Australian Woman Found Guilty Of Killing In-Laws With Poisonous Lunch
Two years ago, three members of a family died mysteriously, and initially it was speculated as a case of food poisoning. Now, a jury has found an Australian woman named Erin Patterson guilty of murdering three in-laws and attempting to murder a fourth with poisonous lunch. Reportedly, Patterson cooked a deadly beef wellington lunch, having death cap mushrooms with the intention to kill them all.
After 11 weeks of trial, a jury in the Victorian Supreme Court convicted Patterson of murdering her estranged husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as his aunt, Heather Wilkinson. The 12-person jury also found Patterson guilty of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who survived the attack and spent weeks in the hospital recovering, reported the Guardian.
The legal saga, which has garnered significant global media and public attention, commenced when authorities charged Patterson in November 2023. This action followed a fatal lunch she hosted at her southeastern Australian home on July 29, over three months prior.
During the proceedings, it was revealed that all four attendees were diagnosed with amanita mushroom poisoning, caused by the consumption of highly toxic death cap mushrooms.
Tragically, Gail and Heather passed away on August 4, with Don succumbing to the poisoning the following day, August 5. Ian, the pastor of the Korumburra Baptist church, recovered sufficiently to be discharged from the hospital to a rehabilitation ward in September 2023.
The meal in question, a Beef Wellington crafted with premium beef and a mushroom duxelles encased in pastry, began pleasantly. Prayers were said, and the conversation flowed good-naturedly, with Heather reportedly complimenting the dish as “delicious and beautiful.”
However, the seemingly delightful meal harboured a deadly secret: it was unknowingly laced with death cap mushrooms. These fungi are among the world’s most lethal, containing amatoxin, a potent and deadly poison. Tragically, Don, Gail, and Heather all succumbed to organ failure within a week of consuming the dish.
Throughout the trial, Patterson maintained that the poisoning was entirely accidental. She consistently stated she hadn’t intentionally sought out the poisonous mushrooms, describing the incident as a “terrible accident.” Her defence lawyer supported this claim, arguing that she had no intent to cause harm.
In a statement, Victoria police said, “Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them. We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision.”
