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A Victorian woman who cooked the meal that resulted in the suspected mushroom poisoning death of three people has tearfully broken her silence.
Video / News.com.au
The Australian woman who served up a fatal mushroom lunch to her former parents-in-law, which left three people dead, initially told police she purchased the mushrooms from a local shop, according to 7 News Australia.
Victorian woman Erin Patterson, 48, served the deadly fungi to four people on July 29.
Erin’s ex-in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson died after suffering symptoms consistent with poisoning by death cap mushroom.
Heather’s husband Ian, 68, is the only person still alive from the group who ate the meal and remains in a critical condition in hospital.
Don Patterson and Gail Patterson, Erin's former parents in law, died after following a suspected mushroom poisoning. Photo / Supplied
Over the weekend, police executed a search warrant at the property where Erin was interviewed before being released pending further inquiries.
7 News Australia understands Erin told police during the interview that she purchased the mushrooms from a local shop in the Leongatha area in Victoria.
However, so far there has been no recall or any warnings given for any locally-purchased produce, according to 7 News Australia, raising suspicions over the information Erin had originally given police.
Heather Wilkinson, Gail Patterson's sister, died following the fatal meal, while pastor Ian Wilkinson is in a critical condition. Photo / Supplied
The latest interview revelation comes as a food dehydrator was reportedly found at the local rubbish tip. It is now being tested by police to see if it is linked to the incident.
Veteran crime writer John Silvester, who has authored a number of best-selling books on crime in Melbourne, said he found one key element of the tragedy “slightly curious”.
“We’ve got the dehydrator from the house that was apparently found in the tip,” he told 3AW radio.
“It’s been reported the dehydrator was disposed of the day after the luncheon, which is slightly curious because the people had just presented to hospital with gastro-like symptoms.”
“I don’t think anybody at that point would be calling it a poisoning. People had got a bit crook.
“That’ll have to be tested to see whether or not it was operational, had it been tampered with, was it replaced or were there any remains within the dehydrator of death cap mushrooms.”
Erin Patterson was visibly emotional during her brief appearance.
Ex pulled out ‘at last minute’ - reveals how 2022 mystery gut illness nearly killed him
The ex-husband of a woman who hosted a poisonous lunch where four people fell ill - three of whom have since died - had been invited to the deadly lunch.
However, Simon Patterson had to pull out of the deadly lunch “at the last minute”, something that may have saved his life.
“Simon was supposed to go to the lunch but couldn’t make it at the last minute,” a friend of Simon told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday.
Simon refused to speak on the matter, but on social media last year revealed he nearly died from a mysterious gut illness that left him in a coma.
Erin Patterson’s ex-husband Simon Patterson posted on Facebook in 2022 that he nearly died from stomach issues and was in a coma for weeks. Photo / 7 News
“I collapsed at home, then was in an induced coma for 16 days through which I had three emergency operations mainly on my small intestine, plus an additional planned operation,” he wrote in May 2022.
“My family were asked to come and say goodbye to me twice, as I was not expected to live.”
He was in intensive care for 21 days before starting to recover.
“I’ve been feeling great for many days. I feel no pain, and it all seems to have no impact on my personality, character or anything else much,” the post read.
Police, main suspect break silence to media
Police have spoken to Erin Patterson and confirmed she is being investigated, but have said she could be “very innocent”, news.com.au reported.
Erin did not suffer any injuries and neither did her two children.
Police say those children have been removed from her care as a “precaution”.
“The 48-year-old is [a suspect] because she cooked those meals for those present. She hasn’t presented with any symptoms,” Homicide Squad Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said.
“We have to keep an open mind. It could be very innocent, but we just don’t know at this point”.
Erin also spoke to media on Monday, outside the home where she served the fatal meal.
“I’m devastated, I loved them,” she said, appearing to be highly distressed.
“I can’t believe this has happened and I’m so sorry that they have lost their lives.
Erin Patterson was visibly emotional during her brief appearance.
Asked by A Current Affair for comment on police treating her as a suspect in the deaths, Patterson responded: “I didn’t do anything. I loved them and I’m devastated that they’re gone.”
She then confused her dead father-in-law with pastor Ian Wilkinson, saying: “I hope with every fibre of my being that Don pulls through.”
“I’m so devastated by what’s happened, by the loss of Don, Don is still in hospital, by the loss of Ian and Heather and Gail.
“Gail was like the mum I didn’t have because my mum passed away four years ago, Gail had never been anything but good and kind to me,” she added.
