A woman who poisoned four family members, killing three of them, is facing life in prison after a jury found her guilty of murder-by-mushrooms.
Erin Patterson invited her estranged husband’s parents, along with his aunt and uncle, to a lunch at her home in Victoria, Australia, in July 2023, where she served them beef Wellington made with death cap mushrooms.
Patterson, 50, informed the police that she must have accidentally included the toxic mushrooms in her recipe. However, the trial revealed that she had lied and attempted to conceal evidence of her culinary offense by discarding incriminating materials.
Throughout the 10-week trial that captivated headlines in Australia, the jury was told how Patterson had invited the family under the guise of disclosing a cancer diagnosis.
Erin Patterson was accused of using death cap mushrooms in the beef Wellington dish that she had served. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)
“When she didn’t respond in a way that instantly would have explained it as a tragic accident, that’s it, from that moment in my mind, she was guilty,” he said.
“She was evil and very smart to have planned it all and carried it out, but didn’t quite dot every ‘i’ and cross every ‘t.'”
Although prosecutors couldn’t find a specific motive for the murders, Australian media outlets have reported that Erin, who had worked as an accountant and also an air traffic controller, had resented her ex-husband, Simon, for not doing his share of household chores. In messages to online friends, the triple-murderer said she had had to hire a cleaner because of Simon’s refusal to help out around the house. The couple have two children together.
Prosecutors untangled her web of lies about the poisonings, including her claims that she had never been foraging for mushrooms, and that she didn’t own a food dehydrator. The kitchen appliance was later found at a nearby landfill site, where Erin had taken it to try and dispose of evidence. Police found death cap mushroom residue inside.
Patterson’s legal team has 28 days to appeal the conviction. If there is no appeal, she will likely be sentenced in August and faces life behind bars.
