Erin Patterson, 50, has been found guilty of three counts of murder after serving a deadly meal that killed three of her relatives on July 29, 2023.
She was also convicted of one count of attempted murder involving the sole survivor.
On the fateful day, Patterson had invited five people to lunch at her home, including her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, who ended up canceling.
The four guests who did attend, including Simon’s parents, his aunt, and his uncle, fell ill just hours after eating with severe vomiting and diarrhea.
All four people were rushed to the hospital and placed in induced comas.
Simon’s mother, Gail, and aunt, Heather, died from multiple organ failure on August 4. His father, Don, died the following day after a failed liver transplant.
Simon’s uncle, Ian Wilkinson, was the only one to survive. He was released from the hospital in late September after spending two months in intensive care.
A thorough investigation later revealed that the beef Wellington served during lunch had included death cap mushrooms, which contain deadly toxins that can cause cell death and liver failure within days.
The mushrooms are native to Europe but have been found growing in parts of Australia, including areas near Patterson’s home.
During the trial, the prosecution argued that Erin Patterson had the opportunity to collect the deadly mushrooms as their location had been publicly shared on a website.
Prosecutor Nanette Rogers described the case as involving “four calculated deceptions.”
The first was Patterson’s false claim that she had been diagnosed with cancer, which she used as a pretext to host the lunch.
The second deception involved her secretly adding a lethal dose of poison to the beef Wellingtons she prepared and served to her guests.
The third deception was her attempt to make it seem as though she had also been poisoned by the meal. After lunch, she drove herself to the hospital, claiming she felt unwell.
However, lab tests later confirmed there were no traces of death cap mushroom toxins in her system.
The fourth and final deception, Rogers said, was Patterson’s deliberate effort to cover up what had really happened.
Patterson later admitted that she had purchased a food dehydrator, which upon testing, was found to contain remnants of the toxic mushrooms and her fingerprints.
Throughout the trial, Patterson maintained her innocence, claiming she had simply used foraged mushrooms to prepare the meal.
However, after six days of deliberation, the 12-member jury found that she had intentionally poisoned her four lunch guests.
