Who Is Erin Patterson? The Australian Woman Found Guilty Of Killing Three Relatives With Death Cap Mushrooms

Erin Patterson, the Australian woman, who served relatives with death cap mushrooms has been found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Patterson baked mushrooms into a Beef Wellington lunch and served her relatives.

The verdict was delivered by a jury of 12 members after six days of deliberation. The judgment concluded a 10-week trial held in Morwell, Victoria, where the deadly meal was served in July 2023.

Erin Patterson Case That Attracted Global Attention

Erin Patterson’s trial garnered extensive media attention, with media crews covering the courtroom drama. The case also inspired four podcasts that analyzed the daily evidence in detail.

Prosecutors accused Patterson of intentionally contaminating the lunch with death cap mushrooms, a highly toxic fungus she gathered after seeing their location posted on a public website.

The poisoning led to the deaths of three people: Don and Gail Patterson, who were her former parents-in-law, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson. Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson, the local pastor, survived after weeks in hospital.

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What Erin Patterson Did at the Fatal Lunch

On July 29, 2023, Erin Patterson invited five people to lunch, including her estranged husband Simon Patterson, who canceled the day before.

Within hours of the meal, four guests , Don and Gail Patterson, along with Heather and Ian Wilkinson, fell seriously ill, experiencing vomiting and diarrhea. They were rushed to hospital and placed in induced comas.

Gail and Heather died on August 4 due to multiorgan failure. Don Patterson died the next day after failing to respond to a liver transplant. Ian Wilkinson survived after nearly two months of intensive treatment and was discharged in late September.

Death Cap Mushrooms That Erin Patterson Served Her Relatives

Death cap mushrooms contain amanita toxins, which block protein production in liver cells, causing cell death and potential liver failure roughly two days after ingestion.

Originally native to Europe, these mushrooms have been found in several Australian states. Around the time of the lunch, they were spotted growing near Patterson’s rural Victorian home.

Patterson’s defense team argued that the deaths were the result of a “terrible accident,” claiming she unknowingly added foraged mushrooms to the meal while trying to improve its taste.

They said Patterson panicked and lied to police when she realized the mushrooms could be poisonous.

Whos is Erin Patterson?

Erin Trudi Patterson,  50, has had a varied career, including roles as an accountant, air traffic controller, and animal welfare worker. Dduring her animal welfare work she met Simon Patterson in early 2000’s.

The two separated in 2015, however, they remained legally married, despite what the trial portrayed as a difficult relationship.

Erin was actively involved in the church Simon where she attended and edited a local community newsletter.

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