Collected poisonous mushrooms and served them for lunch
Three in-laws died, including parents-in-law
Australian court: "Significant planning and meticulous concealment"
A woman in Australia who was charged with killing three members of her estranged husband's family using poisonous mushrooms has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
According to CNN on September 8 (local time), the court in Victoria, Australia sentenced Erin Patterson, 51, to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years for murdering her parents-in-law and her husband's aunt with poisonous mushrooms, as well as attempting to murder her husband's uncle.
In 2023, Patterson served a lunch dish containing minced beef and mushrooms made with the highly toxic death cap mushroom, which she had foraged near her rural home in Victoria. She was convicted in July of killing three in-laws and attempting to kill her husband's uncle. The death cap mushroom is extremely poisonous, causing fatal damage to the liver and kidneys and can lead to death within 48 hours.
Australian woman Erin Patterson, who killed three people including her parents-in-law by cooking with poisonous mushrooms, was sentenced to life imprisonment on the 8th (local time) at the court in Victoria, southeastern Australia. She is seen leaving the courtroom and heading to prison. Photo by AP Yonhap News
Patterson's husband was invited to the meal where the murders took place but did not attend. The couple had been separated for a long time and were in dispute over child support at the time.
After the lunch, the three in-laws complained of severe abdominal pain and were hospitalized, but died from severe gastrointestinal illness and multiple organ failure. Her husband's uncle was able to leave the hospital after two months of intensive care.
During the trial, Patterson's defense argued that she was unaware the mushrooms were poisonous and claimed it was an accident.
However, the court determined that Patterson had murderous intent, noting that she served the food on plates of different colors for each person. Judge Christopher Beale stated that the crime involved "significant planning and careful concealment," adding, "When her initial lies failed, she attempted even more elaborate cover-ups."
It was also confirmed during the police investigation and trial that Patterson had checked the location of death cap mushrooms on a website, purchased a dehydrator to dry them, and disposed of it while her in-laws were in the hospital. Patterson was also found to have falsely told police that she bought the mushrooms at a supermarket and an Asian grocery store, and that neither she nor her children received treatment after the lunch.
The surviving uncle, Ian Wilkinson, expressed gratitude to the police, prosecutors, medical staff, and the local community, saying, "I am thankful that when things go wrong, there are good people, services, and systems to help us recover."
He added, "Our lives and the life of our community depend on the kindness of others. I hope everyone will be kind to one another," and continued, "I want to thank the many people across Australia and around the world who encouraged us with prayers and messages of support."
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