Latest news with #Amanita
1News
2 days ago
- 1News
Five revealing moments from Erin Patterson's cross-examination
The prosecution has stepped up its questioning of Erin Patterson - the Victorian woman accused of killing three people and attempting to kill a fourth by serving them a meal laced with poisonous mushrooms. After days of giving evidence in her own defence, Patterson has now faced cross-examination from prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC, who has challenged her on everything from deleted photos and cancer claims to the exact wording of her emoji use in private messages. Australia Correspondent Aziz Al Sa'afin explains some of the biggest moments from the cross-examination so far. (Source: 1News) ADVERTISEMENT 1. 'You knew they were death cap mushrooms' Nanette Rogers began by suggesting Patterson knew she had cooked with death cap mushrooms and deliberately got rid of the evidence. 'You knew that they were death cap mushrooms that you'd been dehydrating, correct?' 'No, I didn't know that,' Patterson replied. The prosecution then accused her of deliberately disposing of the food dehydrator to cover her tracks. 'You were very keen to dispose of any evidence that might connect you with the possession of death cap mushrooms?' 'No, I didn't,' Patterson said again. ADVERTISEMENT (Source: 1News) 2. Photos allegedly show mushrooms being weighed Rogers showed the jury a series of images from Patterson's phone showing sliced mushrooms on a dehydrator tray, balanced on kitchen scales in her home. Expert evidence has previously suggested the mushrooms pictured were consistent with Amanita phalloides - the deadly species known as death caps. 'I suggest you were weighing these mushrooms so you could calculate the weight required for... a fatal dose,' Rogers said. 'I disagree,' Patterson replied. She also denied claims that she foraged those mushrooms after seeing a post online about local sightings on the iNaturalist website. ADVERTISEMENT 3. Internet searches raise questions about cancer claim The prosecution questioned Patterson over her claim to her lunch guests that she had cancer - a lie she now says was a cover for planned weight-loss surgery. Court documents showed images and search results related to ovarian and brain cancer stored on Patterson's devices. 'I suggest this information from the internet would allow you to tell a more convincing lie,' Rogers said. 'That's theoretically true, but it's not what I did,' Patterson replied. She said she'd worried about her health in late 2021 and early 2022, but denied conducting searches in 2023 to support a fabricated illness. (Source: 1News) ADVERTISEMENT 4. Emoji use and 'eyerolls' spark courtroom debate The court was also shown Facebook messages Patterson sent to friends, in which she referenced her in-laws and used eye-roll and neutral-face emojis when talking about their religious advice. Rogers argued the tone was mocking. Patterson disagreed. 'There's a better eyeroll emoji than these,' Patterson said. 'I can't see anything about eyes rolling in there. I wasn't mocking, I was frustrated.' 5. Prosecution questions Patterson's use of the word 'panicked' and 'foraging' Patterson had previously told the court she panicked in the days after the fatal lunch, which led her to lie and destroy evidence. But Rogers challenged this, suggesting Patterson was not reacting emotionally, but acting to avoid detection. ADVERTISEMENT 'Can you please alert me to the answer that I gave where I said I panicked when I learnt that everyone was unwell?' Patterson asked during one exchange. Rogers paused before continuing: 'Certainly.' In a continued moment of back-and-forth, Rogers questioned Patterson on her use of other language - specifically whether she understood what 'mushrooming' meant. Patterson replied: 'I think it could mean a couple of things… foraging, but also other uses of mushrooms that are not eating.' When asked what she would call picking mushrooms for food, she said: 'Pick and eat.' She maintained she never used the word 'mushrooming' and would have said 'foraged' if that's what she meant. Patterson denies the charges and the trial continues next week. ADVERTISEMENT Aziz Al Sa'afin looks at the key questions in the trial Aziz Al Sa'afin answers your most asked questions about the mushroom trial (Source: 1News) Who is Erin Patterson and what is this trial about? Erin Patterson is a 50-year-old woman from Leongatha, Victoria, who is accused of murdering her former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson. She is also charged with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, a local pastor who survived the same meal. All four guests became seriously ill after eating a beef wellington lunch prepared at Patterson's home in July 2023. What is she accused of doing? Prosecutors allege that Patterson used death cap mushrooms - one of the most poisonous fungi in the world - in the meal she served her guests. The Crown claims she knowingly poisoned them. The Defence says it was a tragic accident and Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges. What are death cap mushrooms? ADVERTISEMENT Death cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides) are deadly fungi that can be easily mistaken for edible varieties. Even a small amount can cause liver failure or death. They are not typically sold in stores and are often found in the wild. Cooking them does not neutralise their toxicity. What has Erin Patterson said in court? She has told the jury that she did not mean to harm anyone and believes the poisoning was a tragic accident. She admitted to lying in a police interview about foraging mushrooms and using a food dehydrator, which she later dumped. She said she panicked and was scared she'd be blamed. Why does she say she lied to police? Patterson has admitted to lying about key details during her initial police interview. She said she was overwhelmed and frightened, particularly after learning two of her guests had died. She told the court: 'It was a stupid kneejerk reaction… I was scared, but I shouldn't have done it.' What does the prosecution say? The prosecution has accused Patterson of deliberately cooking with death cap mushrooms and trying to cover her tracks. They've pointed to deleted photos, dumped kitchen equipment, and online searches they allege were used to create a convincing cover story, including a lie about having cancer. ADVERTISEMENT What has she said about the cancer claim? Patterson admitted lying to her lunch guests about having cancer. She told the court she said it to cover up a planned weight-loss surgery and described feeling ashamed of her body. The prosecution says she researched cancer online to make her story more believable. Patterson denies that. Why has this trial received so much attention? The unusual and shocking nature of the case - involving a homemade meal, rare poisonous mushrooms, and a family tragedy - has made headlines around the world. The fact that Patterson is giving evidence in her own defence is also highly unusual in a murder trial. True-crime podcasters and filmmakers have descended on the town of Morwell to cover this trial only adding to the hype. What does the jury have to decide? The jury must decide whether Erin Patterson is guilty of murder or attempted murder beyond reasonable doubt. This means they must be sure of her guilt based on the evidence presented in order to return a guilty verdict. In a Victorian criminal trial, the jury's verdict must be unanimous - all 12 jurors must agree. They will be pushed until they can reach a unanimous verdict of guilty or not guilty. In the rare instance they can't, the judge may declare a hung jury, which could lead to a retrial. What if Erin Patterson is found guilty? ADVERTISEMENT If found guilty of murder, Patterson faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The judge would determine her sentence at a later date. What happens if Erin Patterson is found not guilty? If Patterson is found not guilty, she will be acquitted of the charges and released from custody. An acquittal means the jury was not satisfied of her guilt beyond reasonable doubt and that the legal threshold for conviction was not met. What happens next? The trial is ongoing and has now lasted for six weeks. Cross-examination is underway, and Patterson is expected to remain on the stand into next week. Closing arguments will follow, then final instructions from the judge before the jury deliberates. The trial could stretch into late June.
News18
7 days ago
- News18
Family Lunch Turns Deadly As Woman Murders Ex-Husband's Family With Mushroom Poison
Last Updated: Erin Patterson, 50, is on trial in Australia for allegedly poisoning three people, including her former in-laws, with deadly mushrooms in July 2023. She pleads not guilty, In a case that draws eerie parallels to the infamous Jolly Joseph cyanide murders in India's southern state Kerala — where a woman allegedly killed six of her family members over 14 years — an Australian woman is now facing trial, accused of fatally poisoning three people and attempting to murder a fourth using a meal laced with deadly mushrooms. Erin Patterson, 50, is at the centre of a high-profile case in Australia, where she is accused of deliberately serving a lunch that led to the deaths of three guests, including her former in-laws, in July 2023. Among those who died were her estranged husband Simon Patterson's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and Heather Wilkinson, Gail's sister. Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, a local church pastor, narrowly survived after being hospitalised for several weeks due to severe poisoning from Amanita phalloides, known as the death cap mushroom — one of the most toxic fungi in the world. While Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges, prosecutors argue that she intentionally spiked a Beef Wellington dish with the poisonous mushrooms. They allege she found the mushrooms based on information posted on a publicly accessible website. Her defence team, however, maintains the deaths were a tragic accident, admitting she lied to police at times but insisting there was no murderous intent. Troubled Relationship & Emotional Struggles During court proceedings on Monday, Patterson opened up about her strained relationship with her estranged husband, Simon. She described their bond in July 2023 as merely 'functional" and admitted feeling left out of family interactions. Her testimony painted a picture of someone grappling with deep-seated self-esteem issues, worsened by ageing and dissatisfaction with her appearance. 'I had been in a long-standing battle with low self-esteem for most of my adult life," she said, noting she was even considering gastric bypass surgery around that time. How Erin Met Simon Under questioning by defence attorney Colin Mandy SC, Patterson recounted how she first met Simon in 2004 while working at Monash City Council in Victoria. Their friendship eventually blossomed into a romantic relationship, and they married in 2007. Her parents were travelling at the time, so it was David Wilkinson, the son of Pastor Ian Wilkinson, who walked her down the aisle. Patterson shared that she was a staunch atheist when she first met Simon and even tried to convert him. Ironically, the opposite happened. She experienced what she described as a spiritual awakening during her first visit to Korumburra Baptist Church, where Pastor Ian Wilkinson was preaching. 'It overwhelmed me," she said, recalling the emotional moment that led her to embrace Christianity. A Difficult Birth & Family Dynamics The court also heard about Patterson's traumatic childbirth experience, where her first child was delivered via emergency C-section after a failed attempt using forceps. Her newborn was placed in intensive care, prompting Patterson to discharge herself from the hospital prematurely so she could be with her baby. She spoke fondly of Gail Patterson, her then-mother-in-law, who supported her in those early days of motherhood and offered valuable guidance. The couple briefly separated in 2009 while living in Perth. Patterson moved into a cottage with their child while Simon rented a nearby trailer. They reunited in early 2010 and later welcomed their second child. Erin's Recurring Marital Struggles Despite attempts to make the relationship work, Patterson admitted that communication issues plagued their marriage. 'Whenever we disagreed, we couldn't express ourselves in a way that made the other feel heard or understood," she said. These recurring breakdowns in communication often left both feeling emotionally wounded, leading to periods of separation over the years. Kerala's Jolly Joseph Case The case of Erin Patterson — the Australian woman accused of poisoning her guests with deadly mushrooms — bears a haunting resemblance to the shocking 'Kerala cyanide murders", in which Jolly Joseph was charged with killing six members of her family over a span of 14 years. The series of deaths, all traced back to the small town of Koodathayi in Kozhikode district, stunned India when they came to light in 2019. Joseph, now in her late 40s, allegedly used cyanide as her weapon of choice in most of the killings. The police investigation later dubbed the string of fatalities the 'Kerala cyanide murders." The first suspicious death occurred in 2002, when Joseph's mother-in-law, Annamma Thomas, a retired teacher, suddenly passed away. This was followed by the death of her father-in-law, Tom Thomas, in 2008. In 2011, Joseph's husband, Roy Thomas, also died under mysterious circumstances. Three years later, in 2014, Roy's maternal uncle, Mathew, also passed away. The killings continued, with a total of six family members dying in similar unexplained conditions over the years. The breakthrough in the case came when Roji Thomas, one of Tom Thomas's sons who lives in the United States, grew suspicious and filed a police complaint. His doubts triggered a deeper investigation, ultimately unravelling a web of deceit and premeditated murders. During questioning, police say Joseph confessed to her role in all six killings. She reportedly admitted to using pesticide-laced food to kill her mother-in-law Annamma, while cyanide was used in the remaining cases. In October 2019, Joseph was arrested along with two accomplices: her friend M. Mathew, who allegedly helped procure the cyanide, and Praju Kumar, an employee at a jewellery store who reportedly sourced the toxic chemical. Like the Erin Patterson case, the Jolly Joseph saga involved family, trust, and food turning fatal — transforming domestic spaces into scenes of slow, deliberate horror. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : Canberra, Australia First Published: June 03, 2025, 14:43 IST News world Family Lunch Turns Deadly As Woman Murders Ex-Husband's Family With Mushroom Poison
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mushrooms are at the center of a major Australian murder case
A woman is on trial in Australia for hosting a lunch in 2023 that left three people dead. Erin Patterson has been charged with three counts of murder and is accused of purposely serving a beef Wellington made with poisonous death cap mushrooms, according to The Washington Post. Patterson has pleaded not guilty and her legal team has described the deadly meal as 'a terrible accident,' per The Washington Post. Death cap mushrooms are another name for poisonous Amanita phalloides mushrooms. The toxins of death cap mushrooms target the liver and kidneys, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control. If you ingest the mushrooms, initial symptoms such as nausea and vomiting appear six to twelve hours after ingestion. Your health deceptively appears to improve after those symptoms, but that's when your vital organs are actually being targeted by the toxins, the article said. You'll become 'very ill, experiencing jaundice and seizures, followed by coma, and sometimes culminating in death' several days later, per the BCCDC. The mortality rate following consumption and 'prompt hospital treatment' is 10% to 30%. Cooking does not destroy the mushroom's toxins. On July 29, 2023, Patterson prepared beef Wellington for a lunch. Her guests were all relatives of her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, The Washington Post reported. In the days after the lunch, Simon Patterson's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, died, as did Gail Patterson's sister, Heather Wilkinson. Wilkinson's husband, Ian Wilkinson, who was also a guest, spent weeks recovering in the hospital and ultimately survived, according to the Post. Erin Patterson also invited her estranged husband to the meal, but he declined to attend. Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson all died of 'altered liver function and multiple organ failure due to Amanita mushroom poisoning,' NPR reported. In August 2023, Erin Patterson said she was 'devastated' that the mushrooms caused the deaths of her 'loved ones,' per a statement shared with Australia's ABC. '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 said. In addition to alleging that she intentionally poisoned her guests, prosecutors have accused Erin Patterson of making up a cancer diagnosis, which she used as the pretense for the lunch, of visiting locations known to have death cap mushrooms beforehand and of getting rid of the food processor she used, according to The Washington Post. She is also accused of not eating the same beef Wellington as her guests and covering up the poisoning by 'pretending to suffer similar symptoms' as her guests, per NPR. Patterson's legal team has said her questioned actions stemmed from panic. 'She was overwhelmed by the fact that these four people had become so ill because of the food she'd served to them,' defense barrister Colin Mandy said during opening arguments, per The Washington Post. The trial in Australia has wrapped up its fourth week and is expected to conclude in June. This is not the first time someone has died after consuming death cap mushrooms. In 2013, a 57-year-old woman in England died after using the mushrooms in a soup she had prepared, as the BBC reported. The woman's husband also ate the soup and was hospitalized but survived. In December 2016, 14 people, including an 18-month-old child, across five California counties were hospitalized as a result of consuming death caps, according to The Weather Channel. Three of the 14 died, and the child 'developed cerebral edema and suffered permanent neurologic sequelae.' At least three of the individuals needed a liver transplant. A more recent case in California happened on December 31 in the town of Salinas. Three individuals were hospitalized after eating the mushrooms that they had purchased from a vendor on the side of the road, KSBW Action News reported.
The Age
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Age
The desperate fight to save mushroom lunch guests from death cap poisoning
The intensive care expert said that by the time the Wilkinsons arrived the following day, the patients were being given a number of treatments including plasma exchanges and vitamin C. The court heard Gail Patterson's condition was rapidly deteriorating, and she was in a state of advanced shock. By August 2, 2023, she was extremely unwell, and her liver had stopped working. 'She was on everything that we had,' Warrillow said. Don Patterson also continued to deteriorate in the days after his admission and his bowel stopped functioning normally. Loading 'It was thought the only possibility of saving his life was through a liver transplant,' Warrillow said. The jury heard Don underwent a liver transplant on August 4, 2023, following extensive medical consultation, but it didn't save him. 'He got relentlessly worse, unfortunately,' Warrillow said. 'All of our treatments had unfortunately failed, and he was dying.' Warrillow said Heather Wilkinson was in a state of multiple organ failure and rapidly going downhill when she arrived in intensive care. The jury heard doctors discussed the possibility of liver transplants for Gail and Heather, but specialists decided the sisters were too sick to undergo surgery. They both died on August 4, 2023. Don died the next day. As Heather's death was detailed to the jury, two family members in the back row of the court comforted one another. During Warrillow's evidence, another female family member stared at the floor, and wiped her eyes and nose with a handkerchief as she became upset. Loading Warrillow told the court Ian Wilkinson's condition also declined in the days after he arrived at the hospital, with high levels of acid in his blood and an abnormal heart rhythm. But the pastor's condition slowly improved from August 5, 2023, and he was eventually taken off breathing tubes on August 14, 2023 and later discharged from the intensive care unit. 'It was very slow because he was coming from a situation of extreme critical illness,' Warrillow said. The court heard Ian was moved to the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital on September 11, 2023, and eventually returned home. Asked by prosecutor Sarah Lenthall how close Ian was to death Warrillow replied: 'We thought he was going to die, he was very close.' Warrillow said Amanita poison tended to recycle inside the body, causing persistent injury to a patient's liver. He said there was usually some time between the ingestion of the toxins and the development of symptoms such as severe diarrhoea and vomiting. It was also common for patients to show some improvement before their organs shut down and the patient rapidly deteriorated, he said. Warrillow said treatments tried to interrupt the course of the illness and support the failing organs, but patients exposed to Amanita mushroom poison had a high mortality rate even when provided with appropriate care. 'The treatments are, well, clearly not 100 per cent effective,' he said. 'In fact, there's a very high mortality – there's a high mortality recognised even with what would be considered optimal care.'
Sydney Morning Herald
23-05-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
The desperate fight to save death cap mushroom lunch patients
The intensive care expert said that by the time the Wilkinsons arrived the following day, the patients were being given a number of treatments including plasma exchanges and vitamin C. The court heard Gail Patterson's condition was rapidly deteriorating, and she was in a state of advanced shock. By August 2, 2023, she was extremely unwell, and her liver had stopped working. 'She was on everything that we had,' Warrillow said. Don Patterson also continued to deteriorate in the days after his admission and his bowel stopped functioning normally. 'It was thought the only possibility of saving his life was through a liver transplant,' Warrillow said. The jury heard Don underwent a liver transplant on August 4, 2023, following extensive medical consultation, but it didn't save him. 'He got relentlessly worse, unfortunately,' Warrillow said. 'All of our treatments had unfortunately failed, and he was dying.' Warrillow said Heather Wilkinson was in a state of multiple organ failure and rapidly going downhill when she arrived in intensive care. The jury heard doctors discussed the possibility of liver transplants for Gail and Heather, but specialists decided the sisters were too sick to undergo surgery. They both died on August 4, 2023. Don died the next day. As Heather's death was detailed to the jury, two family members in the back row of the court comforted one another. During Warrillow's evidence, another female family member stared at the floor, and wiped her eyes and nose with a handkerchief as she became upset. Warrillow told the court Ian Wilkinson's condition also declined in the days after he arrived at the hospital, with high levels of acid in his blood and an abnormal heart rhythm. Loading But the pastor's condition slowly improved from August 5, 2023, and he was eventually taken off breathing tubes on August 14, 2023 and later discharged from the intensive care unit. 'It was very slow because he was coming from a situation of extreme critical illness,' Warrillow said. The court heard Ian was moved to the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital on September 11, 2023, and eventually returned home. Asked by prosecutor Sarah Lenthall how close Ian was to death Warrillow replied: 'We thought he was going to die, he was very close.' Warrillow said Amanita poison tended to recycle inside the body, causing persistent injury to a patient's liver. He said there was usually some time between the ingestion of the toxins and the development of symptoms such as severe diarrhoea and vomiting. It was also common for patients to show some improvement before their organs shut down and the patient rapidly deteriorated, he said. Warrillow said treatments tried to interrupt the course of the illness and support the failing organs, but patients exposed to Amanita mushroom poison had a high mortality rate even when provided with appropriate care. 'The treatments are, well, clearly not 100 per cent effective,' he said. 'In fact, there's a very high mortality – there's a high mortality recognised even with what would be considered optimal care.'
