Erin Patterson is a 49-year-old Australian woman who was arrested on November 2, 2023, in connection with the alleged killer mushroom poisoning of three ex-in-laws.
Her former mother and father-in-law, Gail and Don Patterson, both 70, along with Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, all died in the hospital days after they ate the Beef Wellington pie she cooked them.
Wilkinson’s 69-year-old husband, Ian, was also rushed to the hospital in critical condition and remained hospitalized for months until he was released on September 23.
Patterson was the only person who walked away from her lunch and didn’t get sick, along with her ex-husband who was supposed to join his family for lunch but skipped it at the last minute.
She has been charged with triple murder and five counts of attempted murder, three of which allegedly happened in previous years.
Erin Patterson husband
Patterson’s ex-husband is Simon Patterson.
Simon was supposed to attend a lunch hosted by Patterson on July 29, 2023, but he pulled out at the last minute.
Patterson served a beef Wellington pie that allegedly contained deadly death cap mushrooms to the attendees, including Simon’s parents and aunt.
Simon’s parents and aunt died, and his aunt’s husband fell ill but survived after spending two months in the hospital.
Simon has claimed that Patterson tried to poison him when they were together, and police allege that Patterson made four attempts on Simon’s life between 2021 and 2023.
Current status of Erin Patterson’s case
Patterson was charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder on November 2, 2023.
The charges relate to a lunch hosted byPatterson where she allegedly served a beef Wellington pie that contained deadly death cap mushrooms to the attendees, including her ex-husband’s parents and aunt.
Patterson also faces charges of attempting to murder her ex-husband between November 2021 and September 2022.
Patterson’s case was adjourned until May 3, 2024, and her lawyer did not apply for bail.
Prosecutors indicated that they would need time to analyze computer equipment seized at Patterson’s home.
The case is likely to proceed to a committal hearing.
