Mushroom murder trial: Erin Patterson found guilty on all charges
Photo:
AFP / PAUL TYQUIN
Erin Patterson has been found guilty of the murders of three relatives and the attempted murder of another after serving them a meal with deadly mushrooms.
The Supreme Court jury reached the verdicts this afternoon after a week of deliberations. The court was on lunch break when jurors rung the bell today.
As the verdict was handed down, Patterson did not express any obvious outward emotion, watching the process from inside the courtroom.
Patterson was charged with three murder counts and an attempted murder count, after the beef Wellington lunch she made for her in-laws in 2023 contained toxic death cap mushrooms.
Her estranged husband's parents and aunt died after eating the meal, while his uncle was critically ill, but survived.
Patterson's trial took place over 11 weeks in the rural town of Morwell.
The defence argued the mushrooms accidentally went into the meal, while prosecutors said Patterson engaged in an elaborate deception to deliberately kill her in laws.
Jurors needed to reach a unanimous verdict for each of the four charges Patterson faces.
Before her trial began, prosecutors dropped three attempted murder charges, related to accusations that she tried to kill her estranged husband.
- more to come
- ABC
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(Source: 1News) A meal that killed three ADVERTISEMENT Released images include the first photo of the meal served at the centre of the case: the home-cooked beef Wellington Erin Patterson made for her in-laws on July 29, 2023. Three of them - Don and Gail Patterson and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson - died within days. Pastor Ian Wilkinson survived, but only after a liver transplant. Other pieces of evidence included CCTV of Patterson walking through hospital corridors the day after the meal reportedly seeking treatment, as well as images of the food dehydrator prosecutors said was used to prepare the toxic mushrooms which was found dumped at a local tip. Police found the Sunbeam food dehydrator at the tip days after the lunch. (Source: Supreme Court of Victoria) Also released were police photos showing Patterson handing over a phone during a search - a device investigators said had been reset multiple times, including remotely when it was in police custody. 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Prosecutors highlighted four key lies: Claiming to have cancer to lure her in-laws to the lunch Changing stories about the mushroom source citing multiple grocers and suburbs Denying she owned a food dehydrator later found to contain death cap DNA Providing police with a secondary phone and the wrong mobile number The jury was ultimately convinced beyond reasonable doubt that these were not accidents, but deliberate attempts to cover up a planned poisoning. CCTV showing Patterson dumping a dehydrator at Koonawarra waste station (Source: Nine) Fresh revelations Patterson allegedly tampered with prison food Although the trial has ended, Patterson's legal saga may not be over. ADVERTISEMENT Multiple Australian media outlets are reporting fresh allegations from inside prison, where Patterson is being held on remand. She's been accused of tampering with food that allegedly made another inmate sick. 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