A host of a weekend family gathering at her country home in Leongatha, Victoria, Australia, has been arrested and charged with the murder of three of her guests through the use of poisonous mushrooms. She is also facing an attempted murder charge for another guest who was left in critical condition following the meal.
Erin Patterson, aged 49, was taken into custody on Thursday. The charges stem from an event that took place on July 29 when Erin Patterson had invited her former husband’s parents, Gail and Don Patterson, both aged 70, Gail Patterson’s sister Heather Wilkinson, aged 66, and her husband Ian Wilkinson, aged 68, for a family lunch.
After the lunch, all four guests were hospitalized the following day, with only Ian Wilkinson surviving the ordeal.
In addition to the murder charges, Erin Patterson is facing three counts of attempted murder relating to her former husband, Simon Patterson, aged 48, who fell seriously ill after consuming meals in 2021 and 2022.
Erin Patterson will remain in police custody until her appearance in a local court scheduled for Friday, where she may seek bail. Murder cases typically require a decision from a higher court regarding bail.
Erin Patterson has publicly denied any wrongdoing and expressed her devastation over the tragic events. She tearfully told reporters, “I’m devastated. I loved them. I can’t believe that this has happened, and I’m so sorry,” just two days after the third death.
According to the police, the symptoms displayed by the four diners were consistent with poisoning by wild Amanita phalloides, commonly known as death cap mushrooms.
In a statement, Erin Patterson revealed that she had prepared a beef Wellington steak dish for the lunch, using mushrooms purchased from a major supermarket chain and dried mushrooms from an Asian grocery store. She added that she had also consumed the same meal, which subsequently led to stomach pains and diarrhea.
Ian Wilkinson, a Baptist pastor, was released from the hospital in late September and is said to be in the process of recovery.
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In Victoria, a conviction for murder carries a potential maximum prison sentence of 25 years.