The Daily Aus Guilty: The mushroom murder verdict
Mushroom Murder Verdict: Erin Patterson Found Guilty on All Counts
Erin Patterson was found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after serving her estranged husband's relatives beef Wellington that contained deadly death cap mushrooms.
The prosecution argued she intentionally poisoned them, presenting evidence that she researched death caps, owned a food dehydrator, and lied to police about these facts.
In contrast, the defence claimed it was a tragic accident, with Patterson admitting she foraged mushrooms but insisting she never intended harm.
Despite lying about aspects such as the dehydrator and misleading her guests about cancer, Patterson was unanimously found guilty by a jury after a 10-week trial.
She is now remanded in custody awaiting sentencing, where the maximum penalty could be life imprisonment, typically 25 years in Victoria.
Mushroom lunch tragedy
- Erin Patterson invited her estranged husband's parents and aunt and uncle to a beef Wellington lunch in July 2023.
- Four guests became critically ill, three died, and one survived with a liver transplant after eating death cap mushrooms.
Prosecution's deliberate poisoning case
- Prosecutors argued Patterson planned the poisoning, motivated by resentment toward her in-laws expressed online.
- Evidence included online research, purchase of a dehydrator, discarded before police interview, and multiple lies to police.