Latest news with #mushroommurders
LBCI
07-07-2025
- LBCI
Australian woman found guilty of triple murder with toxic mushrooms
An Australian woman murdered her husband's parents and aunt by lacing their beef Wellington lunch with toxic mushrooms, a jury found Monday at the climax of a trial watched around the world. Keen home cook Erin Patterson hosted an intimate meal in July 2023 that started with good-natured banter and earnest prayer -- but ended with three guests dead. Throughout a trial lasting more than two months, Patterson maintained the beef-and-pastry dish was accidentally poisoned with death cap mushrooms, the world's most-lethal fungus. But a 12-person jury on Monday found the 50-year-old guilty of triple murder, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. She was also found guilty of attempting to murder a fourth guest who survived. Newspapers from New York to New Delhi have followed every twist of what many now simply call the "mushroom murders." Family members of the victims declined to speak after the verdict, asking for privacy in a statement issued through police. On July 29, 2023, Patterson set the table for an intimate family meal at her tree-shaded country property. Her lunch guests that afternoon were Don and Gail Patterson, the parents of her long-estranged husband Simon. Places were also set for Simon's maternal aunt Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian, a well-known pastor at the local Baptist church. Husband Simon was urged to come but he declined because he felt "uncomfortable." In the background, Patterson's relationship with Simon was starting to turn sour. The pair, still legally married, had been fighting over Simon's child support contributions. Guests said grace before tucking in and prayed once more after eating, with Heather later gushing about the "delicious and beautiful" meal. Death cap mushrooms are easily mistaken for other edible varieties and reportedly possess a sweet taste that belies their potent toxicity. The guests' blood was swiftly coursing with deadly amatoxin, a poison produced by the death cap mushrooms known to sprout under the oak trees of Victoria. Don, Gail and Heather died of organ failure within a week. Detectives soon found signs that Patterson had dished up the meal with murderous intent. Patterson told her guests she had received a cancer diagnosis and needed advice on breaking the news to her children, prosecutors alleged. But medical records showed Patterson received no such prosecution said this was a lie cooked up to lure the diners to her table. She also lied about owning a food dehydrator which police later found dumped in a rubbish tip. Forensic tests found the appliance contained traces of the fatal fungi. A computer seized from her house had browsed a website pinpointing death cap mushrooms spotted a short drive from her house a year before the lunch, police said. Baptist preacher Ian Wilkinson was the only guest to survive, pulling through after weeks in hospital. He told the court how guests' meals were served on four grey plates, while Patterson ate from a smaller orange dish. But he could not explain why Patterson wanted him dead. Patterson was a devoted mother-of-two with an active interest in her tight-knit community. She maintained through her lawyers it was nothing more than a "terrible accident." Confronted with countless hours of intricate expert testimony, it took the jury a week to find Patterson guilty. The court will soon set a date for a sentencing hearing that will determine how long Patterson spends in jail. Her legal team has 28 days after sentencing to appeal both her criminal convictions and her sentence. AFP
Globe and Mail
07-07-2025
- Globe and Mail
Mushroom murders: Jury finds Erin Patterson guilty of killing three with poisoned beef wellington
A jury on Monday found an Australian woman guilty of murdering three people, including her parents-in-law, by poisoning them with a dish laced with death cap mushrooms, an act which sparked a years-long legal saga that has gripped the nation. Erin Patterson, 50, was arrested in November 2023 after four people she hosted for a lunch of beef wellington at her house in Leongatha, a small town in Victoria about two hours outside of Melbourne, were hospitalized on suspicion of having been poisoned. Three of the guests – Ms. Patterson's in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson – later died, while Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, was only discharged after months in intensive care. Doctors soon determined the cause of the poisoning was Amanita phalloides, or death cap mushrooms, which Ms. Patterson said she had served accidentally and prosecutors said were intentionally laced into the food eaten by her guests, but not Ms. Patterson herself. The 'mushroom murders' quickly became a global media sensation, and when the trial finally began in the nearby town of Morwell this year, it was covered wall-to-wall by Australian broadcasters, while millions downloaded one of several daily podcasts covering the hearings. At least two true-crime books are in the works, and public broadcaster ABC is working on turning the case into a TV series. In his directions to the 12-member jury late last month, Judge Christopher Beale acknowledged the case 'has attracted unprecedented media attention and excited much public comment' and urged jurors not to let it sway their opinions. 'You and you alone are best placed to determine whether the prosecution have proved their case beyond reasonable doubt,' he said. While much of Australia had long ago decided Ms. Patterson was guilty, it was not a sure thing that the jury would agree. Despite damning evidence introduced against her in trial – including searches on her phone for the best place to find death cap mushrooms and records of her travelling to one such location – prosecutors never presented a motive for the murders. Ms. Patterson had been estranged from her husband, Simon, son of victims Don and Gail, for a long time, and texts presented at trial showed her to be resentful of their lack of support as the marriage broke down. But she barely knew the Wilkinsons, and it was unclear why they were included in the fateful meal, given Ms. Patterson's easy access to her children's grandparents. 'Why on Earth would anyone want to kill these people?' Ms. Patterson's barrister Colin Mandy said in court. 'There's no possible prospect that Erin wanted in those circumstances to destroy her whole world, her whole life.' Across eight days of testimony and cross-examination, Ms. Patterson continually protested her innocence, though she admitted to buying a food dehydrator on the same day phone signal data put her in the vicinity of death cap mushrooms, and to later dumping the device, which was recovered and found to bear both her fingerprints and traces of the deadly fungi. According to Ms. Patterson, she believed the death cap mushrooms were contained in a pack of assorted dried mushrooms she bought from an unspecified supermarket in Melbourne, something Australian food chain experts have said was impossible. No other poisonings have emerged that could be linked to such an oversight in food safety. She later changed her testimony to suggest she had made a mistake while foraging for harmless mushrooms. Prosecutors pointed to Ms. Patterson's decision to serve individual beef wellingtons for each guest as proof of her intention to poison them. A dish of steak baked in pastry, a beef wellington is traditionally served whole and then carved up into portions. Mr. Wilkinson, the survivor, also testified that Ms. Patterson used a different colour and size of plate to her guests. In summarizing the case against Ms. Patterson, prosecutor Nanette Rogers said 'she alone chose what to cook, obtained the ingredients and prepared the meal.' 'That choice to make individual portions allowed her complete control over the ingredients in each individual parcel,' she said. Ms. Rogers accused Ms. Patterson of a 'sinister deception' to use a 'nourishing meal as the vehicle to deliver the deadly poison,' while giving the 'appearance of sharing' the same dish while ensuring she ran no risk of eating the toxic mushrooms. The jury deliberated for a week before finding Ms. Patterson guilty on three counts of murder and one of attempted murder. Just how they reached their unanimous verdict will remain a mystery: unlike in some jurisdictions, Australian jurors are forbidden to disclose any discussions or voting that took place behind closed doors, and can be fined or even jailed if they do. According to the ABC, Ms. Patterson 'did not express any obvious outward emotion' as the verdict was delivered Monday. She will be sentenced at a later date, and faces up to life in prison.
Khaleej Times
07-07-2025
- Khaleej Times
Australian woman found guilty of triple murder with toxic mushrooms
An Australian woman murdered her husband's parents and aunt by lacing their beef Wellington lunch with toxic mushrooms, a jury found Monday at the climax of a trial watched around the world. Keen home cook Erin Patterson hosted an intimate meal in July 2023 that started with good-natured banter and earnest prayer -- but ended with three guests dead. Throughout a trial lasting more than two months, Patterson maintained the beef-and-pastry dish was accidentally poisoned with death cap mushrooms, the world's most-lethal fungus. But a 12-person jury on Monday found the 50-year-old guilty of triple murder, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. She was also found guilty of attempting to murder a fourth guest who survived. "I think it's very important that we remember that we've had three people that have died," said Detective Inspector Dean Thomas after the verdict. "I ask that we acknowledge those people and not forget them." The trial has drawn podcasters, film crews and true crime fans to the rural town of Morwell, a sedate hamlet in the state of Victoria better known for prize-winning roses. Newspapers from New York to New Delhi have followed every twist of what many now simply call the "mushroom murders". 'Delicious' Family members of the victims declined to speak after the verdict, asking for privacy in a statement issued through police. A lone friend of Patterson appeared overcome with emotion as she left the courthouse. "I'm saddened. But it is what it is," she told reporters. On July 29, 2023, Patterson set the table for an intimate family meal at her tree-shaded country property. Her lunch guests that afternoon were Don and Gail Patterson, the parents of her long-estranged husband Simon. Places were also set for Simon's maternal aunt Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian, a well-known pastor at the local Baptist church. Husband Simon was urged to come but he declined because he felt "uncomfortable". In the background, Patterson's relationship with Simon was starting to turn sour. The pair -- still legally married -- had been fighting over Simon's child support contributions. Patterson forked out for expensive cuts of beef, which she slathered in a duxelles of minced mushrooms and wrapped in pastry to make individual parcels of beef Wellington. Guests said grace before tucking in -- and prayed once more after eating -- with Heather later gushing about the "delicious and beautiful" meal. Death cap mushrooms are easily mistaken for other edible varieties, and reportedly possess a sweet taste that belies their potent toxicity. 'Not survivable' The guests' blood was swiftly coursing with deadly amatoxin, a poison produced by the death cap mushrooms known to sprout under the oak trees of Victoria. Don, Gail and Heather died of organ failure within a week. Detectives soon found signs that Patterson had dished up the meal with murderous intent. Patterson told her guests she had received a cancer diagnosis and needed advice on breaking the news to her children, prosecutors alleged. But medical records showed Patterson received no such diagnosis. The prosecution said this was a lie cooked up to lure the diners to her table. She also lied about owning a food dehydrator which police later found dumped in a rubbish tip. Forensic tests found the appliance contained traces of the fatal fungi. "I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible," Patterson told the trial. A computer seized from her house had browsed a website pinpointing death cap mushrooms spotted a short drive from her house a year before the lunch, police said. 'Super sleuth' Death caps are the most lethal mushrooms on the planet, responsible for some 90 percent of all fatalities due to consuming toxic fungi. Baptist preacher Ian Wilkinson was the only guest to survive, pulling through after weeks in hospital. He told the court how guests' meals were served on four grey plates, while Patterson ate from a smaller orange dish. But he could not explain why Patterson wanted him dead. Patterson was a devoted mother-of-two with an active interest in her tight-knit community. She was also a well-known true crime buff, joining a Facebook group to chew over details from infamous Australian murders. Friend Christine Hunt told the jury Patterson had a reputation as "a bit of a super sleuth". Patterson maintained through her lawyers it was nothing more than a "terrible accident". "She didn't do it deliberately. She didn't do it intentionally," defence lawyer Colin Mandy told the trial. "She denies that she ever deliberately sought out death cap mushrooms." Confronted with countless hours of intricate expert testimony, it took the jury a week to find Patterson guilty. The court will soon set a date for a sentencing hearing that will determine how long Patterson spends in jail. Her legal team has 28 days after sentencing to appeal both her criminal convictions and her sentence. Patterson's lawyers have not yet indicated whether they will appeal.
News24
07-07-2025
- News24
‘Mushroom murder' accused Erin Patterson found guilty of killing three in Australia
Australian Erin Patterson was found guilty of murder in the so-called 'mushroom murders' case. She poisoned four dinner guests with Death cap mushrooms. She served her guests a meal of beef Wellington lunch. An Australian woman murdered her husband's parents and aunt by lacing their beef Wellington lunch with toxic mushrooms, a jury found on Monday at the climax of a trial watched around the world. Keen home cook Erin Patterson hosted an intimate meal in July 2023 that started with good-natured banter and earnest prayer - but ended with three guests dead. Throughout a trial lasting more than two months, Patterson maintained the beef-and-pastry dish was accidentally poisoned with death cap mushrooms, the world's most-lethal fungus. But a 12-person jury on Monday found the 50-year-old guilty of triple murder. She was also found guilty of attempting to murder a fourth guest who survived. The trial has drawn podcasters, film crews and true crime fans to the rural town of Morwell, a sedate hamlet in the state of Victoria better known for prize-winning roses. READ | Mushroom murder accused claims she was ostracised and had 'never-ending battle of low self-esteem' Newspapers from New York to New Delhi have followed every twist of what many now simply call the 'mushroom murders'. On 29 July 2023, Patterson set the table for an intimate family meal at her tree-shaded country property. Martin Keep/AFP Her lunch guests that afternoon were Don and Gail Patterson, the elderly parents of her long-estranged husband Simon. Places were also set for Simon's maternal aunt Heather and her husband Ian, a well-known pastor at the local Baptist church. Husband Simon was urged to come but he declined because he felt 'uncomfortable'. In the background, Patterson's relationship with Simon was starting to turn sour. The pair - still legally married - had been fighting over Simon's child support contributions. Patterson forked out for expensive cuts of beef, which she slathered in a duxelles of minced mushrooms and wrapped in pastry to make individual parcels of beef Wellington. Guests said grace before tucking in - and prayed once more after eating - with Heather later gushing about the 'delicious and beautiful' meal. Death cap mushrooms are easily mistaken for other edible varieties, and reportedly possess a sweet taste that belies their potent toxicity. The guests' blood was soon coursing with deadly amatoxin, a poison produced by the death cap mushrooms known to sprout under the oak trees of Victoria. Don, Gail and Heather died of organ failure within a week. 'It was very apparent that this was not survivable,' intensive care specialist Stephen Warrillow told the trial. Detectives soon found signs that Patterson - herself a true crime buff - had dished up the meal with murderous intent. Patterson told guests she had received a cancer diagnosis and needed advice on breaking the news to her children, prosecutors alleged. But medical records showed Patterson received no such diagnosis. The prosecution said this was a lie cooked up to lure the diners to her table. She also lied about owning a food dehydrator which police later found dumped in a rubbish tip. Forensic tests found the appliance contained traces of the fatal fungi. I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible. Erin Patterson A computer seized from her house had browsed a website pinpointing death cap mushrooms spotted a short drive from her house a year before the lunch, police said. Death caps are the most lethal mushrooms on the planet, responsible for some 90% of all fatalities due to consuming toxic fungi. Baptist preacher Ian Wilkinson was the only guest to survive, pulling through after weeks in hospital. He told the court how guests' meals were served on four grey plates, while Patterson ate from a smaller orange dish. But he could not explain why Patterson wanted him dead. Paul Tyquin/Supreme Court of Victoria/AFP Patterson was a devoted mother-of-two with an active interest in her tight-knit community, volunteering to edit the village newsletter and film church services. She was also a well-known true crime buff, joining a Facebook group to chew over details from infamous Australian murders. Friend Christine Hunt told the jury Patterson had a reputation as 'a bit of a super sleuth'. Patterson said the meal was accidentally contaminated with death cap mushrooms, but maintained through her lawyers it was nothing more than a 'terrible accident'. 'She didn't do it deliberately. She didn't do it intentionally,' defence lawyer Colin Mandy told the trial. 'She denies that she ever deliberately sought out death cap mushrooms.' The trial heard from doctors, detectives, computer experts and mushroom specialists as it picked apart the beef Wellington lunch in forensic detail. Confronted with countless hours of intricate expert testimony, it took the jury a week to judge Patterson guilty. She will be sentenced at a later date.
Malay Mail
07-07-2025
- Malay Mail
Murder by mushroom: Australia's Erin Patterson convicted of killing three of husband's family with beef Wellington
MELBOURNE, July 7 — An Australian woman murdered her husband's parents and aunt by lacing their beef Wellington lunch with toxic mushrooms, a jury found today at the climax of a trial watched around the world. Keen home cook Erin Patterson hosted an intimate meal in July 2023 that started with good-natured banter and earnest prayer—but ended with three guests dead. Throughout a trial lasting more than two months, Patterson maintained the beef-and-pastry dish was accidentally poisoned with death cap mushrooms, the world's most-lethal fungus. But a 12-person jury on Monday found the 50-year-old guilty of triple murder. She was also found guilty of attempting to murder a fourth guest who survived. The trial has drawn podcasters, film crews and true crime fans to the rural town of Morwell, a sedate hamlet in the state of Victoria better known for prize-winning roses. Newspapers from New York to New Delhi have followed every twist of what many now simply call the 'mushroom murders'. On July 29, 2023, Patterson set the table for an intimate family meal at her tree-shaded country property. Her lunch guests that afternoon were Don and Gail Patterson, the elderly parents of her long-estranged husband Simon. Places were also set for Simon's maternal aunt Heather and her husband Ian, a well-known pastor at the local Baptist church. Husband Simon was urged to come but he declined because he felt 'uncomfortable'. This photo taken on June 17, 2025 shows people in a Melbourne laneway walking past a mural by street artist Jarrod Grech of Erin Patterson, an Australian woman accused of murdering three members of her husband's family with a toxic mushroom-laced beef Wellington lunch. — AFP pic In the background, Patterson's relationship with Simon was starting to turn sour. The pair—still legally married—had been fighting over Simon's child support contributions. Patterson forked out for expensive cuts of beef, which she slathered in a duxelles of minced mushrooms and wrapped in pastry to make individual parcels of beef Wellington. Guests said grace before tucking in—and prayed once more after eating—with Heather later gushing about the 'delicious and beautiful' meal. Death cap mushrooms are easily mistaken for other edible varieties, and reportedly possess a sweet taste that belies their potent toxicity. 'Not survivable' The guests' blood was soon coursing with deadly amatoxin, a poison produced by the death cap mushrooms known to sprout under the oak trees of Victoria. Don, Gail and Heather died of organ failure within a week. 'It was very apparent that this was not survivable,' intensive care specialist Stephen Warrillow told the trial. Detectives soon found signs that Patterson—herself a true crime buff—had dished up the meal with murderous intent. Patterson told guests she had received a cancer diagnosis and needed advice on breaking the news to her children, prosecutors alleged. But medical records showed Patterson received no such diagnosis. The prosecution said this was a lie cooked up to lure the diners to her table. She also lied about owning a food dehydrator which police later found dumped in a rubbish tip. Forensic tests found the appliance contained traces of the fatal fungi. 'I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible,' Patterson told the trial. A computer seized from her house had browsed a website pinpointing death cap mushrooms spotted a short drive from her house a year before the lunch, police said. Members of the media talk to a friend of Erin Patterson as she leaves the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court in Morwell, where Patterson was found by a jury today. — AFP pic 'Super sleuth' Death caps are the most lethal mushrooms on the planet, responsible for some 90 percent of all fatalities due to consuming toxic fungi. Baptist preacher Ian Wilkinson was the only guest to survive, pulling through after weeks in hospital. He told the court how guests' meals were served on four gray plates, while Patterson ate from a smaller orange dish. But he could not explain why Patterson wanted him dead. Patterson was a devoted mother-of-two with an active interest in her tight-knit community, volunteering to edit the village newsletter and film church services. She was also a well-known true crime buff, joining a Facebook group to chew over details from infamous Australian murders. Friend Christine Hunt told the jury Patterson had a reputation as 'a bit of a super sleuth'. Patterson said the meal was accidentally contaminated with death cap mushrooms, but maintained through her lawyers it was nothing more than a 'terrible accident'. 'She didn't do it deliberately. She didn't do it intentionally,' defence lawyer Colin Mandy told the trial. 'She denies that she ever deliberately sought out death cap mushrooms.' The trial heard from doctors, detectives, computer experts and mushroom specialists as it picked apart the beef Wellington lunch in forensic detail. Confronted with countless hours of intricate expert testimony, it took the jury a week to judge Patterson guilty. She will be sentenced at a later date. — AFP
