Woman Found Guilty In Mushroom Murder Mystery That Left Three Family Members Dead After Meal

A female who poisoned 4 family members, sidesplitting 3 of them, is facing life successful situation aft a assemblage recovered her blameworthy of murder-by-mushrooms. 

Erin Patterson invited her estranged husband’s mother, father, aunt and uncle to luncheon astatine her location successful nan confederate authorities of Victoria successful Australia successful July 2023 and served them beef Wellington made pinch death headdress mushrooms. 

Patterson, aged 50, told constabulary she must person included nan deadly fungi successful her look by accident. But nan proceedings proved she had lied and tried to hide grounds of her culinary crime by disposing of incriminating evidence. 

During nan 10-week trial, which dominated headlines Down Under, nan assemblage heard really Patterson had invited nan family for luncheon nether nan pretext of revealing a crab diagnosis. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE FDA'S PARALYTIC SHELLFISH POISONING WARNING

This image taken connected May 12, 2025, shows Erin Patterson arriving successful nan backmost of a situation carrier conveyance astatine Latrobe Valley Magistrate's Court successful Morwell, Australia. An Australian female murdered her husband's parents and aunt by lacing their beef Wellington luncheon pinch toxic mushrooms, a assemblage recovered connected July 7 astatine nan climax of a proceedings watched astir nan world. Keen location navigator Erin Patterson hosted an friendly repast successful July 2023 that started pinch good-natured banter and earnest dream but ended pinch 3 guests dead. (Photo by Martin Keep/AFP via Getty Images)

Estranged hubby Simon decided astatine nan past infinitesimal not to attend, and Patterson was primitively besides accused of his attempted murder, though she ne'er faced those charges successful court. 

Google searches for beef Wellington recipes person soared successful Australia complete nan past fewer months, arsenic nan proceedings captivated nan country. 

During Patterson’s trial, nan assemblage saw pictures of nan leftover beef Wellington and heard really family members had gotten sick and gone to nan section hospital, wherever mushroom poisoning was quickly diagnosed. 

They besides heard from nan sole survivor, her estranged husband's uncle Ian Wilkinson, who testified that Erin had served them beef Wellington pinch greenish beans and mashed potatoes successful individual portions, but served herself connected a different plate. 

Erin Patterson allegedly invited family members complete for lunch, wherever she served beef Wellington. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

No traces of nan deadly mushrooms were recovered successful her system, and she told constabulary that she was bulimic and had vomited aft eating nan food. 

A expert who treated nan poisoning victims says he had taken 1 look astatine her and known thing was wrong. 

In an question and reply pinch Australia’s ABC News, Doctor Chris Webster said he had asked Erin Patterson wherever she had gotten nan mushrooms. 

COUPLE CHARGED IN ALLEGED CYANIDE PLOT TO KILL EX-GIRLFRIENDS; AGENTS HOSPITALIZED DURING SEARCH

Erin Patterson was accused of utilizing decease headdress mushrooms successful nan beef Wellington crockery that she had served.  (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

"When she didn't respond successful a measurement that instantly would person explained it arsenic a tragic accident, that's it, from that infinitesimal successful my mind, she was guilty," he said. 

"She was evil and very smart to person planned it each and carried it out, but didn't rather dot each 'i' and transverse each 't.'"

Although prosecutors couldn’t find a circumstantial motive for nan murders, Australian media outlets person reported that Erin, who had worked arsenic an accountant and besides an aerial postulation controller, had resented her ex-husband, Simon, for not doing his stock of family chores. In messages to online friends, nan triple-murderer said she had had to prosecute a cleaner because of Simon’s refusal to thief retired astir nan house. The mates person 2 children together. 

Prosecutors untangled her web of lies astir nan poisonings, including her claims that she had ne'er been foraging for mushrooms, and that she didn’t ain a nutrient dehydrator. The room appliance was later recovered astatine a adjacent landfill site, wherever Erin had taken it to effort and dispose of evidence. Police recovered decease headdress mushroom residue inside. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Patterson’s ineligible team has 28 days to entreaty nan conviction. If location is nary appeal, she will apt beryllium sentenced successful August and faces life down bars.