SYDNEY — An Australian woman was convicted on Monday for the murder of three elderly relatives of her estranged husband, using a meal tainted with poisonous mushrooms, in a story that has captivated the nation.
Erin Patterson, 50, faced charges for the killings 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 spouse.
The group had assembled at Erin Patterson’s residence in Leongatha, a town of around 6,000 residents located about 84 miles southeast of Melbourne, where she prepared a meal of individual Beef Wellingtons with mashed potatoes and green beans. This dish was later discovered to contain death cap mushrooms.
On Monday, the jury in the case found her guilty of all four charges, the court heard in Morwell, a town around two hours east of Melbourne where the trial was being held.
Patterson, who had pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying the deaths were accidental, will be sentenced at a later date.
The 10-week trial attracted huge global interest, with local and international media descending on Court 4 at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court in Morwell, the nearest court to Patterson‘s home where she had requested to be tried, despite being warned of lengthy delays.
State broadcaster ABC’s daily podcast on proceedings was consistently among the most popular in Australia during the trial, while several documentaries on the case are already in production.
