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

[JBowie]

Guessing also, I agree autopsy would be too late. Yes, I think if caught early enough, vomit etc could be tested for mushroom DNA, pointing to mushroom type.

IMO, autopsies would likely find evidence of damage to kidneys and liver -- and maybe other organs -- which is consistent with death cap toxin poisoning. I imagine there would be volumes of reference data on that available to the pathologists.

 

[JBowie]

I live in Victoria and have never in 50+ years heard of any public education campaigns about this particular toxic mushroom, in fact I’ve never heard of any public campaigns about any mushrooms.

Here's a 12/04/23 media release from the VIC Dept of health: Poisonous mushrooms warning issued for Victoria

Here's an 18th May, 2022 public warning from the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria published in the North West City News:

Spike in toxic mushrooms prompts health warning

Recent rain has led to an outbreak of toxic mushrooms in Parkville and surrounding neighbourhoods with a local vet reporting pets had fallen ill.

www.northwestcitynews.com.au

 

[jepop]

Yes, as per the video title, they are analyzing two cases and I refer only to the EP case (hence my showing the starting point at 57:32)

I totally missed you're point. You're absolutely right that the intro is factually incorrect. Ofcourse EP is not accused of murder but is only a POI/suspect at this time and he uses the word accused in the intro. I thought,incorrectly, you had missed that two different cases were being discussed. I also missed the time stamp you posted. All due to careless reading. My apologies!

 

[MsMarple]

As for Beef Wellington IMO it’s not only a bit heavy for lunch it’s also a complex recipe that takes hours to make then is consumed in a comparatively short time. Few guests will ever understand the hard work unless they themselves enjoy cooking.

Why choose that particular dish when, for example, a well made mushroom risotto is also impressive? If there was a purpose to the luncheon beyond a simple social call that included talk about her marriage or visitation with the kids then maybe she was trying to prove something?

I wonder if the kids were already gone when the relatives arrived or if they were able to spend a little time with them first.

Many questions few answers. MOO

 

[j_in_c]

This case happened recently in the US of completely unintentional food poisoning

Dave's Sushi reopens in downtown Bozeman after monthlong closure prompted by illness outbreak

Dave’s Sushi in Bozeman quietly reopened Thursday morning after a monthlong closure following a severe food poisoning outbreak that sickened dozens and has been linked to two deaths.

www.bozemandailychronicle.com

If I had ever made someone ill with my cooking I would be horrified and likely never cook for guests again. So much here doesn't make sense but we will have to patiently wait for the investigation to progress.

 

[DeDee]

Why was Beef Wellington the main dish? It can be a most beautiful presentation for an impressive meal. It is special and does take a while to prepare.

The luncheon guests were driving for two hours from Melbourne in order to arrive at Erin's.

August is a winter month in AU w/ chilly temps.

"The unusual tale began when Gail and Don Patterson stopped for lunch at their daughter-in-law Erin Patterson's home in Leongatha - a two-hour drive south-east of Melbourne.
With them were the Wilkinsons - Heather, Gail's sister, and her husband Ian.

All four were much-loved members of the nearby town of Korumburra, where Ian was the local Baptist church pastor.

But it was no ordinary lunch. Hours after the meal, all four guests took themselves to the local hospital with what they first believed was severe gastro.

It quickly became clear it was something far worse, and they were transferred to a hospital in Melbourne to receive the best medical care the state had to offer.

Despite that, Heather, 66, and Gail, 70, died on Friday, and Don, 70, on Saturday. Ian, 68, remains in a critical condition in hospital, awaiting a liver transplant."

Mushroom poisoning deaths: Family lunch mystery grips Australia

 

[jjenny]

I don't think they were driving from Melbourne. The article simply says Erin lives two hour drive from Melbourne, not that the guests drove from Melbourne.

 

[Ellery84]

Thinking of Occam's razor ... wondering how many people in Australia actually make Beef Wellington? I would expect very few! Why was such an elaborate, complicated dish prepared? Hmmm....

I think from recollection, Erin was well-known for enjoying cooking at home.

AFAIK. Jmo.

I would say imo she is a practiced home chef. I’m not surprised she cooked something somewhat elaborate - a lot of people really like the art of cooking home cooked meals from recipe books, it’s such a dying art.

All imo.

 

[SouthAussie]

As for Beef Wellington IMO it’s not only a bit heavy for lunch it’s also a complex recipe that takes hours to make then is consumed in a comparatively short time. Few guests will ever understand the hard work unless they themselves enjoy cooking.

Why choose that particular dish when, for example, a well made mushroom risotto is also impressive? If there was a purpose to the luncheon beyond a simple social call that included talk about her marriage or visitation with the kids then maybe she was trying to prove something?

I wonder if the kids were already gone when the relatives arrived or if they were able to spend a little time with them first.

Many questions few answers. MOO

I wonder if beef wellington was someone's 'favourite meal ever'. Hence EP made beef wellington for a mediation lunch.

 

[MsMarple]

I wonder if beef wellington was someone's 'favourite meal ever'. Hence EP made beef wellington for a mediation lunch.

Yeah I also wondered if maybe the lunch was a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary.

I’m coming from a point of view where years of being the go to place for family gatherings on holidays and celebrations taught me to categorize the style of food served, mainly to keep organized when feeding a crowd. I reserved fancier dishes to honor close family and friends on their special days but I realize not everyone plans the same way.

Maybe EP simply took advantage of being able to justify buying a pricey cut of tenderloin to feed 7 while trying a new recipe. I dunno. I guess I’m trying to suss out how important the guests were to EP. And how important that particular lunch was too.

JMO

 

[Ellery84]

Fellow Sleuths, I found a terrific podcast episode on the Mushroom mystery topic headlined by journalist Samantha Selinger-Morris as the podcaster, and produced by The Age.

‎Please Explain: The mysterious mushroom deaths gripping the nation on Apple Podcasts

‎Show Please Explain, Ep The mysterious mushroom deaths gripping the nation - 9 Aug 2023

podcasts.apple.com

I hope you find it informative.

 

[Ellery84]

I live in Victoria and have never in 50+ years heard of any public education campaigns about this particular toxic mushroom, in fact I’ve never heard of any public campaigns about any mushrooms.

Sapphire, you must be living under a mushroom.

 

[Ellery84]

Ok thanks @Ellery84 .. fair play.

I think I'm guilty of jumping to conclusions as have lots of people in this forum.

Still we don't even know if it was EPs meal that has poisoned 4 people, killing 3.

No harm, no foul.

 

[Oona]

Beef Wellington seems a very appropriate meal for a formal winter’s lunch in this context and climate. It is both traditional and a bit fancy and could well have been a favourite of one or more of the guests, or an intended guest that didn’t attend.
It has a real “Agatha Christie” vibe and makes me wonder if EP was a fan of that genre. Poisonings were a popular theme in her mysteries.

 

[JLZ]

IMO, autopsies would likely find evidence of damage to kidneys and liver -- and maybe other organs -- which is consistent with death cap toxin poisoning. I imagine there would be volumes of reference data on that available to the pathologists.

What we were talking about was whether it would be possible to identify the varieties of the mushroom eaten independently of evidence of the poison. And if so, how.

 

[Sabex]

Thinking of Occam's razor ... wondering how many people in Australia actually make Beef Wellington? I would expect very few! Why was such an elaborate, complicated dish prepared? Hmmm....

I live in Australia, and I've made it several times.

I'm an English expat though.

 

[jjenny]

What we were talking about was whether it would be possible to identify the varieties of the mushroom eaten independently of evidence of the poison. And if so, how.

They can test the un-eaten meal which EP supposedly saved for testing.

 

[nightrider17]

Could EP's sore finger be - Whitlow's finger?? she is under stress?? MOO

 

[JLZ]

They can test the un-eaten meal which EP supposedly saved for testing.

That will be interesting. And I don't think they'll release the result before she commits to an account of the preparation. Especially, whether the sample is the same as what the guests ate or whether she made different beef wellingtons.

 

[sapphire blue]

Here's a 12/04/23 media release from the VIC Dept of health: Poisonous mushrooms warning issued for Victoria

Here's an 18th May, 2022 public warning from the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria published in the North West City News:

Spike in toxic mushrooms prompts health warning

Recent rain has led to an outbreak of toxic mushrooms in Parkville and surrounding neighbourhoods with a local vet reporting pets had fallen ill.

www.northwestcitynews.com.au

A media release doesn’t mean that every Victorian sees or hears about it.

as for the north west city news - it’s a publication that is specific to 4 particular inner Melbourne suburbs - north and west Melbourne, Kensington and parkville gardens - the vast majority of Victorians would not have heard of it.