Australian Woman Convicted of Murdering Three Relatives with Toxic Mushrooms, Husband Previously Suspected Poisoning

Erin Patterson, convicted of murdering three relatives with a meal laced with deadly mushrooms in Victoria, Australia, was also suspected of attempting to poison her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, on multiple occasions over several years. Simon testified that he declined a lunch invitation fearing his wife would poison him, having previously fallen seriously ill after eating meals she prepared, including penne bolognese, chicken korma, and macaroni with meat, with symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization. Although initially charged with attempted murder of her husband, those charges were dropped before trial, and Simon's testimony about these prior incidents was excluded from the jury. The murders involved Patterson serving beef Wellington pastries containing toxic death cap mushrooms that killed her parents-in-law and a relative, while another victim survived after weeks in hospital. A gag order on pretrial evidence about the poisoning allegations was recently lifted, revealing the extent of Simon's suspicions and the prosecution's evidence. Erin Patterson faces life sentences and is awaiting sentencing later this month.