‘Mushroom murder’ verdict: Australian woman found guilty of poisoning relatives at lunch

Australian woman Erin Patterson was found guilty on Monday of murdering three of her estranged husband’s relatives by serving them beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms during a 2023 lunch.

A Supreme Court jury in Victoria delivered the verdict after six days of deliberation in a high-profile nine-week trial. Patterson was also convicted of attempting to murder a fourth guest, Ian Wilkinson, who survived.

She faces life in prison, with sentencing to be scheduled at a later date.

All three died from organ failure. A fourth guest, Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson, survived after weeks in intensive care.

Lunch turned deadly
The meal, held at Patterson’s home in Leongatha, Victoria, featured individual portions of beef Wellington. Experts testified that the dish contained death cap mushrooms — one of the deadliest fungi in the world — which can appear harmless, smell sweet, and taste pleasant but contain lethal amatoxins that destroy the liver and kidneys.

Prosecution: A calculated act
Prosecutors painted the act as premeditated and sinister. They alleged Patterson:

• Researched and foraged for mushrooms

• Lied about a terminal illness to ensure guests attended

• Cooked individual meals to avoid poisoning herself

• Disposed of a food dehydrator after the meal

• Reset her phone multiple times
  They also accused her of faking symptoms to deflect suspicion and noted her strained relationship with her estranged husband Simon Patterson and his family.

Defence: A tragic mistake, not murder

Patterson denied all charges, claiming the deaths were accidental due to a mix-up between wild and store-bought mushrooms. Her lawyers said she had an eating disorder that led her to vomit after the meal, possibly reducing her symptoms. They admitted she had lied to police about foraging and the dehydrator, but argued it was out of panic. The defense stressed her reportedly close bond with the victims, who were her children’s grandparents.

The role of intent

Justice Christopher Beale instructed the jury to focus on Patterson’s intent, not speculation or emotion. He emphasized that while Patterson’s lies could impact her credibility, they were not enough to prove guilt on their own. No motive was required under the law, though prosecutors suggested long-standing tensions with her in-laws.

Intense public interest

Due to the high-profile nature of the case, the jury was sequestered — a rare move in Australia — and barred from discussing the case outside deliberations. The trial drew packed courtrooms, intense media coverage, and live updates, as the public followed every development.

What’s next

Patterson now faces a possible life sentence. The verdict closes a chilling chapter in what has become one of Australia’s most sensational criminal cases in recent years — a seemingly ordinary family lunch that turned into a deadly and deliberate act of poisoning.

 With inputs from AP, AFP