Mushroom murder could mean life behind bars
Now, after a marathon two-month trial involving more than 50 witnesses, four days of closing arguments and seven days of jury deliberations, Erin Patterson has been found guilty of murdering her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and family friend Heather Wilkinson during a family meal at her home in Leongatha, Victoria.
All three died within days of the Sunday roast, in July 2023. Heather's husband, pastor Ian Wilkinson, survived after spending weeks in intensive care. Erin's former husband, Simon Patterson – thought to be the real target – was asked to join them for lunch but declined the invitation.
In today's episode of The Detail, Australian Channel Seven's chief reporter Chris Reason, who covered the case, explains why it's attracted global attention, and gives insight into what happened inside the courtroom.
'Everyone is saying this is the biggest crime story since the Azaria Chamberlain case, back in the 1980s … but instead of going from 'a dingo took my baby', we have gone to 'a mushroom killed my in-laws'.
'It's the unique murder weapon – death cap mushrooms, what the hell, where has that come from, no one has ever heard of that before – that alone pricked ears here and internationally,' he says.
'It is something extremely unique and fascinating about the way these people died.'
Since day one, Patterson, a Lego-obsessed mother-of-two, has maintained her innocence. She pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of murder and attempted murder in the small Latrobe Valley, Victoria courthouse, about two hours' drive south of Melbourne.
During the trial, prosecutors said Patterson lured her guests to her home by telling them she had cancer (which was later proven by the police to be untrue). She then knowingly served them a meal laced with deadly death cap mushrooms. The dish, they say, was carefully planned – a calculated act of revenge following a breakdown in family relationships.
But her defence painted a vastly different picture: a woman devastated by what she insisted was a tragic accident. They argued that Erin bought the mushrooms from an Asian grocery store, believing them to be safe, and had no idea what she was serving.
Patterson took the stand during her trial and, for eight gruelling days, gave evidence.
'She said, 'Let me get on the stand, I want to explain myself',' says Reason. '[That was] a massive flag there, that raised doubt for a lot of people – what murderer would willingly put themselves through that? And that thought would have gone through the jury.
'It was a masterstroke from Erin, and from her defence.
'They put her up, and she was in the box for eight days, now eight days of constant questioning by two of the brightest minds in the legal community down here is extremely intense … and she was difficult, she was defiant, she was defensive, she was awkward in some places … she was a clinical woman, she was an argumentative woman, everyone was wrong except for her. She was cold and calculating.'
It took the jury seven days to deliberate before finding her guilty.
Reason says he was surprised when the verdict came back – and surprised by the verdict itself.
'At the point where we had the jury sitting into its sixth day, I suddenly started to think 'This is going to be hung, this jury is gridlocked, and this is going to be bad news for everybody concerned.
'I was surprised … for a long time this has been really one of those cases where it pulls you one way, then it pulls you the other … you genuinely think 'Hang on, she's guilty as hell', then you see some other evidence and you think the opposite, 'No, she must be innocent of these charges'.
He said Patterson showed no remorse or reaction as the guilty verdicts were read out.
'Nothing, nothing, nothing, and nothing as the four guilty verdicts came down. She remained unmoved, unemotional, no response at all.'
Now an inmate in Victoria's largest female prison, the seemingly everyday mum will likely be sentenced next month as a triple murderer, but she also has the option to appeal the decision.
Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here.
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It is the triple-murder case that captivated a global audience – a sleepy Australian town, a family Sunday lunch, and a deadly beef Wellington. Now, after a marathon two-month trial involving more than 50 witnesses, four days of closing arguments and seven days of jury deliberations, Erin Patterson has been found guilty of murdering her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and family friend Heather Wilkinson during a family meal at her home in Leongatha, Victoria. All three died within days of the Sunday roast, in July 2023. Heather's husband, pastor Ian Wilkinson, survived after spending weeks in intensive care. Erin's former husband, Simon Patterson – thought to be the real target – was asked to join them for lunch but declined the invitation. In today's episode of The Detail, Australian Channel Seven's chief reporter Chris Reason, who covered the case, explains why it's attracted global attention, and gives insight into what happened inside the courtroom. 'Everyone is saying this is the biggest crime story since the Azaria Chamberlain case, back in the 1980s … but instead of going from 'a dingo took my baby', we have gone to 'a mushroom killed my in-laws'. 'It's the unique murder weapon – death cap mushrooms, what the hell, where has that come from, no one has ever heard of that before – that alone pricked ears here and internationally,' he says. 'It is something extremely unique and fascinating about the way these people died.' Since day one, Patterson, a Lego-obsessed mother-of-two, has maintained her innocence. She pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of murder and attempted murder in the small Latrobe Valley, Victoria courthouse, about two hours' drive south of Melbourne. During the trial, prosecutors said Patterson lured her guests to her home by telling them she had cancer (which was later proven by the police to be untrue). She then knowingly served them a meal laced with deadly death cap mushrooms. The dish, they say, was carefully planned – a calculated act of revenge following a breakdown in family relationships. But her defence painted a vastly different picture: a woman devastated by what she insisted was a tragic accident. They argued that Erin bought the mushrooms from an Asian grocery store, believing them to be safe, and had no idea what she was serving. Patterson took the stand during her trial and, for eight gruelling days, gave evidence. 'She said, 'Let me get on the stand, I want to explain myself',' says Reason. '[That was] a massive flag there, that raised doubt for a lot of people – what murderer would willingly put themselves through that? And that thought would have gone through the jury. 'It was a masterstroke from Erin, and from her defence. 'They put her up, and she was in the box for eight days, now eight days of constant questioning by two of the brightest minds in the legal community down here is extremely intense … and she was difficult, she was defiant, she was defensive, she was awkward in some places … she was a clinical woman, she was an argumentative woman, everyone was wrong except for her. She was cold and calculating.' It took the jury seven days to deliberate before finding her guilty. Reason says he was surprised when the verdict came back – and surprised by the verdict itself. 'At the point where we had the jury sitting into its sixth day, I suddenly started to think 'This is going to be hung, this jury is gridlocked, and this is going to be bad news for everybody concerned. 'I was surprised … for a long time this has been really one of those cases where it pulls you one way, then it pulls you the other … you genuinely think 'Hang on, she's guilty as hell', then you see some other evidence and you think the opposite, 'No, she must be innocent of these charges'. He said Patterson showed no remorse or reaction as the guilty verdicts were read out. 'Nothing, nothing, nothing, and nothing as the four guilty verdicts came down. She remained unmoved, unemotional, no response at all.' Now an inmate in Victoria's largest female prison, the seemingly everyday mum will likely be sentenced next month as a triple murderer, but she also has the option to appeal the decision. Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here. You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.
