Australia - 3 dead after eating wild mushrooms, Leongatha, Victoria, Aug 2023 #2

[TootsieFootsie]

Police probe after wild mushroom deaths

A major police probe has been launched into the deaths of three elderly people who died after eating wild and poisonous mushrooms.

au.lifestyle.yahoo.com

One man still fighting for life.

Thread #1

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Homicide probe suspected mushroom poisoning in Victoria

Homicide detectives are probing the deaths of three people from suspected mushroom poisoning.

www.sheppnews.com.au

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Latest. 3.07min Video.

9News Melbourne

https://twitter.com/x/status/1688099485761560576

 

[Sillybilly]

Please continue discussion here.

 

[MrJ]

Recent articles say the police remain 'tight-lipped' about the investigation. I wonder what's going on behind the scenes. Probably building a case to charge EP if they have enough evidence. I'm very curious how this week will go with regards to the investigation.

 

[jjleroche]

Division of Property?
@Charlot123 said, in part:
"... It was her money, being inherited. However, we don't know what the divorce terms are, given that she is the rich one. Perhaps she had to pay her ex something, and didn't want to?..."
snipped for focus
From these sources, not clear to me how property was or would have been divided.

Australia's Family Law Act
"Part VIII—Property, spousal maintenance and maintenance agreements 306" *

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00101

From website of a Victoria law firm:*
"In most cases, Australian courts will consider the totality of the property available for division between the parties. How and when the property was acquired and each party's contributions to property may ultimately have a substantial impact on what each party keeps as their final property settlement outcome.
"Can I protect particular assets from a property settlement claim in the event of a separation?
"As demonstrated above, property is defined broadly for the purposes of Australian family law proceedings.
The only way parties can quarantine or protect particular assets or financial interests from a property settlement claim is to address the division of assets (and exclude the jurisdiction of court) by entering into a financial agreement at the commencement of, during or after a relationship/marriage, pursuant to the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth)."

"Ultimately, unless a financial agreement has been properly prepared and entered into, a former partner may be entitled to property that one party intended to quarantine from a property settlement upon separation – notwithstanding any private understandings or any other agreements that the parties may have had during their relationship."
* What is "property" in Australian family law? | Lander & Rogers

IIRC EP and her husband had separated prior to her parents passing away, but ICBW - haven't located the relevant posts yet. If so, as per post to which I am replying - "How and when the property was acquired and each party's contributions to property may ultimately have a substantial impact on what each party keeps as their final property settlement outcome."

EP and her husband may have reached a property settlement some years ago, despite still being married on paper. This is not unusual in Australia. This may have occurred prior to her parents' passing.

I'm wondering who is/are named as the beneficiaries of the wills of EP's parents-in-law. Does EP's ex-husband have siblings?

 

[Jules2021]

I so hope the lone survivor gets a liver transplant very soon and makes a speedy recovery. It's a miracle he is still alive given his age and the fact the others have sadly passed away. Such a weird case! I have so many questions. I was thinking the dehydrator would give the answers but maybe not if she's managed to clean it extremely well? If there is any death cap traces found it'll prove she dehydrated them herself rather than bought them dry-don't know how she'll get out of that one tbh.

 

[k-mac]

I so hope the lone survivor gets a liver transplant very soon and makes a speedy recovery. It's a miracle he is still alive given his age and the fact the others have sadly passed away. Such a weird case! I have so many questions. I was thinking the dehydrator would give the answers but maybe not if she's managed to clean it extremely well? If there is any death cap traces found it'll prove she dehydrated them herself rather than bought them dry-don't know how she'll get out of that one tbh.

The fact she panicked and felt she needed to off load it quickly....I am not sure she cleaned it all that well.

She must be worried about trace evidence of it. IMO.

 

[Stunned]

Sadly, maybe she did mistakingly pick and dry them herself. But now, she has screwed herself in her panic of getting rid of dehydrator and lying. IMO

 

[Narie Meagher]

If she is innocent I feel so sorry for her and her kids

 

[JennieM]

If she is innocent I feel so sorry for her and her kids

Welcome to WS! I feel the same as you, although it’s not pointing that way so far.

 

[Waverider]

Sadly, maybe she did mistakingly pick and dry them herself. But now, she has screwed herself in her panic of getting rid of dehydrator and lying. IMO

If that were the case, you’d be better off telling the truth and saying you had no idea they were poisonous.

I suspect that story wouldn’t fly because she knows a lot about mushrooms, including poisonous ones - enough such that her family etc would tell police to that effect.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I suspect that story wouldn’t fly because she knows a lot about mushrooms, including poisonous ones

I haven't read anywhere that she knows a lot about mushrooms.

Just buying them or cooking with them doesn't make you an expert in knowing which ones are which.

 

[ch_13]

Sadly, maybe she did mistakingly pick and dry them herself. But now, she has screwed herself in her panic of getting rid of dehydrator and lying. IMO

And she somehow managed to get the one serving that wasn't poisoned?

Seems unlikely, especially when you think about how a duxelles is made. The mushrooms are all minced and mixed together, often in a food processor. The poisoned mushroom would be distributed throughout the entire mixture and every portion should have been tainted.

(I know she claims she was also sickened, but it's clear that her Wellington contained either no poison or a tiny amount compared to the four victims.)

 

[Charlot123]

If she is innocent I feel so sorry for her and her kids

I would have believed in her innocence, but her husband's last year illness looks suspicious. He spent 21 day in ICU, was in a coma. It is as if someone meant business.

 

[Charlot123]

If she is innocent I feel so sorry for her and her kids

I would have believed in her innocence, but her husband's last year illness looks suspicious. He spent 21 day in ICU, was in a coma. It is as if someone meant business.

 

[k-mac]

If she is innocent I feel so sorry for her and her kids

Right now, she is alive, fit...well and healthy.


3 people are dead...and a poor man is fighting for his life in hospital.
I feel sorry for him and I feel sorry for the families deep in grief atm.

The victims seem to be a bit lost in the weeds atm.

 

[Mrs G Norris]

I was quite prepared to think this was a horrible accident, and she had picked them herself and added them to the meal then panicked .. until she started explaining herself. Now I am almost positive she deliberately poisoned them. All I need now are computer searches on Death Cap Mushrooms to seal the deal.

It is also very unlikely that she just happened to pick up the one untainted Beef Wellington Pie for herself.

 

[Friday Fan]

If she is innocent I feel so sorry for her and her kids

Unless there is strong evidence, I kinda doubt this case will go to trial etc. Computer searches are about all I can think of that would pin the crime on her. So far, there isn't much evidence, but lots of opinions. I think there is a good chance she did this, but proving it is going to be difficult.

 

[ralyla]

New article and statement from Erin:

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/news/erin-patterson-gives-new-account-of-deadly-meal-that-killed-three-in-suspected-mushroom-poisoning/news-story/f258a1c0bb9756bfa16d58a60e34f058

Highlights:

• She wants to clear the record because she is stressed and overwhelmed by the deaths of her loved ones
• Her ex-husband was invited but did not attend the meal
• She states she used a mixture of button mushrooms from a supermarket chain and dried ones from an Asian grocery store
• She admits she lied about dumping the food dehydrator a long time ago
• She admits she dumped the food dehydrator off at a local tip (not sure what this is?) after talking to her children and her ex husband asked "is that what you used to poison them?"
• She regrets not answering some police questions
• Her children were not present at the time of the meal (they were at the movies), but they ate the leftovers the following night but she scraped off the mushrooms because her children "do not like mushrooms"