Murder by mushroom: the Erin Patterson case
This case captured the attention of the entire world, the infamous mushroom killer, Erin Patterson. Reporters from across the globe have flocked to cover her marathon murder trial, crowds line up each day for a seat in court, and thousands dissect every detail of the case online. But the real question is why did Patterson do this, was it just a cruel revenge plan on her ex-husband’s family or an accidental poisoning?
Past co-workers of Patterson from her previous jobs such as animal management for the RSPCA and more recently being an air traffic controller, have described her as “a little bit strange” and “aggressive at times”. This also included statements from the small air traffic controller crew such as “We always joked and supported each other, she was never part of that,”.
Then in 2007, Patterson received a $2 million inheritance from her late grandmother and “this is when things started to change” according to her ex-husband Simon Patterson, whom she separated from in 2017. During this period, Patterson’s relationships with Simon’s family became strained and tense, exacerbated by her rants to online friends about “deadbeat” Simon and his “lost cause” family.
In 2022, Simon and Erin started having disagreements over finances, child support, schools and properties, worsening their already strained relationship and leading Erin to miss more and more family events as her rants on Facebook continued.
On 29 July 2023, the middle-aged mother of two, hosted a lunch at her home in Leongatha, Victoria. The meal served was Beef Wellington containing a mushroom paste. Evidence showed it was laced with death cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides), which are highly poisonous. The attendees included her estranged husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and a relative, Heather Wilkinson, along with Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson. Don Patterson, Gail Patterson, and Heather Wilkinson died as a result of the poisoning. Ian Wilkinson survived but was seriously ill and required hospitalisation.
Patterson was charged in November 2023 with three counts of murder and several counts of attempted murder when a Sunbeam food dehydrator owned by her was found dumped at an e-waste station. Forensic tests on residue trays showed death cap toxins. Patterson initially denied ownership of the dehydrator, claiming the mushrooms used came from an Asian grocer and that she didn’t intend for harm. Additionally, phone data, messages, and other digital evidence showed that Patterson travelled to mushroom-growth areas in May 2023, only a couple of weeks before the lunch. She also posted information about dehydrating mushrooms and how she would incorporate them into different foods multiple times before the triple murder on the website iNaturalist.
Patterson’s trial started in April 2025, in Latrobe Valley Supreme Court, presided by Justice Christopher Beale. Patterson maintained her innocence, saying the toxic death cap mushrooms in the dish she prepared were accidentally added and that she never intended to harm her relatives.
The trial lasted 11 weeks where, on 7 July 2025, a jury found Patterson guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson and Simon’s aunt, Heather Wilkinson. The jury also convicted Patterson of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson.
On 8 September 2025, Justice Beale sentenced Patterson to three life sentences for the murders and 25 years for the attempted murder of Mr Wilkinson, setting a non-parole period of 33 years.
After the hearing, the survivor, Ian Wilkinson, stood before the swarm of media outside the Supreme Court to thank Victoria Police for their “professional, efficient and effective investigation” into the deadly lunch. The prosecution was unable to uncover an adequate motive for Patterson’s murders, so we really don’t know why she decided to do this, and maybe we never will.
Lucy A, Year 11