Student Village Academy › Forums › GENERAL DISCUSSIONS › Crime › Australian Woman Erin Patterson Found Guilty in Mushroom Poisoning Murders
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July 7, 2025 at 10:23 AM #80591
Precious
ParticipantSYDNEY – In a case that has captured the attention of Australia and beyond, Erin Patterson has been convicted of murdering three of her estranged husband’s elderly relatives with a meal laced with deadly mushrooms, and attempting to murder a fourth.
After a week of deliberation, the jury on Monday found that Patterson deliberately poisoned her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, by serving them individual portions of Beef Wellington containing death cap mushrooms. The fatal lunch took place at her home in Leongatha, a small town around 135 kilometers (84 miles) southeast of Melbourne, in 2023.
The jury also found Patterson guilty of the attempted murder of Heather Wilkinson’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who survived the meal but suffered severe health complications.
Patterson, 50, had pleaded not guilty to all four charges, insisting that the poisonings were accidental. However, the jury found otherwise. She now awaits sentencing and faces the possibility of life imprisonment. Under Australian law, she retains the right to appeal the verdict.
Patterson’s lawyer, Colin Mandy—one of Melbourne’s top criminal barristers—declined to speak to the press as he left the courthouse, surrounded by reporters. Likewise, Jessica O’Donnell, speaking on behalf of Patterson’s estranged husband Simon Patterson and his siblings, offered no comment following the conviction.
Detective Dean Thomas of Victoria Police addressed the media briefly outside the court, thanking investigators for their efforts.
“I think it’s very important that we remember that three people have died, and we’ve had a person that nearly died and was seriously injured,” he said. He added that the victims’ families had asked for privacy and would not be making any public statements at this time.
The trial, which spanned ten weeks, was held in the town of Morwell, a former coal mining community about two hours east of Melbourne. The proceedings drew widespread media attention both locally and internationally. Courtroom 4 at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court was often filled to capacity, as the public and press followed the dramatic developments closely.
Public broadcaster ABC’s daily podcast covering the trial became one of the most-listened-to programs in the country, and several documentary projects about the case are already underway.
A Web of Deceit
The prosecution, led by barrister Nanette Rogers, argued that Patterson orchestrated a calculated plan involving a series of deliberate lies and manipulations to carry out the murders. She began, they said, by faking a cancer diagnosis to convince the victims to attend the lunch.
During the meal, she served the guests poisoned food while eating a non-toxic portion herself. After the victims fell ill, she pretended to be sick as well to divert suspicion. According to the prosecution, Patterson later attempted to cover her tracks by destroying evidence and misleading investigators.
In court, Patterson claimed she had lied about having cancer not to deceive but because she was embarrassed about undergoing weight loss surgery. She said she wanted guidance from her relatives on how to explain the procedure to her children.
During her testimony, Patterson spoke candidly about personal struggles, including an eating disorder, a lifelong battle with self-esteem, and feelings of inadequacy. She described her emotional turmoil over the deaths and how the incident had affected her two children.
She also explained why she didn’t become as ill as the others: she had secretly binged on a cake brought by her mother-in-law before making herself vomit.
Patterson was the only witness called in her defense and spent eight days on the witness stand, five of which were under cross-examination. She was represented by a four-person legal team led by Mandy, funded by an inheritance she claimed to have received from her mother and grandmother.
The jury—comprising seven men and five women—retired to deliberate on June 30. Given the intense nature of the case, Justice Christopher Beale granted the jurors a rare exemption from future jury duty for the next 15 years.
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