For two whole years, the case of Erin Patterson’s lunch murder It was concerned with public opinion around the world. Five people sat on the table of her home, in a quiet rural area of Australianon July 29 2023. A week later, Three of them were dead, one struggled for his life And she was confronted with accusations that she deliberately poisoned her guests with poisonous mushrooms.
The case, which has been the case in Australia’s media for months and international media, has revealed a web of lies, family conflicts and a horrible murder plan.
Lunch included six portions of Wellington – A popular British dish. But it quickly turned out to be lethal: the mushrooms it contained – known as Death Cap – are one of the most poisonous in the world.
After a trial closely attended in the provincial town of Morguel, Erin Patterson was found guilty of killing three of her relatives and attempting to kill one more. The victims were the Former her mother -in -law, Don and Gail Patterson, and her sister Gail, Heather Wilkinson. Heather’s husband, Jan Wilkinson – Pastor of the area – was the only one who survived after weeks of hospitalization.
Erin Patterson listened to the verdict with a look nailed to the jurors, silent and cool. He now faces a life sentence.
She had described herself as mushroom lover and amateur collector, arguing that everything was a tragic accident. But the trial of nine weeks revealed A completely different story …
The meal that became deadly
That July noon, Patterson and Wilkinson arrived at her house holding a orange pie. The only absent from the family was Simon Patterson, an ex -husband of Erin, who had canceled the previous day, citing “discomfort” because of tensions between them.
Erin had cooked a complex version of Beef Wellington – Beef with mushroom paste and puff pastry – Based on a recipe for a favorite TV chef. Four servings went on gray dishes for guests, she ate on orange plate. A sixth serving stayed in the refrigerator for Simon if he changed his mind.
The guests prayed and started eating, enjoying pleasantly and joking about the big portions. Followed the dessert and Erin revealed to them, as they testified, that she had cancer – An allegation that even her defense admitted was a lie.
Heather was allegedly surprised by the fact that Erin ate a different dish. “Did she finish her dinnerware?” allegedly said.
In the evening, all the guests became seriously ill. The next day they were hospitalized. Don Patterson had vomited 30 times in a few hours. Jan Wilkinson fell into a coma and stayed in the hospital for weeks.
“Why didn’t you get sick too?”
Authorities soon began to investigate why Erin, the hostess, was the only one who had no serious symptoms. In a recorded interrogation, the police asked her: “We are trying to understand what got so ill. And vice versa, why didn’t you get sick the same? “
Erin responded to the court that, after clearing the kitchen, he ate all the orange pie and then vomited – due to bulimia, as he revealed. She claimed that she was suffering from this disorder from her adolescence, which, according to her defense, explains why she did not have the same symptoms as others.
Two days after lunch, Erin visited the hospital, claiming that she also feels unstable. Initially she refused hospitalization for herself and her children – who were supposed to have eaten the leftovers. When checking, no traces of poisoning from toxic mushrooms were found. Erin was discharged.
Her victims, however, would still suffer. And as the ruthless symptoms were escalating, Erin covered her traces, as prosecutors claimed.
Hide data and suspicious movements
The next day when Erin was discharged from the hospital, Tracking Circuit He recorded her going to a local dump and throwing a food dehumidifier who was later found to contain traces of poisonous mushrooms.
Of particular importance to the outcome of the trial were the questions about origin of mushrooms. Patterson claimed that some of them had been bought by an Asian grocery in Melbourne, but could not remember which suburb. When asked about the transactions records, he said he had to pay in cash.
ERIN’s history on the internet would later show that it had used a specific site to read about these poisonous mushrooms.
In fact, in her earlier posts she boasted that she was hiding mushrooms in food: “I put mushrooms in brownies yesterday. The kids didn’t understand anything ‘, He had written.
She admitted that she might have confused dried mushrooms she had gathered with buyers, but said she was afraid to reveal it: “It was a stupid, spontaneous reaction. I began to lie and continued. “