Erin Patterson, a 49-year-old woman from Australia, appeared in court on Monday charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder. She is accused of serving her ex-husband’s parents and an aunt poisonous mushrooms with lunch, resulting in the deaths of her former parents-in-law and the aunt. The incident occurred in July last year at Patterson’s home, located about 150 kilometers east of Melbourne. She is also accused of attempting to murder her ex-husband and the aunt’s husband on multiple occasions dating back to 2021.
This was Patterson’s second court appearance on the charges, and she has not yet entered any pleas or applied for bail. The magistrate announced that a decision on whether Patterson will face a committal hearing will be made on May 7, determining if there is enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial. The potential maximum sentence in Victoria for murder is life imprisonment, while attempted murder carries up to 25 years in prison. Patterson appeared in court wearing a blue prison sweater and expressed her willingness to wait for the committal hearing, even if it means delaying until next year.
Patterson’s lawyer, Colin Mandy, stated that his client preferred to have the committal hearing in Morwell, a rural town near her home, rather than in Melbourne. He also provided prosecutors with a list of anticipated witnesses for the hearing, which he expects to last about three weeks. The prosecutor alleges that the family members who fell ill after consuming the mushrooms displayed symptoms consistent with poisoning from the wild Amanita phalloides, also known as death cap mushrooms. Ian Wilkinson, the aunt’s husband, spent seven weeks in the hospital following the lunch, while the other victims died days after being hospitalized.
The case has drawn significant attention due to the nature of the allegations and the tragic outcome of the incident. Patterson’s motive for allegedly poisoning her ex-husband’s family has not been disclosed, and the investigation is ongoing. The court proceedings will determine the next steps in the legal process, including whether the case will proceed to trial in the Victorian Supreme Court. The community has been shocked by the events, and the victims’ families are seeking justice for their loved ones. As the case unfolds, more details are expected to come to light, shedding further light on this tragic and unsettling situation.
