What started as a seemingly innocent family lunch has become one of Australia’s most chilling legal dramas.
Accused of lacing a home-cooked meal with deadly mushrooms, Erin Patterson is now at the center of a murder trial unfolding in Morwell, Victoria.
As the court dives into the third week, expert witnesses, doctors, and even friends of her son are painting a detailed picture of what happened on that fateful day—and in the days that followed.
Top Mushroom Scientist Explains the Danger of Death Caps
Fungi expert Dr. Tom May, who’s renowned globally for his research on mushrooms, took the stand to explain exactly how dangerous death cap mushrooms are.
He told the jury these lethal fungi only grow near oak trees, relying on them for survival due to a “symbiotic” relationship.
Dr. May, previously the head fungi researcher at Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens, described the mushrooms’ appearance—mostly orange but sometimes white or brown, changing as they age.
He revealed that death caps were first spotted in Victoria in the 1970s and likely came from Europe.
He explained they don’t last long in the wild, especially due to moisture and insect activity, and said they wouldn’t survive long in a fridge either—unlike button mushrooms, which tend to be insect-free.
Interestingly, Dr. May mentioned that people can use the iNaturalist app to see where death caps have been reported in Australia, with red dots marking locations like Gippsland towns Morwell, Loch, and Outtrim.
Expert Testifies to Global Spread and Deadly Potential
Beyond Australia, Dr. May said death caps have been found in places like the U.S. and New Zealand—but not yet in China or elsewhere in Asia.
He told the court that poisonings usually happen when people unknowingly eat them, mistaking them for safe varieties.
In 2023, one Chinese tourist got sick from a mushroom meal and began showing signs of organ failure before recovering.
Dr. May also noted that, while many poisoning cases in 2023 resulted in vomiting or diarrhea, none—except the infamous Leongatha lunch—led to serious organ damage.
Doctors Say Patterson Showed No Signs of Poisoning
Dr. Varuna Ruggoo, a consultant emergency physician, saw Patterson at Melbourne’s Monash Medical Centre the day after the fatal lunch.
Her liver tests were normal, and she appeared healthy, with no complaints of vomiting, diarrhea, or pain.
“She seemed clinically well,” Ruggoo testified, adding that Patterson was cleared for discharge.
Another Doctor Confirms Normal Test Results
Emergency registrar Dr. Laura Muldoon echoed similar findings.
She said Patterson claimed to have had nausea and diarrhea but looked physically fine when examined.
Patterson told her she had eaten a home-cooked beef Wellington and listed ingredients like eye fillet steak, garlic, and dried mushrooms—possibly shiitake or porcini.
Importantly, Patterson denied foraging for mushrooms and said she had no packaging left for the dried ones she used.
Muldoon said there was no sign of poisoning in Patterson’s bloodwork.
Leftovers Sent to a Mushroom Specialist
After Patterson’s hospital visit, leftover food was sent to a mycologist for analysis.
The court was shown an image of the dish—reportedly a pastie—with some of the mushroom paste already removed.
The aim was to determine if the deadly amanita phalloides fungus was present.
Patterson Questioned on Mushroom Source
Dr. Rhonda Stuart, a leading infection expert, testified that she was asked to return to the hospital specifically to question Patterson about where she sourced the mushrooms.
Patterson told her she’d made a paste from dried mushrooms purchased weeks earlier from a supermarket and an Asian food shop.
She couldn’t recall exactly which store, saying it might have been in Oakleigh or Glen Waverley, and that the mushrooms came in a sealed packet which she later discarded.
Dr. Stuart said Patterson denied foraging and claimed the mushrooms had a strong smell.
Patterson also asked why the questions were so detailed, to which Stuart responded that it was a possible public health issue.
Teen Friend Says Patterson Seemed Normal
A teenage friend of Patterson’s son gave a statement saying he spent the night at their Leongatha home before the now-infamous lunch.
He described Patterson as acting like her usual self—chatty and relaxed.
He said he saw what he believed was Patterson’s mother-in-law cleaning dishes and remembered some white plates in the sink.
Later that evening, Patterson gave him a ride home, and there was nothing about her demeanor that seemed off, the boy said.
Flight Instructor Calls Patterson ‘Typical Mum’
Flight instructor Ulysses Villalobos, who taught Patterson’s son to fly, also gave a statement.
He recalled chatting with Patterson about her son’s performance and said she seemed proud and easy-going.
However, on the Sunday after the deadly meal, she got irritated when he cancelled a flight lesson late, annoyed at having driven an hour for nothing.
Paramedics, Husband, and Survivor Add to Court Picture
The jury also heard from paramedic Eleyne Spencer, who administered fentanyl to Patterson in the ambulance to ease her headache.
Patterson’s estranged husband Simon told the court he was invited to the lunch but chose not to attend.
Survivor Ian Wilkinson, the only guest to live through the ordeal, noted Patterson ate her lunch from a noticeably different and smaller plate.
In an emotional end to the second week, jurors watched video statements from Patterson’s children, which moved her to tears in court.
What’s Next in the Trial?
Erin Patterson, now 50, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one of attempted murder.
The charges stem from a meal she prepared on July 29, 2023, at her home in Leongatha.
The lunch, consisting of beef Wellington, claimed the lives of her former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson.
Heather’s husband, Pastor Ian Wilkinson, survived after weeks in intensive care.
As the trial enters its third week, more expert witnesses and family members are expected to take the stand.
The court will continue to unravel whether this tragic incident was a case of accidental poisoning—or something far more sinister.