Reaction to the mushroom killer verdict and behind the Erin Patterson story
The triple-murder trial entered its eleventh week on July 7 as the jury returned its verdict to the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court after hearing from more than 50 witnesses.
The 50-year-old was found guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, when she fed the group a fatal dose of death cap mushroom in a beef Wellington lunch in 2023.
Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, survived the meal after a successful liver transplant.
Wearing a paisley blouse, Erin Patterson blinked but appeared expressionless as a jury foreperson uttered the words "guilty" four times over the murders and attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon's family.
Outside court, her friend, Ali Rose Prior, told the waiting large national and international media throng she was "saddened" by the verdicts, but "it is what it is".
"I didn't have any expectations, it's the justice system and it has to be what it is," she told reporters outside the Latrobe Valley courts, in Morwell.
Ms Prior, who attended the entire trial, confirmed Patterson had told her "see you soon", and that she would visit her friend in prison.
In a statement, Victoria Police said they acknowledged the jury's decision.
"Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time, and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them.
"We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," the statement read.
They also acknowledged the work of Homicide Squad detectives during the "complex investigation" and the support of other areas across their organisation.
A spokesperson for the Patterson family had no comment as they left the court.
Simon Patterson, the killer's estranged husband, declined her invitation for lunch, saying their relationship was too tense for him to comfortably attend.
The prosecution argued that Patterson had planned and carried out a plot to kill her husband's family.
Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers said that Patterson had "secreted" a lethal dose of death cap mushroom poison into the home-cooked beef Wellingtons.
She also argued that Patterson told her lunch guests that she had cancer, but that the diagnosis was fabricated.
Dr Rogers told the court that Patterson had attempted to "conceal the truth" with a sustained cover-up after the deaths.
The jury also heard that Patterson pretended to fall sick after the July 29 lunch.
She claimed that foraged death cap mushrooms were in the meal by mistake and maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings.
READ MORE: 'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning
Over the course of the trial, the jury heard of a close family relationship between Patterson and her in-laws before the fateful lunch.
Patterson first met her estranged husband's family 20 years ago, in 2005, when the pair started dating after meeting through friends at Melbourne's Monash City Council.
The Pattersons had provided emotional and logistical support to the young couple, the court heard.
While being questioned by her defence lawyer, Colin Mandy, Patterson remembered her relief when Gail and Don came to stay after the couple had their first baby in Perth.
"She taught about settling after a feed and interpreting cries," Patterson said
Patterson also credited pastor Ian Wilkinson with her first spiritual experience at the Korumburra Baptist Church, leading her to convert to Christianity.
She said that while the family had been close, she had started to feel a growing distance after her split with Simon in 2015.
The couple had moved from Perth to Gippsland to be closer to his family after embarking on a number of months-long road trips across the country.
But Patterson was becoming "concerned" that her estranged husband didn't want her involved in the family.
"I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said.
The tension came to a head when Patterson was excluded from Gail's 70th birthday.
By late 2022, interactions between Patterson and her estranged husband had "increased the heat", she said.
Patterson said anger and resentment in the relationship grew after the pair failed to find a resolution over child support payments, including school and medical fees.
Don and Gail were acting as mediators, encouraging the couple to pray together.
"They thought that Simon and I should settle the issue together, but they didn't want to become official mediators," she said.
Evidence extracted from Patterson's Facebook messages showed her growing frustration, the court heard.
"This family, I swear to f--king god," she messaged Facebook friends at the time.
The prosecution did not allege a motive for Patterson to murder three people and attempt to murder another.
READ MORE: 'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson
Before her arrest, Patterson had made plans for the future, including making an appointment to discuss weight loss methods at a Melbourne clinic in 2023.
She had also been accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University to begin in 2024.
The convicted killer has been remanded in jail since her arrest in November 2023.
She awaits sentencing.
- with AAP
After almost three months of hearing evidence in a regional courtroom, a jury has found that death cap mushroom killer Erin Patterson poisoned her in-laws.
The triple-murder trial entered its eleventh week on July 7 as the jury returned its verdict to the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court after hearing from more than 50 witnesses.
The 50-year-old was found guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, when she fed the group a fatal dose of death cap mushroom in a beef Wellington lunch in 2023.
Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, survived the meal after a successful liver transplant.
Wearing a paisley blouse, Erin Patterson blinked but appeared expressionless as a jury foreperson uttered the words "guilty" four times over the murders and attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon's family.
Outside court, her friend, Ali Rose Prior, told the waiting large national and international media throng she was "saddened" by the verdicts, but "it is what it is".
"I didn't have any expectations, it's the justice system and it has to be what it is," she told reporters outside the Latrobe Valley courts, in Morwell.
Ms Prior, who attended the entire trial, confirmed Patterson had told her "see you soon", and that she would visit her friend in prison.
In a statement, Victoria Police said they acknowledged the jury's decision.
"Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time, and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them.
"We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," the statement read.
They also acknowledged the work of Homicide Squad detectives during the "complex investigation" and the support of other areas across their organisation.
A spokesperson for the Patterson family had no comment as they left the court.
Simon Patterson, the killer's estranged husband, declined her invitation for lunch, saying their relationship was too tense for him to comfortably attend.
The prosecution argued that Patterson had planned and carried out a plot to kill her husband's family.
Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers said that Patterson had "secreted" a lethal dose of death cap mushroom poison into the home-cooked beef Wellingtons.
She also argued that Patterson told her lunch guests that she had cancer, but that the diagnosis was fabricated.
Dr Rogers told the court that Patterson had attempted to "conceal the truth" with a sustained cover-up after the deaths.
The jury also heard that Patterson pretended to fall sick after the July 29 lunch.
She claimed that foraged death cap mushrooms were in the meal by mistake and maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings.
READ MORE: 'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning
Over the course of the trial, the jury heard of a close family relationship between Patterson and her in-laws before the fateful lunch.
Patterson first met her estranged husband's family 20 years ago, in 2005, when the pair started dating after meeting through friends at Melbourne's Monash City Council.
The Pattersons had provided emotional and logistical support to the young couple, the court heard.
While being questioned by her defence lawyer, Colin Mandy, Patterson remembered her relief when Gail and Don came to stay after the couple had their first baby in Perth.
"She taught about settling after a feed and interpreting cries," Patterson said
Patterson also credited pastor Ian Wilkinson with her first spiritual experience at the Korumburra Baptist Church, leading her to convert to Christianity.
She said that while the family had been close, she had started to feel a growing distance after her split with Simon in 2015.
The couple had moved from Perth to Gippsland to be closer to his family after embarking on a number of months-long road trips across the country.
But Patterson was becoming "concerned" that her estranged husband didn't want her involved in the family.
"I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said.
The tension came to a head when Patterson was excluded from Gail's 70th birthday.
By late 2022, interactions between Patterson and her estranged husband had "increased the heat", she said.
Patterson said anger and resentment in the relationship grew after the pair failed to find a resolution over child support payments, including school and medical fees.
Don and Gail were acting as mediators, encouraging the couple to pray together.
"They thought that Simon and I should settle the issue together, but they didn't want to become official mediators," she said.
Evidence extracted from Patterson's Facebook messages showed her growing frustration, the court heard.
"This family, I swear to f--king god," she messaged Facebook friends at the time.
The prosecution did not allege a motive for Patterson to murder three people and attempt to murder another.
READ MORE: 'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson
Before her arrest, Patterson had made plans for the future, including making an appointment to discuss weight loss methods at a Melbourne clinic in 2023.
She had also been accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University to begin in 2024.
The convicted killer has been remanded in jail since her arrest in November 2023.
She awaits sentencing.
- with AAP
After almost three months of hearing evidence in a regional courtroom, a jury has found that death cap mushroom killer Erin Patterson poisoned her in-laws.
The triple-murder trial entered its eleventh week on July 7 as the jury returned its verdict to the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court after hearing from more than 50 witnesses.
The 50-year-old was found guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, when she fed the group a fatal dose of death cap mushroom in a beef Wellington lunch in 2023.
Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, survived the meal after a successful liver transplant.
Wearing a paisley blouse, Erin Patterson blinked but appeared expressionless as a jury foreperson uttered the words "guilty" four times over the murders and attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon's family.
Outside court, her friend, Ali Rose Prior, told the waiting large national and international media throng she was "saddened" by the verdicts, but "it is what it is".
"I didn't have any expectations, it's the justice system and it has to be what it is," she told reporters outside the Latrobe Valley courts, in Morwell.
Ms Prior, who attended the entire trial, confirmed Patterson had told her "see you soon", and that she would visit her friend in prison.
In a statement, Victoria Police said they acknowledged the jury's decision.
"Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time, and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them.
"We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," the statement read.
They also acknowledged the work of Homicide Squad detectives during the "complex investigation" and the support of other areas across their organisation.
A spokesperson for the Patterson family had no comment as they left the court.
Simon Patterson, the killer's estranged husband, declined her invitation for lunch, saying their relationship was too tense for him to comfortably attend.
The prosecution argued that Patterson had planned and carried out a plot to kill her husband's family.
Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers said that Patterson had "secreted" a lethal dose of death cap mushroom poison into the home-cooked beef Wellingtons.
She also argued that Patterson told her lunch guests that she had cancer, but that the diagnosis was fabricated.
Dr Rogers told the court that Patterson had attempted to "conceal the truth" with a sustained cover-up after the deaths.
The jury also heard that Patterson pretended to fall sick after the July 29 lunch.
She claimed that foraged death cap mushrooms were in the meal by mistake and maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings.
READ MORE: 'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning
Over the course of the trial, the jury heard of a close family relationship between Patterson and her in-laws before the fateful lunch.
Patterson first met her estranged husband's family 20 years ago, in 2005, when the pair started dating after meeting through friends at Melbourne's Monash City Council.
The Pattersons had provided emotional and logistical support to the young couple, the court heard.
While being questioned by her defence lawyer, Colin Mandy, Patterson remembered her relief when Gail and Don came to stay after the couple had their first baby in Perth.
"She taught about settling after a feed and interpreting cries," Patterson said
Patterson also credited pastor Ian Wilkinson with her first spiritual experience at the Korumburra Baptist Church, leading her to convert to Christianity.
She said that while the family had been close, she had started to feel a growing distance after her split with Simon in 2015.
The couple had moved from Perth to Gippsland to be closer to his family after embarking on a number of months-long road trips across the country.
But Patterson was becoming "concerned" that her estranged husband didn't want her involved in the family.
"I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said.
The tension came to a head when Patterson was excluded from Gail's 70th birthday.
By late 2022, interactions between Patterson and her estranged husband had "increased the heat", she said.
Patterson said anger and resentment in the relationship grew after the pair failed to find a resolution over child support payments, including school and medical fees.
Don and Gail were acting as mediators, encouraging the couple to pray together.
"They thought that Simon and I should settle the issue together, but they didn't want to become official mediators," she said.
Evidence extracted from Patterson's Facebook messages showed her growing frustration, the court heard.
"This family, I swear to f--king god," she messaged Facebook friends at the time.
The prosecution did not allege a motive for Patterson to murder three people and attempt to murder another.
READ MORE: 'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson
Before her arrest, Patterson had made plans for the future, including making an appointment to discuss weight loss methods at a Melbourne clinic in 2023.
She had also been accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University to begin in 2024.
The convicted killer has been remanded in jail since her arrest in November 2023.
She awaits sentencing.
- with AAP
After almost three months of hearing evidence in a regional courtroom, a jury has found that death cap mushroom killer Erin Patterson poisoned her in-laws.
The triple-murder trial entered its eleventh week on July 7 as the jury returned its verdict to the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court after hearing from more than 50 witnesses.
The 50-year-old was found guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, when she fed the group a fatal dose of death cap mushroom in a beef Wellington lunch in 2023.
Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, survived the meal after a successful liver transplant.
Wearing a paisley blouse, Erin Patterson blinked but appeared expressionless as a jury foreperson uttered the words "guilty" four times over the murders and attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon's family.
Outside court, her friend, Ali Rose Prior, told the waiting large national and international media throng she was "saddened" by the verdicts, but "it is what it is".
"I didn't have any expectations, it's the justice system and it has to be what it is," she told reporters outside the Latrobe Valley courts, in Morwell.
Ms Prior, who attended the entire trial, confirmed Patterson had told her "see you soon", and that she would visit her friend in prison.
In a statement, Victoria Police said they acknowledged the jury's decision.
"Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time, and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them.
"We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," the statement read.
They also acknowledged the work of Homicide Squad detectives during the "complex investigation" and the support of other areas across their organisation.
A spokesperson for the Patterson family had no comment as they left the court.
Simon Patterson, the killer's estranged husband, declined her invitation for lunch, saying their relationship was too tense for him to comfortably attend.
The prosecution argued that Patterson had planned and carried out a plot to kill her husband's family.
Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers said that Patterson had "secreted" a lethal dose of death cap mushroom poison into the home-cooked beef Wellingtons.
She also argued that Patterson told her lunch guests that she had cancer, but that the diagnosis was fabricated.
Dr Rogers told the court that Patterson had attempted to "conceal the truth" with a sustained cover-up after the deaths.
The jury also heard that Patterson pretended to fall sick after the July 29 lunch.
She claimed that foraged death cap mushrooms were in the meal by mistake and maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings.
READ MORE: 'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning
Over the course of the trial, the jury heard of a close family relationship between Patterson and her in-laws before the fateful lunch.
Patterson first met her estranged husband's family 20 years ago, in 2005, when the pair started dating after meeting through friends at Melbourne's Monash City Council.
The Pattersons had provided emotional and logistical support to the young couple, the court heard.
While being questioned by her defence lawyer, Colin Mandy, Patterson remembered her relief when Gail and Don came to stay after the couple had their first baby in Perth.
"She taught about settling after a feed and interpreting cries," Patterson said
Patterson also credited pastor Ian Wilkinson with her first spiritual experience at the Korumburra Baptist Church, leading her to convert to Christianity.
She said that while the family had been close, she had started to feel a growing distance after her split with Simon in 2015.
The couple had moved from Perth to Gippsland to be closer to his family after embarking on a number of months-long road trips across the country.
But Patterson was becoming "concerned" that her estranged husband didn't want her involved in the family.
"I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said.
The tension came to a head when Patterson was excluded from Gail's 70th birthday.
By late 2022, interactions between Patterson and her estranged husband had "increased the heat", she said.
Patterson said anger and resentment in the relationship grew after the pair failed to find a resolution over child support payments, including school and medical fees.
Don and Gail were acting as mediators, encouraging the couple to pray together.
"They thought that Simon and I should settle the issue together, but they didn't want to become official mediators," she said.
Evidence extracted from Patterson's Facebook messages showed her growing frustration, the court heard.
"This family, I swear to f--king god," she messaged Facebook friends at the time.
The prosecution did not allege a motive for Patterson to murder three people and attempt to murder another.
READ MORE: 'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson
Before her arrest, Patterson had made plans for the future, including making an appointment to discuss weight loss methods at a Melbourne clinic in 2023.
She had also been accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University to begin in 2024.
The convicted killer has been remanded in jail since her arrest in November 2023.
She awaits sentencing.
- with AAP
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Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
'Large sentence' awaits triple-murderer mushroom cook
After enduring her first night in prison as a convicted triple murderer, Erin Patterson might spent the rest of her days behind bars. The 50-year-old mother of two was found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder on Monday after a long trial. Her estranged husband Simon's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and aunty Heather Wilkinson, 66, all died in hospital days after Patterson served them beef Wellington parcels laced with death cap mushrooms in July 2023. Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson was the sole survivor. There was a shout of "murderer" as Patterson was driven out of the court precinct to prison in Melbourne on Monday evening. The jury's guilty verdicts came seven days after they were sent away to deliberate and 11 weeks into the trial in the Victorian town of Morwell. Brianna Chesser, a clinical forensic psychologist and criminal lawyer, said she was not surprised by the outcome. She argued Patterson's testimony across eight days on the witness stand, as well as circumstantial evidence, likely proved critical to convincing the jury beyond reasonable doubt. "Whenever you have any lies in a trial it is quite a difficult thing to overcome from a defence perspective," the associate professor in criminology and justice at RMIT University told AAP. "What came out regarding the mushrooms was almost insurmountable. "When you've got particular searches on your phone and a dehydrator that you had and didn't have, it really speaks to the unusualness of the circumstances." The story had captivated the world because of the method, as well as the now-convicted murderer being a woman when the vast majority of homicides were perpetrated by men, Dr Chesser said. Patterson faces a sentence of life in prison for the three murders and one attempted murder and is expected to return to court for a pre-sentence hearing later in 2025. Options for appeal were usually restricted to points of law, a "massive" error in fact or new evidence, Dr Chesser said. "It's going to be quite a large sentence," she said. "We've heard during the cross examination and examination in chief that there's some mental health concerns for Ms Patterson. "That may well act a mitigating factor in any sort of sentence. "We're also dealing with someone who's a middle-aged woman who has never offended before in their life and we've got four of the most serious crimes in Victoria being committed." Within hours of the verdict, the Supreme Court released dozens of pieces of evidence that helped prosecutors secure the convictions. They included photos showing remnants of beef Wellington leftovers as they were tested by toxicologists, after police found them inside a bin at Patterson's home A video of Patterson discharging herself from Leongatha Hospital minutes after she had arrived was also released, while images of her at the hospital revealed a pink phone police say they never recovered. Prosecutors said this was Patterson's primary phone in 2023 and claimed she had used it to find death cap mushrooms online.
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
Erin Patterson: Key question remaining after mushroom trial
Found guilty this week of murdering her husband's parents and aunt, one key question remains unanswered in Erin Patterson's poisoning trial; why? Patterson's motivation for poisoning four in-laws with deadly mushrooms was only briefly addressed as her blockbuster trial played out in Victoria's southwest this year. Prosecutors said they would not be putting forward a motive, explaining sometimes a killer's reasons remain only known to them, while her defence argued she had 'anti-motive', or reasons to want her victims alive. The 50-year-old was on Monday found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder by a jury after seven days of deliberations. She had pleaded not guilty, with her defence arguing the case was a tragic accident. In his final remarks to the jury, Justice Christopher Beale said the prosecution does not need to prove a motive to make out the charges of murder and attempted murder. 'For some murders there may be evidence of motive, but some murders occur for no apparent reason,' he said. 'The motives for such murders may only ever be known to the offenders.' He told the jury the prosecution had agreed there was no known reason why Patterson did what she was ultimately found guilty of. 'It's the allegations of murder and attempted murder the prosecution has to prove, nothing else,' the judge said. 'But that does not mean that the absence of the evidence of a motive to kill is irrelevant. It is a relevant consideration, which you must take into account in the accused's favour when weighing all the evidence in this case.' Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC touched on motive in her closing address, saying while the prosecution was not putting one forward; 'you don't have to know why a person does something in order to know they did it'. Dr Rogers said the evidence in the trial shows the relationship between Patterson and her in-laws was 'not always a harmonious one'. The prosecutor pointed to Simon's account of tension in their relationship in late 2022 over the issue of child support, with Don and Gail 'dragged unwillingly' into the conflict. She said child protection practitioner Katrina Cripps had given evidence Patterson described Simon as 'nasty' after that conflict and their son's evidence the relationship was 'very negative'. Dr Rogers suggested Patterson was leading a 'duplicitous life', presenting a positive face to the Patterson family while sharing her real feelings to her online friends, several of whom gave evidence. ' … the evidence shows, you might think, that the divide between the accused and her in-laws was deeper than they ever knew,' Dr Rogers said. 'She expressed her real feelings about them and the broader Patterson family to her online friends.' Dr Rogers turned to a series of messages in December 2022 from Patterson to her online friends, where she called them a 'lost cause', mocked their religious beliefs and wrote; 'this family I swear to God'. Patterson's barrister, Colin Mandy SC, questioned why the prosecution had focused so much on a brief period of tension in 2022 when they weren't putting forward a motive. 'They spent so much time in this trial scratching around to try and find some suggestion of … animosity in the family dynamics,' he said. 'There's no anger or aggression. There's not hatred or anything remotely approaching that. 'Not even between Simon and Erin and certainly not between Erin and Simon's parents.' Turning to the messages Patterson sent to her online friends, Mr Mandy labelled it an 'aberration' in her relationship with the Patterson family that only spanned a few days. 'Erin made a handful of comments in the context of being hurt and frustrated about these responses she was getting from Don and Gail, in the context of her issues with Simon, and that's it,' he said. 'And you might think that venting in that way is a pretty healthy thing to do.' The defence barrister said the prosecution's case had ignored the years of love and support shown by the family to Patterson. 'Erin Patterson had a motive to keep these people in her world so that they could keep supporting her and her children, especially her children,' he said. 'Why would she take wonderful, active, loving grandparents away from her own children?' He further questioned why she would kill Ian and Heather, who she 'hardly knew' aside from the church community. Mr Mandy said the evidence in the trial showed his client was a person of good character; a devoted mother of two with no prior convictions and close relationships with her in-laws, particularly Don and Gail. He agreed motive was not one of the four elements of murder the prosecution had to provide beyond reasonable doubt, but suggested it was an important consideration on the issue of his client's intention. 'Our argument to you is that motive is very important to the proof of intention and usually fundamental to it,' he said. 'Without a motive, you're left guessing about the most important element of the offence in this trial and that's intention.' Patterson will return to court at a later date.
The Advertiser
8 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Reaction to the mushroom killer verdict and behind the Erin Patterson story
After almost three months of hearing evidence in a regional courtroom, a jury has found that death cap mushroom killer Erin Patterson poisoned her in-laws. The triple-murder trial entered its eleventh week on July 7 as the jury returned its verdict to the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court after hearing from more than 50 witnesses. The 50-year-old was found guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, when she fed the group a fatal dose of death cap mushroom in a beef Wellington lunch in 2023. Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, survived the meal after a successful liver transplant. Wearing a paisley blouse, Erin Patterson blinked but appeared expressionless as a jury foreperson uttered the words "guilty" four times over the murders and attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon's family. Outside court, her friend, Ali Rose Prior, told the waiting large national and international media throng she was "saddened" by the verdicts, but "it is what it is". "I didn't have any expectations, it's the justice system and it has to be what it is," she told reporters outside the Latrobe Valley courts, in Morwell. Ms Prior, who attended the entire trial, confirmed Patterson had told her "see you soon", and that she would visit her friend in prison. In a statement, Victoria Police said they acknowledged the jury's decision. "Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time, and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them. "We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," the statement read. They also acknowledged the work of Homicide Squad detectives during the "complex investigation" and the support of other areas across their organisation. A spokesperson for the Patterson family had no comment as they left the court. Simon Patterson, the killer's estranged husband, declined her invitation for lunch, saying their relationship was too tense for him to comfortably attend. The prosecution argued that Patterson had planned and carried out a plot to kill her husband's family. Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers said that Patterson had "secreted" a lethal dose of death cap mushroom poison into the home-cooked beef Wellingtons. She also argued that Patterson told her lunch guests that she had cancer, but that the diagnosis was fabricated. Dr Rogers told the court that Patterson had attempted to "conceal the truth" with a sustained cover-up after the deaths. The jury also heard that Patterson pretended to fall sick after the July 29 lunch. She claimed that foraged death cap mushrooms were in the meal by mistake and maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings. READ MORE: 'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning Over the course of the trial, the jury heard of a close family relationship between Patterson and her in-laws before the fateful lunch. Patterson first met her estranged husband's family 20 years ago, in 2005, when the pair started dating after meeting through friends at Melbourne's Monash City Council. The Pattersons had provided emotional and logistical support to the young couple, the court heard. While being questioned by her defence lawyer, Colin Mandy, Patterson remembered her relief when Gail and Don came to stay after the couple had their first baby in Perth. "She taught about settling after a feed and interpreting cries," Patterson said Patterson also credited pastor Ian Wilkinson with her first spiritual experience at the Korumburra Baptist Church, leading her to convert to Christianity. She said that while the family had been close, she had started to feel a growing distance after her split with Simon in 2015. The couple had moved from Perth to Gippsland to be closer to his family after embarking on a number of months-long road trips across the country. But Patterson was becoming "concerned" that her estranged husband didn't want her involved in the family. "I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said. The tension came to a head when Patterson was excluded from Gail's 70th birthday. By late 2022, interactions between Patterson and her estranged husband had "increased the heat", she said. Patterson said anger and resentment in the relationship grew after the pair failed to find a resolution over child support payments, including school and medical fees. Don and Gail were acting as mediators, encouraging the couple to pray together. "They thought that Simon and I should settle the issue together, but they didn't want to become official mediators," she said. Evidence extracted from Patterson's Facebook messages showed her growing frustration, the court heard. "This family, I swear to f--king god," she messaged Facebook friends at the time. The prosecution did not allege a motive for Patterson to murder three people and attempt to murder another. READ MORE: 'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson Before her arrest, Patterson had made plans for the future, including making an appointment to discuss weight loss methods at a Melbourne clinic in 2023. She had also been accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University to begin in 2024. The convicted killer has been remanded in jail since her arrest in November 2023. She awaits sentencing. - with AAP After almost three months of hearing evidence in a regional courtroom, a jury has found that death cap mushroom killer Erin Patterson poisoned her in-laws. The triple-murder trial entered its eleventh week on July 7 as the jury returned its verdict to the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court after hearing from more than 50 witnesses. The 50-year-old was found guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, when she fed the group a fatal dose of death cap mushroom in a beef Wellington lunch in 2023. Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, survived the meal after a successful liver transplant. Wearing a paisley blouse, Erin Patterson blinked but appeared expressionless as a jury foreperson uttered the words "guilty" four times over the murders and attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon's family. Outside court, her friend, Ali Rose Prior, told the waiting large national and international media throng she was "saddened" by the verdicts, but "it is what it is". "I didn't have any expectations, it's the justice system and it has to be what it is," she told reporters outside the Latrobe Valley courts, in Morwell. Ms Prior, who attended the entire trial, confirmed Patterson had told her "see you soon", and that she would visit her friend in prison. In a statement, Victoria Police said they acknowledged the jury's decision. "Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time, and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them. "We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," the statement read. They also acknowledged the work of Homicide Squad detectives during the "complex investigation" and the support of other areas across their organisation. A spokesperson for the Patterson family had no comment as they left the court. Simon Patterson, the killer's estranged husband, declined her invitation for lunch, saying their relationship was too tense for him to comfortably attend. The prosecution argued that Patterson had planned and carried out a plot to kill her husband's family. Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers said that Patterson had "secreted" a lethal dose of death cap mushroom poison into the home-cooked beef Wellingtons. She also argued that Patterson told her lunch guests that she had cancer, but that the diagnosis was fabricated. Dr Rogers told the court that Patterson had attempted to "conceal the truth" with a sustained cover-up after the deaths. The jury also heard that Patterson pretended to fall sick after the July 29 lunch. She claimed that foraged death cap mushrooms were in the meal by mistake and maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings. READ MORE: 'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning Over the course of the trial, the jury heard of a close family relationship between Patterson and her in-laws before the fateful lunch. Patterson first met her estranged husband's family 20 years ago, in 2005, when the pair started dating after meeting through friends at Melbourne's Monash City Council. The Pattersons had provided emotional and logistical support to the young couple, the court heard. While being questioned by her defence lawyer, Colin Mandy, Patterson remembered her relief when Gail and Don came to stay after the couple had their first baby in Perth. "She taught about settling after a feed and interpreting cries," Patterson said Patterson also credited pastor Ian Wilkinson with her first spiritual experience at the Korumburra Baptist Church, leading her to convert to Christianity. She said that while the family had been close, she had started to feel a growing distance after her split with Simon in 2015. The couple had moved from Perth to Gippsland to be closer to his family after embarking on a number of months-long road trips across the country. But Patterson was becoming "concerned" that her estranged husband didn't want her involved in the family. "I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said. The tension came to a head when Patterson was excluded from Gail's 70th birthday. By late 2022, interactions between Patterson and her estranged husband had "increased the heat", she said. Patterson said anger and resentment in the relationship grew after the pair failed to find a resolution over child support payments, including school and medical fees. Don and Gail were acting as mediators, encouraging the couple to pray together. "They thought that Simon and I should settle the issue together, but they didn't want to become official mediators," she said. Evidence extracted from Patterson's Facebook messages showed her growing frustration, the court heard. "This family, I swear to f--king god," she messaged Facebook friends at the time. The prosecution did not allege a motive for Patterson to murder three people and attempt to murder another. READ MORE: 'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson Before her arrest, Patterson had made plans for the future, including making an appointment to discuss weight loss methods at a Melbourne clinic in 2023. She had also been accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University to begin in 2024. The convicted killer has been remanded in jail since her arrest in November 2023. She awaits sentencing. - with AAP After almost three months of hearing evidence in a regional courtroom, a jury has found that death cap mushroom killer Erin Patterson poisoned her in-laws. The triple-murder trial entered its eleventh week on July 7 as the jury returned its verdict to the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court after hearing from more than 50 witnesses. The 50-year-old was found guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, when she fed the group a fatal dose of death cap mushroom in a beef Wellington lunch in 2023. Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, survived the meal after a successful liver transplant. Wearing a paisley blouse, Erin Patterson blinked but appeared expressionless as a jury foreperson uttered the words "guilty" four times over the murders and attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon's family. Outside court, her friend, Ali Rose Prior, told the waiting large national and international media throng she was "saddened" by the verdicts, but "it is what it is". "I didn't have any expectations, it's the justice system and it has to be what it is," she told reporters outside the Latrobe Valley courts, in Morwell. Ms Prior, who attended the entire trial, confirmed Patterson had told her "see you soon", and that she would visit her friend in prison. In a statement, Victoria Police said they acknowledged the jury's decision. "Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time, and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them. "We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," the statement read. They also acknowledged the work of Homicide Squad detectives during the "complex investigation" and the support of other areas across their organisation. A spokesperson for the Patterson family had no comment as they left the court. Simon Patterson, the killer's estranged husband, declined her invitation for lunch, saying their relationship was too tense for him to comfortably attend. The prosecution argued that Patterson had planned and carried out a plot to kill her husband's family. Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers said that Patterson had "secreted" a lethal dose of death cap mushroom poison into the home-cooked beef Wellingtons. She also argued that Patterson told her lunch guests that she had cancer, but that the diagnosis was fabricated. Dr Rogers told the court that Patterson had attempted to "conceal the truth" with a sustained cover-up after the deaths. The jury also heard that Patterson pretended to fall sick after the July 29 lunch. She claimed that foraged death cap mushrooms were in the meal by mistake and maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings. READ MORE: 'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning Over the course of the trial, the jury heard of a close family relationship between Patterson and her in-laws before the fateful lunch. Patterson first met her estranged husband's family 20 years ago, in 2005, when the pair started dating after meeting through friends at Melbourne's Monash City Council. The Pattersons had provided emotional and logistical support to the young couple, the court heard. While being questioned by her defence lawyer, Colin Mandy, Patterson remembered her relief when Gail and Don came to stay after the couple had their first baby in Perth. "She taught about settling after a feed and interpreting cries," Patterson said Patterson also credited pastor Ian Wilkinson with her first spiritual experience at the Korumburra Baptist Church, leading her to convert to Christianity. She said that while the family had been close, she had started to feel a growing distance after her split with Simon in 2015. The couple had moved from Perth to Gippsland to be closer to his family after embarking on a number of months-long road trips across the country. But Patterson was becoming "concerned" that her estranged husband didn't want her involved in the family. "I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said. The tension came to a head when Patterson was excluded from Gail's 70th birthday. By late 2022, interactions between Patterson and her estranged husband had "increased the heat", she said. Patterson said anger and resentment in the relationship grew after the pair failed to find a resolution over child support payments, including school and medical fees. Don and Gail were acting as mediators, encouraging the couple to pray together. "They thought that Simon and I should settle the issue together, but they didn't want to become official mediators," she said. Evidence extracted from Patterson's Facebook messages showed her growing frustration, the court heard. "This family, I swear to f--king god," she messaged Facebook friends at the time. The prosecution did not allege a motive for Patterson to murder three people and attempt to murder another. READ MORE: 'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson Before her arrest, Patterson had made plans for the future, including making an appointment to discuss weight loss methods at a Melbourne clinic in 2023. She had also been accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University to begin in 2024. The convicted killer has been remanded in jail since her arrest in November 2023. She awaits sentencing. - with AAP After almost three months of hearing evidence in a regional courtroom, a jury has found that death cap mushroom killer Erin Patterson poisoned her in-laws. The triple-murder trial entered its eleventh week on July 7 as the jury returned its verdict to the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court after hearing from more than 50 witnesses. The 50-year-old was found guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, when she fed the group a fatal dose of death cap mushroom in a beef Wellington lunch in 2023. Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, survived the meal after a successful liver transplant. Wearing a paisley blouse, Erin Patterson blinked but appeared expressionless as a jury foreperson uttered the words "guilty" four times over the murders and attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon's family. Outside court, her friend, Ali Rose Prior, told the waiting large national and international media throng she was "saddened" by the verdicts, but "it is what it is". "I didn't have any expectations, it's the justice system and it has to be what it is," she told reporters outside the Latrobe Valley courts, in Morwell. Ms Prior, who attended the entire trial, confirmed Patterson had told her "see you soon", and that she would visit her friend in prison. In a statement, Victoria Police said they acknowledged the jury's decision. "Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time, and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them. "We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," the statement read. They also acknowledged the work of Homicide Squad detectives during the "complex investigation" and the support of other areas across their organisation. A spokesperson for the Patterson family had no comment as they left the court. Simon Patterson, the killer's estranged husband, declined her invitation for lunch, saying their relationship was too tense for him to comfortably attend. The prosecution argued that Patterson had planned and carried out a plot to kill her husband's family. Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers said that Patterson had "secreted" a lethal dose of death cap mushroom poison into the home-cooked beef Wellingtons. She also argued that Patterson told her lunch guests that she had cancer, but that the diagnosis was fabricated. Dr Rogers told the court that Patterson had attempted to "conceal the truth" with a sustained cover-up after the deaths. The jury also heard that Patterson pretended to fall sick after the July 29 lunch. She claimed that foraged death cap mushrooms were in the meal by mistake and maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings. READ MORE: 'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning Over the course of the trial, the jury heard of a close family relationship between Patterson and her in-laws before the fateful lunch. Patterson first met her estranged husband's family 20 years ago, in 2005, when the pair started dating after meeting through friends at Melbourne's Monash City Council. The Pattersons had provided emotional and logistical support to the young couple, the court heard. While being questioned by her defence lawyer, Colin Mandy, Patterson remembered her relief when Gail and Don came to stay after the couple had their first baby in Perth. "She taught about settling after a feed and interpreting cries," Patterson said Patterson also credited pastor Ian Wilkinson with her first spiritual experience at the Korumburra Baptist Church, leading her to convert to Christianity. She said that while the family had been close, she had started to feel a growing distance after her split with Simon in 2015. The couple had moved from Perth to Gippsland to be closer to his family after embarking on a number of months-long road trips across the country. But Patterson was becoming "concerned" that her estranged husband didn't want her involved in the family. "I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said. The tension came to a head when Patterson was excluded from Gail's 70th birthday. By late 2022, interactions between Patterson and her estranged husband had "increased the heat", she said. Patterson said anger and resentment in the relationship grew after the pair failed to find a resolution over child support payments, including school and medical fees. Don and Gail were acting as mediators, encouraging the couple to pray together. "They thought that Simon and I should settle the issue together, but they didn't want to become official mediators," she said. Evidence extracted from Patterson's Facebook messages showed her growing frustration, the court heard. "This family, I swear to f--king god," she messaged Facebook friends at the time. The prosecution did not allege a motive for Patterson to murder three people and attempt to murder another. READ MORE: 'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson Before her arrest, Patterson had made plans for the future, including making an appointment to discuss weight loss methods at a Melbourne clinic in 2023. She had also been accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University to begin in 2024. The convicted killer has been remanded in jail since her arrest in November 2023. She awaits sentencing. - with AAP
