Erin Patterson Faces Murder Trial Over Fatal Mushroom Lunch in Victoria

Erin Patterson is on trial in Victoria, accused of murdering three relatives and attempting to murder a fourth by serving them a beef Wellington laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms. The prosecution presented emotional testimony from family members and medical staff detailing the victims' suffering, and evidence that Patterson ate from a different plate than the others, suggesting she avoided the poison herself. Patterson has denied the charges and claimed she purchased dried mushrooms from an Asian store, though no evidence supports this. The court viewed a police interview with Patterson's nine-year-old daughter, who recounted the day of the lunch and her mother's complaints of illness afterward. Witnesses, including doctors and family, continue to testify as the trial progresses at the Latrobe Valley Law Courts. Patterson's lawyers have conceded she does not have cancer, despite her telling guests otherwise during the fatal lunch.