After a gripping trial that captivated Australia and drew international attention, Erin Patterson, 50, has been found guilty of murdering three of her estranged husband’s relatives and attempting to murder a fourth by serving them a lunch laced with deadly death cap mushrooms. The verdict, announced on Monday, July 7, 2025, concluded nearly two years of legal proceedings centered around a fateful meal served in July 2023 at Patterson’s home in Leongatha, a small town about 85 miles southeast of Melbourne in Victoria.
The lunch guests were Patterson’s former in-laws: her estranged husband Simon Patterson’s parents, Gail and Donald Patterson, both aged 70, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66, along with Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, 71. Simon Patterson had declined the invitation the day before the meal. Within hours of eating the beef Wellington—a classic steak dish wrapped in pastry with a mushroom paste—three of the guests fell gravely ill and were hospitalized. Tragically, Gail, Donald, and Heather died within a week from multiorgan failure caused by Amanita phalloides poisoning, commonly known as death cap mushrooms. Ian Wilkinson survived after spending weeks in an induced coma and later testified at the trial.
The prosecution painted a chilling picture of a meticulously planned poisoning. Led by Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers, the case argued that Patterson deliberately foraged death cap mushrooms after discovering their locations on a citizen science website, purchased a food dehydrator to prepare the mushrooms, and added lethal doses to her guests’ individual beef Wellingtons—while conspicuously avoiding poisoning her own portion. Evidence showed she lied to police about foraging mushrooms and owning the dehydrator, which was later found discarded in a landfill near her home with traces of death cap mushrooms and her fingerprints.
Rogers described Patterson’s actions as “four calculated deceptions”: fabricating a cancer diagnosis to lure her guests under false pretenses, poisoning the meal, faking illness to mask her guilt, and attempting a sustained cover-up to conceal the truth. The fabricated cancer claim was particularly striking; Patterson told her guests she was battling cancer, a claim unsupported by medical records. She later admitted to lying about this, saying she was too embarrassed to reveal she was considering weight-loss surgery.
Ian Wilkinson testified that Patterson was reluctant to allow guests into her pantry and rejected offers to help plate the food, instead serving the beef Wellingtons herself. He also noted Patterson ate from a differently colored and sized plate, which prosecutors argued was a deliberate move to avoid consuming the poisoned dish. The night of the lunch, all guests suffered severe vomiting and diarrhea, symptoms that worsened rapidly. Medical toxicologists confirmed the cause as death cap mushroom poisoning, a toxin that inhibits protein synthesis in liver cells, leading to liver failure and death if untreated.
Patterson’s defense team, led by barrister Colin Mandy, argued that the deaths were a tragic accident. They acknowledged that death cap mushrooms were present in the meal but insisted Patterson did not intend to harm her guests. Mandy contended that Patterson panicked after realizing the consequences of her actions, leading to inconsistent statements and attempts to cover up the incident. He highlighted that Patterson herself became ill after the meal, though less severely, and that blood tests showed indicators of real sickness such as low potassium and elevated hemoglobin levels—symptoms that could not be faked.
Throughout eight days of testimony, Patterson maintained her innocence, pleading not guilty to the charges. She said she might have inadvertently mixed foraged mushrooms with store-bought ones and only realized the deadly nature of the mushrooms after the guests fell ill. The defense also emphasized Patterson’s longstanding, amicable relationship with her in-laws and her stable financial and emotional situation, arguing there was no clear motive to commit such a crime.
However, the prosecution countered that motive was not required to secure a conviction in this case. Rogers told jurors, “You do not have to be satisfied what the motive was or even that there was one.” She pointed to Facebook messages Patterson sent in December 2022 expressing frustration over her in-laws’ reluctance to get involved in a child support dispute with Simon, revealing a hidden resentment behind the public facade.
The jury, sequestered for a week to avoid outside influence amid intense media scrutiny, deliberated for six days before returning the verdict. Justice Christopher Beale, presiding over the trial at Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court in Morwell, urged jurors to set aside emotions and focus solely on whether the prosecution had proven Patterson’s criminal responsibility beyond reasonable doubt. “This is a court of law, not a court of morals,” he said, reminding them that Patterson’s admitted lies and attempts to cover up the incident did not automatically prove guilt.
The verdict found Patterson guilty on all counts: three murders and one attempted murder. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled. Patterson retains the right to appeal her conviction and/or sentence within 28 days of sentencing. Victoria Police expressed gratitude to the officers and prosecutors involved and asked for the privacy of the victims’ families to be respected during this difficult time.
The case has captivated the nation like few others, spawning multiple podcasts, live news coverage, and documentaries. The stark contrast between the seemingly ordinary lunch and its deadly outcome has sparked a nationwide conversation about the dangers of foraging wild mushrooms and the complexities of familial relationships.
Death cap mushrooms are among the most poisonous fungi in the world. Native to Europe but found in Australia and North America, they are easily mistaken for edible varieties. Even a single mushroom contains enough toxin to kill an adult, with symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea appearing within hours, followed by liver and kidney failure days later. Cooking or cutting does not neutralize the toxins, making accidental ingestion particularly perilous.
Erin Patterson’s case serves as a stark reminder of the lethal power of nature’s hidden dangers and the devastating consequences when trust and family ties are shattered. As the community awaits her sentencing, the tragic story of the “mushroom murder” remains etched in Australia’s collective memory.
