Australian Woman Convicted of Triple Mushroom Poisoning Murders

Erin Patterson, a 50-year-old Australian woman, was found guilty of murdering her estranged husband's parents and aunt by lacing their beef Wellington lunch with deadly death cap mushrooms. The jury rejected Patterson's claim that the poisoning was accidental, concluding instead that she deliberately served the toxic mushrooms to her guests while eating from a different plate to avoid contamination. The victims, Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, died days after the July 2023 meal, while a fourth guest, Reverend Ian Wilkinson, survived after weeks in hospital. Prosecutors portrayed Patterson as having a hidden animosity toward her in-laws despite a public facade of goodwill, citing her deteriorating relationship with her husband and suspicious actions on the day of the meal. The trial drew global attention and raised questions about her motivations, including why she sent her children out before the meal and disposed of a food dehydrator afterward. Patterson was also convicted of attempting to murder Reverend Wilkinson, and the case has been referred to as the "mushroom murders."