MELBOURNE, Australia. Erin Patterson, 49, pleaded not guilty in an Australian court on Tuesday to three charges of murder and five charges of attempted murder. Patterson stands accused of serving poisonous mushrooms to her former husband’s family, resulting in the deaths of three individuals and leaving several others critically ill.
The tragic incident unfolded last July when Patterson’s former parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, along with Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66, fell critically ill after consuming a meal at Patterson’s home. Despite medical intervention, all three passed away in the days following the meal.
Appearing via video link from a Melbourne prison, where she has been held since her arrest in November last year, Patterson denied all charges leveled against her. She is set to appear at Victoria state’s Supreme Court in Melbourne on May 23, following the fast-tracking of proceedings after Patterson waived a committal hearing.
Notably, Patterson is also accused of attempting to murder her ex-husband, Simon, during the fatal lunch and on three previous occasions dating back to 2021. Simon Patterson had declined an invitation to the gathering. Additionally, Patterson faces charges related to the attempted murder of Heather Wilkinson’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who spent seven weeks in the hospital following the lunch.
Police investigations revealed that the symptoms exhibited by the affected family members were consistent with poisoning from wild Amanita phalloides, commonly known as death cap mushrooms. If convicted, Patterson could face up to 25 years in prison for each attempted murder charge, with murder carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment in the state of Victoria.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the case has underscored the devastating consequences of alleged criminal actions and left a community reeling from the loss of loved ones. The trial is poised to shed further light on the circumstances surrounding this tragic event, offering a glimpse into the complexities of the human psyche and the pursuit of justice in the face of unthinkable tragedy.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
