Australia’s mushroom murders — what you need to know

In July 2023, a quiet family lunch in rural Australia ended in tragedy and global intrigue. Erin Patterson, a home cook from the town of Leongatha in Victoria, was found guilty in July 2025 of murdering three of her in-laws by lacing a beef Wellington meal with death cap mushrooms. The incident has become one of the most notorious and bizarre murder cases in Australian legal history. Here’s a comprehensive explainer on what happened, what unfolded in court, and why the world was watching.

Who is Erin Patterson and what happened at the lunch?

Erin Patterson is a 50-year-old mother of two and a self-described food enthusiast from Leongatha, southeast of Melbourne. On July 29, 2023, she hosted a lunch at her home, preparing individual servings of beef Wellington — made with expensive fillet steak and minced mushrooms—for four guests:

• Don and Gail Patterson, her estranged husband Simon’s parents

• Heather Wilkinson, Simon’s maternal aunt

• Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband and a local pastor

Erin’s husband Simon declined the invitation, citing discomfort. The guests reportedly enjoyed the meal and praised its taste. But within hours, all four began showing symptoms of severe food poisoning. By the end of the week, Don, Gail, and Heather were dead. Ian Wilkinson was the only survivor, after spending weeks in hospital.

What was in the food?

Forensic experts discovered that the dish had been laced with death cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides), the most lethal mushrooms in the world. While they resemble some edible varieties and reportedly taste pleasant, they contain amatoxins — chemicals that cause liver and kidney failure, often leading to death. One mushroom alone can be fatal.

Experts testified that the mushroom’s toxins caused the guests’ symptoms to intensify rapidly. Dr Stephen Warrillow, an ICU specialist, described the poisoning as “not survivable” in three of the four cases.

Did Erin Patterson know what she was doing?

That was the central question of the trial. Erin insisted she did not intend to harm anyone and claimed the mushrooms were accidentally bought from an Asian grocery store near Melbourne. However, investigators found no such shop and discovered that Patterson had lied about several key details:

She told guests she had cancer to elicit sympathy — a claim that was proven false.

She initially denied owning a food dehydrator that was later found in a local tip with traces of death cap mushrooms.

Online mushroom foraging posts suggested that death caps had been spotted in nearby forests weeks before the lunch, and her phone records indicated she may have visited those areas.

These inconsistencies led prosecutors to argue that the poisonings were premeditated, especially in light of text messages and social media posts where Erin expressed bitterness toward her in-laws over disputes related to her estranged husband.

What was Erin’s motive?

The exact motive remains murky. Erin and Simon had separated in 2015 but had tried to maintain cordial relations, especially for their children. However, by 2022, tensions escalated over financial disputes and custody issues. Erin reportedly felt unsupported by her in-laws during this time.

A few months before the fatal lunch, Erin messaged a friend: “I’m sick of this [expletive]. I want nothing to do with them.”

Prosecutors alleged that this resentment — combined with the false cancer story and attempts to reconcile with Simon — may have driven her to plan the deadly lunch. Still, no definitive motive was established beyond circumstantial frustration and anger.

What was the outcome of the trial?

The trial, held in Morwell in 2025, became one of Australia’s most sensational courtroom dramas. Media dubbed it the “trial of the century,” with widespread coverage not just in Australia but globally.

Over eight weeks, the court heard from more than 50 witnesses, including doctors, mushroom experts, police officers, and Simon Patterson himself.

Erin eventually took the stand. She admitted to lying to police but insisted she panicked and never intended to harm her guests. “I was afraid I would be held responsible,” she told the jury.

After a week of deliberations, the jury found her guilty on all counts:

• Three counts of murder (Don, Gail, Heather)

• One count of attempted murder (Ian Wilkinson)

• Her sentencing is pending.

What exactly are death cap mushrooms and why are they so dangerous?

Death cap mushrooms are native to Europe but have spread to Australia, the US, and New Zealand. They often grow in damp forests, especially near oak trees, and appear during warm, wet autumns.

According to expert Tom May, the mushrooms have a slightly sweet odour and are “quite fleshy,” making them easily mistaken for edible types. Once ingested, amatoxins inside attack the liver and kidneys. The symptoms mimic common food poisoning at first—vomiting, diarrhoea — but worsen within 24–72 hours, often too late for effective medical intervention.

They are responsible for 90% of all mushroom-related deaths worldwide.

Why has this case attracted so much attention?

A mix of factors:

• The surreal detail of using gourmet beef Wellington as a murder weapon

• The use of a natural poison that is difficult to trace

• The mystery around the motive and Erin’s calm demeanour

• The survival of one guest, who later testified

• The broader public fascination with true crime and the rarity of such cases in Australia.

• Erin was also known to be a true crime enthusiast, participating in online forums and calling herself a “super sleuth” — a detail that only added to the case’s eerie irony.

- with inputs from AFP