Australian Erin Patterson found guilty of all counts in mushroom murders case
Erin Patterson, 50, was charged with the murders of her mother-in-law, Gail Patterson, father-in-law, Donald Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband.
3 Erin Patterson is photographed in Melbourne, on April 15, 2025.
AP
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The four gathered at Erin Patterson's home in Leongatha, a town of about 6,000 people, some 84 miles southeast of Melbourne, where the mother of two served them a meal of individual Beef Wellingtons accompanied by mashed potato and green beans, which were later found to contain death cap mushrooms.
On Monday, the jury in the case found her guilty of all four charges, the court heard in Morwell, a town around two hours east of Melbourne where the trial was being held.
Patterson, who had pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying the deaths were accidental, will be sentenced at a later date.
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The 10-week trial attracted huge global interest, with local and international media descending on Court 4 at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court in Morwell, the nearest court to Patterson's home where she had requested to be tried, despite being warned of lengthy delays.
3 The exterior of the Leongatha home where Erin Patterson served up four death cap mushroom-laced beef wellingtons in Leongatha, Australia, is photographed on April 28, 2025.
AP
3 Heather Wilkinson and Ian Wilkinson.
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State broadcaster ABC's daily podcast on proceedings was consistently among the most popular in Australia during the trial, while several documentaries on the case are already in production.
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