MELBOURNE (AP) – Erin Patterson, the 50-year-old Australian host of a family lunch, is currently on trial for the alleged murders of her estranged husband's parents and an aunt, as well as for attempting to murder an uncle using poisonous mushrooms. The trial is taking place in the Supreme Court of Victoria.
On July 29, 2023, Patterson served a lunch that included beef Wellington, mashed potatoes, and green beans at her home located in Leongatha, a rural town in Victoria. Among the guests were her parents-in-law, Gail and Don Patterson, both aged 70, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, aged 66, along with her husband, Ian Wilkinson, aged 68. The following day, all four guests were hospitalized due to poisoning caused by death cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides), which were allegedly mixed into the dish. Ian Wilkinson managed to survive after undergoing a liver transplant.
Though Erin Patterson's estranged husband, Simon Patterson, was invited to the lunch, he declined to attend. Prosecutor Nanette Rogers shared with the jury that, two weeks prior to the poisoning, Erin had invited her husband and his relatives for lunch while attending a service at the Korumburra Baptist Church. During this invitation, Erin appeared to be concerned enough to emphasize that her children should not be present, as she wanted to discuss certain medical issues.
The family was surprised by the invitation, given that they had never been to Erin's spacious five-bedroom house. Notably, after the lunch, Heather Wilkinson, who later sought medical attention, expressed confusion regarding Erin's choice to eat from a separate plate than the rest of the guests. Erin's plate was described as having 'colors,' which caught Heather's curiosity.
Prosecutor Rogers further alleged that Erin fabricated a diagnosis of ovarian cancer to justify her children's absence at the lunch, which she used to garner sympathy and concern from her guests. Following the meal, she reportedly initiated a discussion with the family regarding her supposed cancer and sought their advice on how to explain the situation to her children.
Defense attorney Colin Mandy contended that while the guests were indeed poisoned by the mushrooms, it was not a deliberate act, but rather an unfortunate accident. He stressed that Erin had never suffered from cancer, portraying the situation as a tragic mistake.
In the courtroom, Rogers did not provide a motive for the alleged poisonings but insisted that the jury need not be concerned with a motive to reach a verdict. Two days after the lunch, Erin herself experienced symptoms such as diarrhea and nausea. At this point, medical staff had already diagnosed her guests with death cap poisoning. Erin claimed she had utilized a combination of fresh mushrooms from a supermarket and dried mushrooms from an Asian grocery store in her cooking.
During the trial, it was revealed that Erin lied about not foraging for wild mushrooms, which Mandy admitted was true. He clarified, however, that Erin never intended to seek out death cap mushrooms specifically. Medical professionals were concerned about the safety of Erin's children, aged 9 and 14, who Erin stated had consumed the leftovers from the meal, although she claimed to have removed the mushrooms for them. Prosecution asserted that Erin had not consumed any poisonous mushrooms and had not fed any to her children, while the defense argued that she had ingested the mushrooms but did not experience the same level of illness as her guests.
The trial has been adjourned until Thursday and is expected to last approximately six weeks. Erin Patterson faces three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, with murder carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, while attempted murder could lead to a maximum of 25 years in prison.
