Australian woman mushroom poisoning case opens with chilling details

Erin Patterson’s murder trial begins over deadly beef Wellington allegedly laced with death cap mushrooms.

Erin Patterson returns to her residence in Leongatha, Victoria. Photo by Jason Edwards/Newspix

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

In a courtroom in Morwell, south of Melbourne, the trial of Erin Patterson, the Australian woman accused of mushroom poisoning that killed three of her relatives and left another hospitalized, began with chilling allegations and international media attention. On Wednesday, prosecutors told jurors that Patterson, 50, knowingly served a beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms during a family lunch at her home in Leongatha in July 2023, resulting in the deaths of her parents-in-law and an aunt-in-law.

Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers laid out the case in opening arguments, asserting that Patterson “deliberately poisoned” her guests and served herself from a separate dish. The Australian woman accused of mushroom poisoning has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder. Her legal team maintains that the incident was “a terrible accident.”

The day of the fatal meal

According to prosecutors, Patterson had invited her guests to a Saturday lunch under the pretense of sharing a personal health matter. She told them she had cancer and wanted advice on how to break the news to her children. No medical evidence was later found to support this claim.

Her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, declined the invitation, texting her the night before that he was “uncomfortable” attending. Patterson replied that she was disappointed because she had hoped to prepare a “special meal” and feared she wouldn’t have another opportunity to do so anytime soon.

That Saturday, her parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson, and her husband’s aunt and uncle, Heather and Ian Wilkinson, arrived at the quiet family home in Leongatha, a rural town in Victoria. They were served individual beef Wellingtons accompanied by mashed potatoes and green beans. The prosecutor stated that while her guests ate from large, grey dinner plates, Patterson used a smaller, orange plate for herself.

Sudden illness and rapid deterioration

By the evening of the meal, all four guests experienced severe gastrointestinal distress—vomiting and diarrhea—consistent with mushroom poisoning. Within days, Don, Gail, and Heather were dead. Ian Wilkinson, a local pastor, survived after spending nearly two months hospitalized in critical condition.

Medical tests confirmed that the guests had ingested Amanita phalloides, commonly known as death cap mushrooms—a highly toxic fungus responsible for the majority of fatal mushroom poisonings worldwide.

Patterson also went to the hospital two days after the lunch, claiming to feel unwell. She initially refused treatment but later returned for medical assistance. The prosecution argued that Patterson appeared more concerned about keeping her children calm than addressing any potential risk to their health. Although she told hospital staff that her children had eaten leftovers, she claimed to have scraped off the mushroom paste and pastry because they were “fussy eaters.” Neither child showed symptoms of poisoning.

Evidence of intent and post-lunch behavior

As part of the prosecution's case, investigators discovered beef Wellington remnants at Patterson’s home that tested positive for traces of death cap mushrooms. Additionally, a food dehydrator was found discarded at a local waste site—later confirmed through forensic testing to contain remnants of the same poisonous fungi.

Patterson initially denied foraging for wild mushrooms, instead claiming she used fresh ones from a supermarket and dried mushrooms from an Asian grocery store, though she could not recall which. Her story later changed after police interviews, and she admitted to foraging, though she insisted she had never intentionally gathered or cooked with death caps.

No shop or supplier could be linked to the sale of death cap mushrooms, according to a Department of Health investigation. Crown Prosecutor Rogers argued that Patterson's inconsistent statements, combined with her behavior after the lunch—including discarding the food dehydrator—were attempts to cover up her actions.

Defense maintains ‘terrible accident’

Defense lawyer Colin Mandy challenged the prosecution’s assertion that Patterson acted with intent, calling the poisoning a “tragedy and a terrible accident.” Mandy told the court that his client panicked after her guests became ill and was overwhelmed by guilt and fear.

“She didn’t do it deliberately. She didn’t do it intentionally,” Mandy said. “The defense case is that she didn’t intend to cause anyone any harm on that day.”

He acknowledged that Patterson had misled police early in the investigation but attributed this to fear and confusion rather than malice. He emphasized that Patterson denies ever deliberately acquiring or using death cap mushrooms in her cooking.

Public attention and high-profile trial

The case of the Australian woman accused of mushroom poisoning has captured global attention, with media from around the world following the trial. The rarity and gruesome nature of the incident—a family lunch ending in multiple deaths—have fueled speculation and scrutiny, not only of Patterson’s motives but also of the safety risks posed by foraged ingredients.

Legal experts anticipate a complex and emotionally charged trial, particularly because of the family dynamics involved. Patterson’s estranged husband has remained largely silent, though it was revealed that he had fallen gravely ill with a mysterious gut illness the previous year, raising further questions that prosecutors have not addressed.

Political and social implications

In rural communities like Leongatha, where hospitality and family gatherings are the norm, the shock of the deaths continues to resonate. Residents describe Patterson as private but not unfriendly, while others have expressed disbelief that a seemingly ordinary lunch could end in such tragedy.

Meanwhile, health authorities have reiterated warnings about the dangers of wild mushroom foraging. The Victorian Department of Health emphasized that death cap mushrooms are frequently mistaken for edible varieties and have no reliable visual markers distinguishing them to the untrained eye.

What comes next

The trial, held at Latrobe Valley Law Courts, is expected to last approximately six weeks. The prosecution will continue presenting forensic evidence, expert testimony on mushroom toxicity, and witness accounts. The defense is expected to counter with arguments about the absence of clear motive and the plausibility of accidental ingestion.

Patterson, who became an international household name almost overnight, now faces life imprisonment if found guilty. Her defense team hopes to convince the jury that this was not a murder plot, but an unintentional tragedy—one rooted in poor decisions and an ill-fated family meal.

As the Australian woman mushroom poisoning trial unfolds, the court will seek to determine whether this was a horrifying act of malice or a deadly, tragic mistake.