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

[SMK777]

I am confused about the timing of Erin’s symptoms.

The four lunch guests, experiencing gastro symptoms, presented to local hospitals in the evening of the lunchtime meal(Saturday July 29).
On Sunday July 30, Erin and children also attended hospital as a precaution but were symptom free.
This was presumably in the evening after the children had eaten the leftovers for dinner (with mushroom scraped off). Otherwise who in their right mind would let the children eat the leftovers knowing the meal may have caused illness in the other lunch guests?
Yet it is also claimed that Erin later returned to Leongatha hospital with symptoms on July 30 and was transferred to Monash Medical Centre on July 31.

My main question is when did Erin’s symptoms emerge?

“Inspector Thomas said that Erin and her two children also presented to hospital as a precaution, but noted they did not have symptoms.

However, Erin has since said she was hospitalised with bad stomach pains and diarrhoea, put on a saline drip and given a 'liver protective drug', then later transferred to a hospital in Melbourne.

Gippsland Southern Health Service confirmed last Friday that a fifth individual, who initially came to Leongatha Hospital on July 30 with symptoms of possible food poisoning, later returned and was subsequently transferred to Monash Medical Centre on July 31.”
From The contradictions in the mushroom poisoning case

IMO her symptoms were all talk. At that point in time homicide wasn’t suspected, and all she had to do was say she’d eaten at the same lunch as the people who’d become seriously ill.

When asked if she had symptoms, she could simply answer cramping and diarrhea. They had no reason to question her, and an IV and a drug were standard precautions.

The fact that she did NOT become seriously ill and didn’t need to be held for observation speaks volumes, as it apparently did to law enforcement officers.

 

[jjenny]

I’m suspicious … I’d be sure you can just say .. “ooooo my stomach hurts …. And I have had bad diarrhea” …. And no one checks the toilet or asks for a stool sample … and if the DO ask then you say … there’s no more … I flushed it
I’m sooo skeptical

Yes, you can just say your stomach hurts. When I was a child I went to the hospital more than once after complaining about pain in the stomach area-nothing was ever found, not sure why I had pains. What do you expect doctors to do? They don't know if your pain is real or not.

 

[jjenny]

IMO her symptoms were all talk. At that point in time homicide wasn’t suspected, and all she had to do was say she’d eaten at the same lunch as the people who’d become seriously ill.

When asked if she had symptoms, she could simply answer cramping and diarrhea. They had no reason to question her, and an IV and a drug were standard precautions.

The fact that she did NOT become seriously ill and didn’t need to be held for observation speaks volumes, as it apparently did to law enforcement officers.

And nobody is going to run to your bathroom to check if you tell them you have diarrhea.

 

[JLZ]

I am confused about the timing of Erin’s symptoms.

The four lunch guests, experiencing gastro symptoms, presented to local hospitals in the evening of the lunchtime meal(Saturday July 29).
On Sunday July 30, Erin and children also attended hospital as a precaution but were symptom free.
This was presumably in the evening after the children had eaten the leftovers for dinner (with mushroom scraped off). Otherwise who in their right mind would let the children eat the leftovers knowing the meal may have caused illness in the other lunch guests?
Yet it is also claimed that Erin later returned to Leongatha hospital with symptoms on July 30 and was transferred to Monash Medical Centre on July 31.

My main question is when did Erin’s symptoms emerge?

“Inspector Thomas said that Erin and her two children also presented to hospital as a precaution, but noted they did not have symptoms.

However, Erin has since said she was hospitalised with bad stomach pains and diarrhoea, put on a saline drip and given a 'liver protective drug', then later transferred to a hospital in Melbourne.

Gippsland Southern Health Service confirmed last Friday that a fifth individual, who initially came to Leongatha Hospital on July 30 with symptoms of possible food poisoning, later returned and was subsequently transferred to Monash Medical Centre on July 31.”
From The contradictions in the mushroom poisoning case

I can't see where it says that when Erin returned to the hospital it was still July 30?

Presumably at her first presentation on July 30 she was told to go away and come back if she developed symptoms. It might have been July 31 when she returned. So she had all the rest of the day on July 30 and overnight in which to develop, or induce, diarrhoea etc.

 

[jjenny]

IMO her symptoms were all talk. At that point in time homicide wasn’t suspected, and all she had to do was say she’d eaten at the same lunch as the people who’d become seriously ill.

When asked if she had symptoms, she could simply answer cramping and diarrhea. They had no reason to question her, and an IV and a drug were standard precautions.

The fact that she did NOT become seriously ill and didn’t need to be held for observation speaks volumes, as it apparently did to law enforcement officers.

It's a good thing she went to the hospital, actually. I presume her blood and urine samples were collected. It should be easy to check if there is any toxin in her system.

 

[jjenny]

I can't see where it says that when Erin returned to the hospital it was still July 30?

Presumably at her first presentation on July 30 she was told to go away and come back if she developed symptoms. It might have been July 31 when she returned. So she had all the rest of the day on July 30 and overnight in which to develop, or induce, diarrhoea etc.

You are exactly right about her returning-she returned the next day per what has been reported, not the same day.

 

[SMK777]

And nobody is going to run to your bathroom to check if you tell them you have darrhea.

Exactly. She was a middle aged woman who had eaten at a lunch where others had become seriously sick, and they had no reason at that point to question her story. They enacted the responsible standard precautionary protocol.

Then she was released because it was obvious from taking her vital signs that she was not in any danger or distress.

IMO EP presented herself to the hospital professionals to look innocent.

 

[kittythehare]

The symptoms and liver failure suffered by the victims is textbook death cap mushroom poisoning.

It's not actually. We already did a differential, several species produce the same symptoms.

 

[Annalize]

Did she want to be at the hospital to monitor what was happening with the 4 other patients? As well as give the impression that she was also showing symptoms. There are ways of receiving information at hospitals especially if you are closely related and the suspicions of potential foul play are not yet being investigated.
If she was involved in the deliberate poisoning, then perhaps the intrigue of being at the hospital to hear of the progress of the patients may have been part of the plan.

 

[SMK777]

It's a good thing she went to the hospital, actually. I presume her blood and urine samples were collected. It should be easy to check if there is any toxin in her system.

And the fact that she was not held for observation already indicates there was not.

 

[Oona]

I can't see where it says that when Erin returned to the hospital it was still July 30?

Presumably at her first presentation on July 30 she was told to go away and come back if she developed symptoms. It might have been July 31 when she returned. So she had all the rest of the day on July 30 and overnight in which to develop, or induce, diarrhoea etc.

Yes I see now that “later” could have been the next day. I still think she and the children can’t have presented to hospital any earlier than the evening of the 30th as it would have to be after the children’s evening meal.
And Erin supposedly did present to hospital “with symptoms” on July 30.

“Gippsland Southern Health Service confirmed last Friday that a fifth individual, who initially came to Leongatha Hospital on July 30 with symptoms of possible food poisoning..”

The contradictions in the mushroom poisoning case

Don and Gail Patterson, Gail's sister Heather and her pastor husband Ian fell sick after eating beef Wellington pie at Erin Patterson's Leongatha home, in Victoria's Gippsland, on July 29.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Kemug]

Did I read here a while back that Erin has a sister? Maybe is staying with her? I wouldn't want to be that sister, for more reasons than one.

 

[Kemug]

He may have commented on Erin's manner, but until there is further information, who knows.

He may have said something about a completely different aspect of the meal.
Off the top of my head - "I hope it wasn't caused by the pavlova my wife made. She was a bit worried
about the cream's 'use by' date." (Just a random example - I'm not suggesting that a pavlova even existed.)
All JMO

Do we know for sure that this poor dying witness was a "he"?

 

[CityKid]

I suspect that LE is getting all their ducks in a row, so to speak. It could be waiting for toxicology results, it could be finding more physical evidence to warrant an arrest, it could be all manner of things. No doubt we, the public, will be updated when an arrest happens. I wonder if more updates will be shared next week. The silence is deafening, but I don't necessarily see it as them not viewing EP as a suspect. I just see it as more evidence gathering before the metaphorical storm. All JMO

I agree. And since EP has shifted her story over time, I feel like LE isn't going to give out any info that allows her future stories to reflect what LE discloses.

 

[FansBlowing]

Also puzzling is that EP is a mushroom forager who owns a dehydrator yet she traveled to an Asian market to purchase “dried mushrooms.” Not dried shitakes or maitakes or porcinis, just generic mushrooms. What was the point?

I think the Asian market purchase is a lie to protect her children maybe. It could be while foraging the children picked the wrong kind of mushroom. The article says that while talking to her children in the hospital about the dehydrator, she panicked and dumped the dehydrator (evidence). This would still be the mother's fault because she is supposed to know what her children have picked.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I think the Asian market purchase is a lie to protect her children maybe. It could be while foraging the children picked the wrong kind of mushroom. The article says that while talking to her children in the hospital about the dehydrator, she panicked and dumped the dehydrator (evidence). This would still be the mother's fault because she is supposed to know what her children have picked.

Once they were dehydrated I think it would be impossible to tell what type they were

 

[jjenny]

I think the Asian market purchase is a lie to protect her children maybe. It could be while foraging the children picked the wrong kind of mushroom. The article says that while talking to her children in the hospital about the dehydrator, she panicked and dumped the dehydrator (evidence). This would still be the mother's fault because she is supposed to know what her children have picked.

So the children forage for mushrooms even though they refuse to eat them in that story? And what parent doesn't check the mushrooms that the children foraged? And again, why 4 people are either dead or near death, and she is just fine if she ate a nice helping of the poison?

 

[mangoes999]

Yes and we are allowed to point out the massive holes in her ridiculous story.

well stated
my questions to you guys are- 1. so why haven't they taken her in for questioning again?
2, and do they have enough suspicion to ask for an order to trace/tap her phones/emails etc?
3, are her children safe with her (how old are they?)

 

[jjenny]

well stated
my questions to you guys are- 1. so why haven't they taken her in for questioning again?
2, and do they have enough suspicion to ask for an order to trace/tap her phones/emails etc?
3, are her children safe with her (how old are they?)

How do we know they haven't? Also, she has to agree to questioning. She can't be questioned if she refuses.
My guess is they could certainly tap her phone and so on.
I believe the children have been removed. Anybody know for sure?

 

[CityKid]

I think the Asian market purchase is a lie to protect her children maybe. It could be while foraging the children picked the wrong kind of mushroom. The article says that while talking to her children in the hospital about the dehydrator, she panicked and dumped the dehydrator (evidence). This would still be the mother's fault because she is supposed to know what her children have picked.

Per EP, the children hate mushrooms. Maybe they did it as a family outdoorsy activity but it seems a little strange.