Mushroom murder trial grips Australia as Erin Patterson faces court

The mushroom poisoning case involving Erin Patterson has gripped Australia, with podcasts, documentaries, and national media focusing on the high-profile trial.

A view of the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court as the Erin Patterson trial continues on May 13, 2025, in Korumburra, Australia. Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

By Hayu Andini and Adila Ghina

The mushroom murder trial has captivated Australia, capturing the nation's attention like few other cases in recent memory. Erin Patterson, a 50-year-old mother of two from Leongatha, stands accused of orchestrating one of the most shocking homicides in the country's recent history. She has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder after a deadly lunch she hosted allegedly resulted in the poisoning of four family members.

This high-profile mushroom murder trial began in late April in Morwell, Victoria, a small town just hours from Melbourne. Interest in the proceedings has exploded, spawning at least four dedicated podcasts, multiple documentaries, and wall-to-wall media coverage. Newspapers have run front-page features, websites have hosted live blogs, and courtrooms have seen crowds lining up for a glimpse of the accused.

A deadly dish at the center of the case

At the heart of this mushroom murder trial is a homemade beef Wellington that Patterson prepared and served on July 29, 2023. The meal allegedly contained death cap mushrooms — Amanita phalloides, a species deadly to humans. Patterson’s guests that day were her former parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson, Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, and Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson.

Tragically, Don, Gail, and Heather died after consuming the meal. Ian, a local pastor, survived after spending weeks in the hospital. Patterson’s estranged husband Simon Patterson — who was invited to the lunch — had a last-minute change of plans and did not attend. Prosecutors argue that his absence may have altered the outcome of the tragic event.

The mushroom murder trial has riveted Australians not only because of the shocking nature of the alleged crime but also because it features a female defendant — still relatively uncommon in Australian homicide cases. According to criminology professor Murray Lee of the University of Sydney, female offenders make up only about 13 percent of murder cases in the country. This fact, combined with the domestic setting of the incident, has fed public fascination.

Media frenzy and public obsession

The Erin Patterson trial has become more than a courtroom drama; it is now a national obsession. At cafes, on social media, and in family conversations, Australians are talking about mushrooms, forensic evidence, and legal strategies. “It’s fascinating,” said 78-year-old Sydney resident Dave Thorpe, while reading a tabloid covering the trial. “She looks more like a churchgoer than a killer.”

The media coverage has not just been intense — it's been omnipresent. Investigative journalist Rachael Brown, host of the widely listened-to podcast Mushroom Case Daily, said the story’s bizarre elements have fed the public’s appetite. “Everyone has an opinion,” she said during a recent episode, “from people on the street to your local barista.”

Australia typically records fewer than 300 homicides a year. Most are linked to domestic violence or organized crime, not poison-laced meals in quiet country towns. That incongruity adds another layer to the mushroom murder trial’s allure.

A courtroom drama built on intent

While many of the factual elements of the case — the deaths, the meal, the mushroom type — are not in dispute, the key issue is intent. Prosecutors allege that Patterson deliberately poisoned her relatives. They have presented evidence suggesting she sourced mushrooms from known locations of the toxic species, disposed of a food processor used in the meal’s preparation, and reset her phone shortly after the event.

They also claim Patterson fabricated a cancer diagnosis to lure her guests to lunch and lied about the origin of the mushrooms. Her defense team, however, insists the deaths were a tragic accident. “She panicked,” said defense barrister Colin Mandy. “She was overwhelmed by the fact that these four people had become so ill because of the food she’d served.”

Local towns under the spotlight

The mushroom murder trial has not just affected individuals — it has altered the social fabric of Leongatha and neighboring Morwell. With Leongatha too small to host the proceedings, Morwell has become the center of the media storm. “The town is awash with journalists, bloggers, podcasters and more,” the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. Cafes, bakeries, and local shops have seen a surge in customers, thanks to the influx of court watchers and media personnel.

Dale Harriman, mayor of the Morwell region, sees the increased activity as a potential benefit. “It’s been a positive thing to see some buzz return to our local businesses,” he said. “Maybe this attention will even encourage a few tourists to visit us in the future.”

For Leongatha, the experience has been more emotional. Former mayor Nathan Hersey said the media onslaught was unlike anything the small town — home to fewer than 6,000 people — had ever experienced. “Journalists were knocking on doors, approaching people in the street, going into churches — it was overwhelming,” he recalled. He even received condolences from as far afield as New Zealand and Africa.

A case that has entered popular culture

The mushroom murder trial has already begun to leave a cultural imprint. References to mushroom dishes and even to the color of dinner plates have become talking points, following courtroom testimony that Patterson used a different colored plate than her guests. For many Australians, it’s enough to change habits. “I don’t think I’ll ever eat beef Wellington again,” said Thorpe.

Podcasts like The Mushroom Cook and The Mushroom Trial: Say Grace are topping the charts in Australia, with listenership spilling into the UK, US, and Ireland. Host Brooke Grebert-Craig said the interest is unprecedented. “We’ve had millions of downloads — it’s wild,” she said.

Penelope Liersch, co-host of Say Grace, emphasized that the coverage is also helping correct public misunderstandings about the Australian legal system. “People think it works like in American TV shows, but it’s very different,” she said.

Australia has strict limitations on what the media can report during an active trial. Jurors are shielded from interviews, and journalists are warned not to publish information not directly presented in court. These constraints create a different kind of public discourse, one that Gildersleeve, a literature professor and cultural commentator, says is both empowering and risky.

“It gives people a sense of involvement, but it can also lead to forming opinions before a verdict is reached,” she said. “Still, it’s clear the mushroom murder trial has become a story people can’t look away from.”

As the trial enters its final weeks, Australia — and much of the world — continues to watch. Whether Patterson is found guilty or acquitted, the case has already left an indelible mark on the national psyche, legal landscape, and cultural conversation. And it all started with a meal that no one will ever forget.

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