Australian woman Erin Patterson is convicted of 3 murders for poisoning her in-laws with mushrooms
The jury in the Supreme Court trial in Victoria state returned a verdict after six days of deliberations, following a nine-week trial that gripped Australia. Patterson faces life in prison and will be sentenced at a later date.
Patterson, who sat in the dock between two prison officers, showed no emotion but blinked rapidly as the verdicts were read.
Three of Patterson's four lunch guests — her parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson — died in the hospital after the 2023 meal at her home in Leongatha, at which she served individual beef Wellington pastries containing death cap mushrooms.
She was also found guilty of attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, who survived the meal.
It wasn't disputed that Patterson served the mushrooms or that the pastries killed her guests. The jury was required to decide whether she knew the lunch contained death caps, and if she intended for them to die.
The guilty verdicts, which were required to be unanimous, indicated that jurors rejected Patterson's defense that the presence of the poisonous fungi in the meal was a terrible accident, caused by the mistaken inclusion of foraged mushrooms that she didn't know were death caps. Prosecutors didn't offer a motive for the killings, but during the trial highlighted strained relations between Patterson and her estranged husband, and frustration that she had felt about his parents in the past.
The case turned on the question of whether Patterson meticulously planned a triple murder or accidentally killed three people she loved, including her children's only surviving grandparents. Her lawyers said she had no reason to do so — she had recently moved to a beautiful new home, was financially comfortable, had sole custody of her children and was due to begin studying for a degree in nursing and midwifery.
But prosecutors suggested Patterson had two faces — the woman who publicly appeared to have a good relationship with her parents-in-law, while her private feelings about them were kept hidden. Her relationship with her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, who was invited to the fatal lunch but didn't go, deteriorated in the year before the deaths, the prosecution said.
The simplest facts of what happened that day and immediately afterward were hardly disputed. But Patterson's motivations for what she did and why were pored over in detail during the lengthy trial, at which more than 50 witnesses were called.
The individual beef Wellington pastries Patterson served her guests was one point of friction, because the recipe she used contained directions for a single, family-sized portion. Prosecutors said that she reverted to individual servings, so she could lace the other diners' portions, but not her own, with the fatal fungi — but Patterson said that she was unable to find the correct ingredients to make the recipe as directed.
Nearly every other detail of the fateful day was scrutinized at length, including why Patterson sent her children out to a film before her guests arrived, why she added additional dried mushrooms to the recipe from her pantry, why she didn't become ill when the other diners did, and why she disposed of a food dehydrator after the deaths and told investigators that she didn't own one.
Patterson acknowledged some lies during her evidence — including that she'd never foraged mushrooms or owned a dehydrator. But she said that those claims were made in panic as she realized her meal had killed people.
She said she didn't become as ill as the other diners since she vomited after the meal because of an eating disorder. She denied that she told her guests she had cancer as a ruse to explain why she invited them to her home that day.
Before the verdict, Australian news outlets published photos of black privacy screens erected at the entrance to Patterson's home. The case has provoked fervor among the public and media, and the courtroom in the rural town of Morwell was packed throughout the trial.
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MELBOURNE, Australia — Australian woman Erin Patterson was found guilty Monday of murdering three of her estranged husband's relatives by deliberately serving them poisonous mushrooms for lunch. The jury in the Supreme Court trial in Victoria state returned a verdict after six days of deliberations, following a nine-week trial that gripped Australia. Patterson faces life in prison and will be sentenced later, but a date for the hearing hasn't yet been scheduled. Patterson, who sat in the dock between two prison officers, showed no emotion but blinked rapidly as the verdicts were read. Three of Patterson's four lunch guests — her parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson — died in the hospital after the 2023 meal at her home in Leongatha, at which she served individual beef Wellington pastries containing death cap mushrooms. She was also found guilty of attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, who survived the meal. It wasn't disputed that Patterson served the mushrooms or that the pastries killed her guests. The jury was required to decide whether she knew the lunch contained death caps, and if she intended for them to die. The guilty verdicts, which were required to be unanimous, indicated that jurors rejected Patterson's defense that the presence of the poisonous fungi in the meal was a terrible accident, caused by the mistaken inclusion of foraged mushrooms that she didn't know were death caps. Prosecutors didn't offer a motive for the killings, but during the trial highlighted strained relations between Patterson and her estranged husband and frustration that she had felt about his parents in the past. The case turned on the question of whether Patterson meticulously planned a triple murder or accidentally killed three people she loved, including her children's only surviving grandparents. Her lawyers said she had no reason to do so — she had recently moved to a beautiful new home, was financially comfortable, had sole custody of her children and was due to begin studying for a degree in nursing and midwifery. But prosecutors suggested Patterson had two faces — the woman who publicly appeared to have a good relationship with her parents-in-law, while her private feelings about them were kept hidden. Her relationship with her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, who was invited to the fatal lunch but didn't go, deteriorated in the year before the deaths, the prosecution said. The simplest facts of what happened that day and immediately afterward were hardly disputed. But Patterson's motivations for what she did and why were pored over in detail during the lengthy trial, at which more than 50 witnesses were called. The individual beef Wellington pastries Patterson served her guests were one point of friction because the recipe she used contained directions for a single, family-sized portion. Prosecutors said that she reverted to individual servings, so she could lace the other diners' portions, but not her own, with the fatal fungi — but Patterson said that she was unable to find the correct ingredients to make the recipe as directed. Nearly every other detail of the fateful day was scrutinized at length, including why Patterson sent her children out to a film before her guests arrived, why she added additional dried mushrooms to the recipe from her pantry, why she didn't become ill when the other diners did, and why she disposed of a food dehydrator after the deaths and told investigators that she didn't own one. Patterson acknowledged some lies during her evidence — including that she'd never foraged mushrooms or owned a dehydrator. But she said that those claims were made in panic as she realized her meal had killed people. She said she didn't become as ill as the other diners since she vomited after the meal because of an eating disorder. She denied that she told her guests she had cancer as a ruse to explain why she invited them to her home that day. The bizarre and tragic case has lingered in the minds of Australians and has provoked fervor among the public and media. During the trial, five separate podcasts analyzed each day of the proceedings and several news outlets ran live blogs giving moment-by-moment accounts of more than two months of evidence. At least one television drama and a documentary about the case are slated for production. Prominent Australian crime writers were seen in court throughout the trial. As it emerged half an hour before the verdict that the court was reconvening, about 40 members of the public queued outside the courthouse in the rural town of Morwell in the hope of watching the outcome in person. News outlets reported that family members of the victims were not among those present. Before the verdict, newspapers published photos of black privacy screens erected at the entrance to Erin Patterson's home. Dozens of reporters from throughout Australia and from news outlets abroad crowded around friends of Patterson's as they left the courthouse Monday. 'I'm saddened, but it is what it is,' said one friend, Ali Rose Prior, who wore sunglasses and fought back tears. Asked what she thought Patterson felt as the verdicts were read, Prior said, 'I don't know.' Prior, who attended every day of the trial, confirmed Patterson had told her: 'See you soon.' Prior said she would visit her friend in prison. Graham-McLay and McGuirk write for the Associated Press. Graham-McLay reported from Wellington, New Zealand.
2 hours ago
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An Australian court found Erin Patterson guilty on Monday of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, after a 10-week trial that captivated Australia and much of the world. Patterson, 50, was charged with murdering three relatives of her estranged husband by serving a beef Wellington laced with toxic death cap mushrooms over lunch in 2023, and attempting to murder a fourth. Patterson had pleaded not guilty to all charges, with her lawyers arguing the dish served was a "terrible accident." On Monday, the jury of 12 found Patterson guilty of all four charges after a week of deliberation. The mother of two is now facing life in prison. Her sentencing will come at a later date, which hasn't been set yet. She'll be remanded until then, and she can still appeal the guilty verdict. All four of her guests at a July 2023 lunch were hospitalized with severe stomach issues after they'd eaten, prosecutors said. Patterson's in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, died along with Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson. Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, was the sole survivor after spending weeks in hospital. He eventually testified. Patterson's husband turned down the lunch invitation, he said during his court testimony. 'It is what it is' Patterson's legal team left the court on Monday without commenting on the verdict. Victoria police said the Patterson and Wilkinson families have asked for privacy, and would not be supplying a statement at this time. A woman who local media identified as one of Patterson's friends was visibly upset as she exited the court, saying she was saddened about the verdict "but it is what it," according to Australian broadcaster ABC. Local and international media swarmed the entrance to the court on Monday, a testament to the global pull of the case. A daily podcast on the trial has gained a massive following in Australia, while several documentaries on the case are already in production. Web of lies, prosecution says There've been plenty of twists and turns during the trial, keeping public interest running high, with the prosecution telling the court that Patterson had employed major deceptions in order to murder her guests, including fabricating a cancer diagnosis to lure them to the lunch. She was alleged to have poisoned the meals of her guests while serving herself an untainted portion. Patterson then lied that she was also sick from the food to avoid suspicion, the prosecution said, adding that she later attempted to destroy evidence and lied to police. Patterson was the only witness in her defence, spending eight days on the stand, with cross-examination taking up most of that time. She often became emotional as she spoke about her struggles in life and the impact of the deadly lunch on her family and two children.
