Erin Patterson trial: Jurors begin deliberation in case of deadly mushroom meal
Jurors on Monday began deliberations in the trial of Erin Patterson, who is accused of serving deadly mushrooms to a group of guests at a meal that ultimately killed three people. File Photo by James Ross/EPA-EFE
June 30 (UPI) -- Jurors in the murder trial of Erin Patterson, an Australian woman who served a meal containing poisonous mushrooms that killed three guests, began deliberations on Monday.
The final 12 jurors were decided by a ballot, and then the judge gave the remaining seven men and five women a summary of both the prosecution and defense cases. The group was then sequestered to supervised accommodations where they will mostly stay until a decision has been reached.
The prosecution accused Patterson of having invited her estranged husband Simon Patterson's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt and uncle Heather and Ian Wilkinson, over to her home in Australia in August of 2023 for a lunch of beef Wellington.
Don and Gail died later that week, as did Heather, from the ingestion of poisonous death cap mushrooms. Ian was sickened and hospitalized but survived.
The prosecution claimed Patterson knowingly put the toxic fungi into the home-cooked meal, then lied to police about doing so and disposed of related evidence.
The defense maintains the poisoning was accidental, that Patterson had no reason to purposefully kill her guests and had originally lied because she panicked after hurting people she loved.
Prosecutors have further accused Patterson of not only inviting the victims over to kill them with a lethal meal but had furthermore prepared an extra poisoned serving in case Simon, who had declined his invitation to dine that day, changed his mind and came to eat.
Patterson has testified that she had only eaten a small portion of the beef Wellington lunch and later had vomited up the food because she also ate cake and has a history of binging and purging.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one of attempted murder in the case.
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The Hill
3 hours ago
- The Hill
Jury deliberates for 2nd day in the triple murder trial of Australian accused of mushroom poisonings
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A jury was deliberating for a second day Tuesday in the triple murder trial of an Australian woman accused of killing her estranged husband's relatives by deliberately serving them poisonous mushrooms for lunch. The jurors who began deliberating Monday are sequestered, a rarity in Australia that reflects public and media fervor about the case against Erin Patterson, with several news outlets publishing live blogs that covered every moment of the two-month trial. The jurors will remain secluded until they reach a unanimous decision on the charges of murder and attempted murder. 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 which she served individual beef Wellington pastries containing death cap mushrooms. The fourth, Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson, became gravely ill but survived. Patterson, 50, told the trial she didn't deliberately poison her guests and must have accidentally mixed up store-bought and wild mushrooms, which she had foraged herself without knowing they were death caps. She also said she ate the mushrooms but didn't get as sick because she threw up soon after the lunch due to an eating disorder. Prosecutors in the case, which has gripped Australia for two years, said the accused woman researched, foraged and served the mushrooms deliberately and lied to investigators to cover her tracks. Patterson accepted she had disposed of a food dehydrator after the fatal meal and reset her phone multiple times. The prosecution said she lied about having a dire medical diagnosis to ensure her guests attended the lunch, cooked individual pastries to avoid poisoning herself, and faked symptoms to make it look as though she fell ill, too. Prosecutors didn't offer a motive but suggested a deteriorating relationship between the accused and her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, as well as her exasperation with her former in-laws. Simon Patterson was invited to the fatal lunch but didn't go. Patterson would face life in prison if she is convicted.
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Jury deliberates for 2nd day in the triple murder trial of Australian accused of mushroom poisonings
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A jury was deliberating for a second day Tuesday in the triple murder trial of an Australian woman accused of killing her estranged husband's relatives by deliberately serving them poisonous mushrooms for lunch. The jurors who began deliberating Monday are sequestered, a rarity in Australia that reflects public and media fervor about the case against Erin Patterson, with several news outlets publishing live blogs that covered every moment of the two-month trial. The jurors will remain secluded until they reach a unanimous decision on the charges of murder and attempted murder. 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 which she served individual beef Wellington pastries containing death cap mushrooms . The fourth, Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson, became gravely ill but survived. Patterson, 50, told the trial she didn't deliberately poison her guests and must have accidentally mixed up store-bought and wild mushrooms, which she had foraged herself without knowing they were death caps. She also said she ate the mushrooms but didn't get as sick because she threw up soon after the lunch due to an eating disorder. Prosecutors in the case, which has gripped Australia for two years , said the accused woman researched, foraged and served the mushrooms deliberately and lied to investigators to cover her tracks. Patterson accepted she had disposed of a food dehydrator after the fatal meal and reset her phone multiple times. The prosecution said she lied about having a dire medical diagnosis to ensure her guests attended the lunch, cooked individual pastries to avoid poisoning herself, and faked symptoms to make it look as though she fell ill, too. Prosecutors didn't offer a motive but suggested a deteriorating relationship between the accused and her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, as well as her exasperation with her former in-laws. Simon Patterson was invited to the fatal lunch but didn't go. Patterson would face life in prison if she is convicted. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Washington Post
3 hours ago
- Washington Post
Jury deliberates for 2nd day in the triple murder trial of Australian accused of mushroom poisonings
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A jury was deliberating for a second day Tuesday in the triple murder trial of an Australian woman accused of killing her estranged husband's relatives by deliberately serving them poisonous mushrooms for lunch. The jurors who began deliberating Monday are sequestered, a rarity in Australia that reflects public and media fervor about the case against Erin Patterson, with several news outlets publishing live blogs that covered every moment of the two-month trial. The jurors will remain secluded until they reach a unanimous decision on the charges of murder and attempted murder.
