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An Australian woman was convicted of murdering her husband’s parents and aunt by poisoning their beef Wellington lunch with toxic mushrooms, a jury concluded on Monday after a widely publicised trial.
A passionate home cook, Erin Patterson, hosted a small gathering in July 2023 that began with cheerful conversations and sincere prayers but tragically resulted in the deaths of three guests.
Throughout a trial spanning over two months, Patterson insisted that the beef-and-pastry dish was unintentionally poisoned with death cap mushrooms, which are considered the deadliest fungi in the world.
However, a jury of twelve found the 50-year-old guilty of triple murder, a charge that could lead to a life sentence. She was also found guilty of trying to murder a fourth guest who managed to survive.
“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.
The trial attracted podcasters, film crews, and fans of true crime to the quiet town of Morwell, a tranquil community in Victoria known for its award-winning roses.
Publications from New York to New Delhi covered every development of what has come to be referred to as the “mushroom murders.”
On July 29, 2023, Patterson prepared a table for a close family gathering at her property, shaded by trees. That afternoon, her lunch guests included Don and Gail Patterson, the parents of her estranged husband, Simon.
Places were also set for Simon’s maternal aunt, Heather Wilkinson, and her spouse, Ian, a respected pastor in the local Baptist church. Simon was invited to join but opted out due to feeling “uncomfortable.” At the same time, Patterson’s relationship with Simon was becoming increasingly strained. The couple, still legally married, had been in conflict over Simon’s child support payments.
Patterson spent money on high-quality cuts of beef, which she enhanced with a mixture of minced mushrooms and wrapped in pastry to create individual beef Wellington parcels.
Before beginning their meal, the guests said grace and prayed once more afterwards, with Heather later expressing how “delicious and beautiful” the dish was.
Death cap mushrooms can easily be confused with other edible types, and are said to have a sweet flavour that disguises their severe toxicity.
The guests’ bloodstream soon filled with deadly amatoxin, a poison emitted by the death cap mushrooms found beneath the oak trees of Victoria. Don, Gail, and Heather succumbed to organ failure within a week.
Investigators soon discovered evidence indicating that Patterson had served the meal with malicious intent.
Patterson told her guests she had been diagnosed with cancer and sought advice on how to inform her children, prosecutors claimed. However, medical records revealed that she had not received any such diagnosis. The prosecution argued that this was a fabrication designed to entice the diners to her home. She also falsely claimed to have a food dehydrator, which police eventually found discarded in a landfill.
Forensic analyses revealed that the device contained traces of the deadly fungi.
A computer confiscated from her residence had visited a website identifying death cap mushrooms located a short distance from her home a year before the meal, according to police.
Death caps are recognised as the most poisonous mushrooms globally, accounting for approximately 90 per cent of all deaths related to toxic fungi ingestion.
Ian Wilkinson, the Baptist preacher, was the only guest to survive, recovering after several weeks in the hospital. He recounted to the court that the meals for the guests were served on four grey plates, while Patterson ate from a smaller orange dish. Yet, he was unable to explain why Patterson intended for him to die.
