview with Reuters later that day, Bolsonaro called the restrictions 'cowardice' and pledged to continue speaking to the press, suggesting he would not be silenced — despite the explicit ban on any digital dissemination of his remarks. By Monday, Bolsonaro had seemingly crossed a line. After meeting with congressional allies in Brasília, the former president gave remarks to journalists, publicly showing his ankle bracelet for the first time. The footage — later reposted by supporters and news outlets to social media — appears to have triggered Moraes' latest legal response. 'The dissemination of audio, video, or transcripts of interviews on any third-party social media platform is prohibited,' Moraes clarified in a written decision. He also attached screenshots showing Bolsonaro's speech being shared online. The escalating legal saga has drawn furious responses from Bolsonaro's allies in the United States, including Trump and Rubio, both of whom have taken unprecedented steps in defense of the former president. Last week, Rubio announced immediate visa bans on Justice de Moraes and his family, calling the court proceedings a 'witch hunt.' Trump went further. In a letter dated July 9, he announced his intent to impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports starting August 1 — unless Brazil halts Bolsonaro's prosecution. Trump's letter to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva claimed Brazil's trade policies created 'unsustainable trade deficits.' But official U.S. data contradicts that assertion. In fact, America has run a trade surplus with Brazil for 18 years — most recently totaling $7.4 billion. Critics argue that Trump's real motivation isn't trade at all. In the first paragraph of his letter, he blasts Brazil's treatment of Bolsonaro, calling it 'an international disgrace' and demanding that the trial be canceled. Ironically, Trump's tariffs could backfire. Brazil's cattle and coffee industries, both Bolsonaro strongholds, stand to suffer most from the trade war. Meanwhile, Lula's leftist government is using the conflict to rally national support and position itself as the defender of Brazil's sovereignty.
