Woman accused of killing 3 trials with meals of poisonous mushrooms – State
An Australian woman accused of cooking and serving her ex-husband’s family, a deadly meal with poisonous mushrooms, is facing trial this week.
Erin Patterson, 50, is charged with three murders, including her father-in-law and an aunt-and an attempted uncle.
The case made international headlines, which was important with the sensational nature of lunchtime cooked by the suspect's alleged ex-husband's relative: the deadly beef Wellington. Australian police believe Erin served guests a dish made with wild amanita phalloides, also known as death cap mushrooms, in July 2023.
Don and Gail Patterson, 70, Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66, allegedly died after she finished her meal at her home in the rural town of Leongatha. Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, survived but died seriously. After dinner, he recovered in the hospital for seven weeks.
Heather Wilkinson (left) and Ian Wilkinson (right) attended lunch with a relative, resulting in Heather's death and let Ian fight for his life. Police believe they were poisoned by the death cap mushroom.
Savior Australia – Museum/Facebook
Erin’s ex-husband Simon Patterson was also invited to lunch, but refused. Authorities say the symptoms of four lunch guests of Erin were consistent with the death cap mushrooms.
Erin was appointed as the suspect when police found out she was not hurt after eating. She pleaded not guilty to murder.
On Tuesday, Judge Christopher Beale told jurors that prosecutors filed separate charges against Erin for attempting to murder her estranged husband, the BBC reported.
Two weeks before the alleged poisoning, Erin invited her husband and four other guests to lunch at the church service at Korumburra Baptist Church, where Ian was the pastor.
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“She said the purpose of lunch was to discuss some of the medical problems she had and to break it down to the kids,” PBS said.
“The defendant said it is important that the children are not present at lunch,” Rogers said.
The next day, after eating the food in question, Heather began to question the meal.
“I noticed Erin put her food on our other plate. Her plate had color. I wonder why that was. I've been confused about it since lunch.”
The lawyer said Simon suggested to his aunt that his ex-wife might have run out of plates.
Rogers told the jury that Erin fabricated a story about getting diagnosed with ovarian cancer to hide the reason why her child wasn't attending the meal.
“After lunch, the defendant announced she had cancer and asked for a question about whether to tell the children or stay in touch with them,” Rogers said.
Rogers added: “They'd better be honest with the children. They pray for the health and wisdom of the defendant.”
Erin’s defense attorney Colin Mandy told the jury that the poisoning was accidental and that his client never had cancer.
“The defense case was a tragedy. It was a horrible accident,” Mandy told the court.
Archives – In this court sketch, Erin Patterson appeared in Latrob Valley Court, Victoria on November 3, 2023.
Anita Lester/AAP Images via AP
According to the BBC, Rogers said prosecutors will provide evidence that Erin went to a place near her home where death cap mushrooms were already logged in on the Naturalist’s website. She also said jurors could expect evidence that Erin was lying about the source of the mushrooms and that she had disposed of food dehydrators allegedly used to prepare toxic meals.
Erin's trial is expected to last six weeks. If she is found guilty, she faces life imprisonment with the highest murder charge, which can be lagging behind by up to 25 years for attempted murder.
What is a Death Cap Mushroom?
Death Cap Mushrooms can be seen in this undated handout.
Handouts/BC Center for Disease Control
Death cap mushrooms are very fatal when ingested.
Mushrooms can be found in many parts of the world, although in Canada is an invasive species.
Death cap mushrooms are found in many forests in British Columbia but can also be found in urban settings related to many imported tree species. According to the British Columbia Centers for Disease Control, mushrooms are found on Vancouver Island and the Lower Land Plains.
Death cap mushrooms look similar to regular bubble mushrooms, but should never be eaten. If you suspect you may have consumed Death Cap mushrooms, you should seek emergency medical services immediately.
Symptoms of death cap mushroom poisoning include hypotension, nausea and vomiting.
– With files in global news
& Copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
