An Australian woman facing murder charges denied allegations that she used her kitchen scales to measure out a deadly amount of poisonous mushrooms to kill three elderly relatives of her estranged husband. Erin Patterson, 50, is accused of the July 2023 murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, as well as the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband. The prosecution claims she knowingly served the lethal death cap mushrooms to her guests as part of a Beef Wellington meal at her residence in Leongatha, located about 135 km (84 miles) from Melbourne.
Patterson refutes the charges, which could lead to a life sentence, with her defense team arguing that the deaths were a tragic accident. During cross-examination, the prosecution questioned Patterson about photos showing mushrooms on her kitchen scales, insinuating she was calculating a fatal dose for her guests. Patterson denied this accusation.
While admitting to lying to authorities about foraging for mushrooms and owning a food dehydrator, which was later discovered with traces of death caps, Patterson denied deceiving her guests by falsely claiming to have cancer. She also denied intentionally picking death cap mushrooms or serving them to her guests.
The high-profile trial has attracted widespread attention in Australia, where such cases are rare. Media outlets, including podcasters, journalists, and documentary-makers, have closely followed the trial in Morwell, about two hours east of Melbourne. The trial, presided over by Justice Christopher Beale, is ongoing with the cross-examination of the accused expected to continue into the following week. The prosecution concluded its case after presenting evidence from various experts and witnesses. The trial is set to conclude this month, with further proceedings expected before a verdict is reached.