Australia - 3 dead after eating wild mushrooms, Leongatha, Victoria, Aug 2023 #10 *Arrest*

[dalsglen]

“I said to [Simon] about 50 times yesterday that I didn’t want [his parents] to adjudicate. Nobody bloody listens to me, at least I know they’re a lost cause.”

Isn't it ironic that she kept running to his parents to grass him up for not playing nicely.

 

[JBowie]

Isn't it ironic that she kept running to his parents to grass him up for not playing nicely.

NPD for sure (IMO).

 

[MsMarple]

I know, there's probably hundreds of recipes for them out there. The problem I have is that she chose not to use a recipe for one. She chose quite a detailed recipe for one large one from a Recipe Tin Eats cookbook, one that even had a youtube video where you could see the process involved. Yet she still chose to turn them into individual pasties/pies/parcels.

I wonder if she ended up using a simpler recipe which she didn’t share with her online friends. I haven’t seen any references to crepes or prosciutto so maybe she just skipped the extras. Tenderloin is so delicious that I doubt if anyone noticed or cared about the layers. She didn’t make a red wine reduction either, in favor of packet gravy. Of course the relatives may object to alcohol.

In other words the RecipeTin beef Wellington was more impressive than a beginner level one. Dunno.

 

[Jake18]

If that is what the defence wll go with, how would they explain why she needed advice on how to tell the children? i.e it was only a heath concern with no diagnosis results yet.

Ian Wilkinson has it “put to” him in cross that he misremembered the (supposed) cancer diagnosis and that it was a suspected health issue only.

If he had died, no one would know what EP had told the guests - her texts to Simon were vague

 

[Jake18]

It really really worries me that she was sneaking mushroom powder into the children's brownies. What about when they got a bit older, they were only 14 and 9 then, I think - what if they had became teenage terrors in a few years? Answering her back, refusing to listen to her, staying out too late, all the usual stuff. Making her angry, saying nasty things even. I really dread to think how she might have reacted, I really do.

I have been thinking the same, over the last few weeks or so.

EP seems to be socially isolated, had a poor relationship with her own mother, doesn’t seem to have a real life female support network and has distanced herself from her children’s paternal grandparents and their church community. She is also a lone parent, with she and Simon not having a great relationship.

I have teen daughters and my observations are that daughters can be very challenging to their mothers in particular.

 

[tillytatler]

It is staggering to me that Ian survived, under the circumstances. He was incredibly lucky here, though i imagine he doesn't feel it.

 

[Rumination1]

Ian Wilkinson has it “put to” him in cross that he misremembered the (supposed) cancer diagnosis and that it was a suspected health issue only.

If he had died, no one would know what EP had told the guests - her texts to Simon were vague

Not true …they took a few hours to get real sick , they could have phoned someone . Also , given Erin lied to multiple other third parties she doesn’t strike me as someone who worries about being caught in a lie

 

[Cliff Hardy]

I think you're right. As I've posted earlier narcissists can be quite two-faced to people and, in my (non-professional) estimation, EP is right up there on the vulnerable/covert scale.

I have had the misfortune to work for two bosses who personified your theory.

 

[Porky1]

It really really worries me that she was sneaking mushroom powder into the children's brownies. What about when they got a bit older, they were only 14 and 9 then, I think - what if they had became teenage terrors in a few years? Answering her back, refusing to listen to her, staying out too late, all the usual stuff. Making her angry, saying nasty things even. I really dread to think how she might have reacted, I really do.

It think it’s a stretch to suggest she might poison her kids.

Re sneaking powdered mushrooms in the kids food, I don’t find that alarming, as discussed in previous threads. They are highly nutritious and exposure usually leads to tolerance and then enjoyment. Kids can be fussy with mushrooms but grow to like them with perseverance.

Of course, putting them in brownies is odd but there are recipes for beetroot in various cakes, for eg, why not mushrooms. They are full of protein, great for growing bodies. She might have been experimenting to check detection but imho, it’s not relevant as she cooked a dish with mushroom paste.

 

[Jake18]

Not true …they took a few hours to get real sick , they could have phoned someone . Also , given Erin lied to multiple other third parties she doesn’t strike me as someone who worries about being caught in a lie

You’re right in that there was a window of time when the guests could still talk to others.

But - no one with any class would phone someone and tell them about EP’s private, medical history. Especially as the guests thought her children weren’t even aware of the so-called diagnosis. And given they’d prayed with and for EP so she could find the strength to tell her children herself.

 

[Porky1]

EP seems to be socially isolated, had a poor relationship with her own mother, doesn’t seem to have a real life female support network and has distanced herself from her children’s paternal grandparents and their church community. She is also a lone parent, with she and Simon not having a great relationship.

I agree re your point that she was possibly socially isolated.

It sounds like she is highly intelligent but intolerant of fools and an atheist. Perhaps she struggled to make friends in the church community, even when she tried. Separating from Simon probably left her even more isolated from that community too.

I wonder whether she continued to take him back for his family and community, not Simon per se.

 

[Jake18]

I agree re your point that she was possibly socially isolated.

It sounds like she is highly intelligent but intolerant of fools and an atheist. Perhaps she struggled to make friends in the church community, even when she tried. Separating from Simon probably left her even more isolated from that community too.

I wonder whether she continued to take him back for his family and community, not Simon per se.

We don’t know if EP had hobbies other than on-line sleuthing but she doesn’t seem to have many ties to her local community - didn't go to church often, didn’t want her children to stay at a Christian schools. She didn’t work so didn’t have workmates.

Her main relationships in real life seemed to be with Simon and his family and when they separated she felt rejected and betrayed, perhaps more so than if she’d had other people and other activities in her life.

Of course, this is speculation and maybe after the defence presents their side we’ll learn of her multiple hobbies and many friends

 

[Rumination1]

This case really upsets me cos I want to think it was accidental but so much points to her feeding that to her in laws then sit and watch knowing they were going to get sick and/or die as her childrens main and only family

 

[Detechtive]

We don’t know if EP had hobbies other than on-line sleuthing but she doesn’t seem to have many ties to her local community - didn't go to church often, didn’t want her children to stay at a Christian schools. She didn’t work so didn’t have workmates.

Her main relationships in real life seemed to be with Simon and his family and when they separated she felt rejected and betrayed, perhaps more so than if she’d had other people and other activities in her life.

Of course, this is speculation and maybe after the defence presents their side we’ll learn of her multiple hobbies and many friends

As far as I’m aware her online friends were her social world.

I wonder how the defence will address the cancer lie. Or if they will just ignore it.

Because I would think that is a strong point in setting up for alleged murders.


A defence lawyer representing accused triple-murderer Erin Patterson has told a jury she lied about a cancer diagnosis and foraging mushrooms, but is innocent of murdering three relatives with a poisoned meal.

'Panicked' Erin Patterson lied to police but is innocent of triple murder, court hears

Defence lawyers for accused triple-murderer Erin Patterson tell a jury she lied about a cancer diagnosis and foraging mushrooms, but is innocent of murdering three relatives with a poisoned meal.

www.abc.net.au

This is why I find it baffling that it could be deemed accidental. This level of alleged planning is problematic for Erins defence IMO.

It will be Interesting to see what the jurors conclusions on this will be and whether they find this along with the other post event behaviours as compelling enough in totality for a guilty verdict, or whether it’s not quite enough to get them over the line, and she’s acquitted.

 

[Detechtive]

It really really worries me that she was sneaking mushroom powder into the children's brownies. What about when they got a bit older, they were only 14 and 9 then, I think - what if they had became teenage terrors in a few years? Answering her back, refusing to listen to her, staying out too late, all the usual stuff. Making her angry, saying nasty things even. I really dread to think how she might have reacted, I really do.

This is an interesting comment. Anyone with teens knows that they get rebellious in ways, but it seems like in this case the rebellion was primarily against one parent, Simon.
She even said her son hates his father.
It’s intriguing because in my opinion it points to a codependent and parental alienation relationship between Erin and the child perhaps.

 

[katydid23]

It think it’s a stretch to suggest she might poison her kids.

Maybe it's a stretch. I'm not sure though. Right now she has nothing but love for her children, supposedly. But if she did intentionally poison their grandparents, then I have to question her definition of 'love.'

Down the road, if one of her grown children became difficult, and strayed from her, maybe sided with others and not her, then what?

Re sneaking powdered mushrooms in the kids food, I don’t find that alarming, as discussed in previous threads. They are highly nutritious and exposure usually leads to tolerance and then enjoyment. Kids can be fussy with mushrooms but grow to like them with perseverance.

It depends upon what her motive was in experimenting with powdered mushrooms and how to disguise them in her recipes.

She apparently foraged for the powdered mushrooms used in the Wellington, but never told her guests they were foraged. Why did she keep that a secret? That makes her motives look suspicious, in my opinion.

If it was just accidental, and she thought those mushrooms she had picked were safe, why keep it a secret? It's the secrecy that makes it all the more suspicious, imo.

She was not trying to 'sneak' mushrooms into her in-laws food in order to build tolerance and exposure and extra nutrition, etc. So why was she trying to sneak those self-picked powdered mushrooms into the meal without divulging they were foraged?

Of course, putting them in brownies is odd but there are recipes for beetroot in various cakes, for eg, why not mushrooms. They are full of protein, great for growing bodies. She might have been experimenting to check detection but imho, it’s not relevant as she cooked a dish with mushroom paste.

 

[Jake18]

Down the road, if one of her grown children became difficult, and strayed from her, maybe sided with others and not her, then what?

Or if her daughter as a teen rebels - calls her names, sneaks out, lies to her. Tells EP she’s a useless mother and she wishes she was never born. Decides she’d rather live with Simon full time.

 

[Ellery84]

Nope.

“Dr Rogers went on to probe the fractious relationship between the couple following their marriage in June 2007 and their permanent separation in November 2015, at one stage with Erin flying back to Perth on her own from Townsville during the couple’s travels around Australia, leaving Simon to drive back to Perth by himself with the couple’s baby.

Here is what Simon told the court:

"We again packed up everything, went in a four-wheel drive with a tent and with a young baby and we drove through the northern half of Australia for a few months, up to the top of Cape York Peninsula and then got back down to Townsville where Erin chose to fly just herself back to Perth. So, I packed everything up and [name] and I drove across Australia through the middle, straight back to Perth.

However, on returing to Perth from travels around Australia's north, Erin organised a rental place for herself while Simon lived in a caravan park nearby.”

Mushroom trial: How a fractious relationship unravelled and became toxic - South Gippsland Sentinel Times

Erin Pattrson's estranged husband was the first witness called by the prosecution in the case of the triple 'mushroom' murders. SIMON Peter Patterson, the estranged husband of the woman accused of the triple murder of three of his family members and...

www.sgst.com.au

Oh no.

 

[BreakingNews]

If you are on a jury, are you supposed to forget the saying "If it quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, and waddles like a duck, then it is a duck"?

That sums up this whole case IMO.

I can't imagine how I'd fare trying to keep an open mind with this case... I assume that's what is expected. I have never served on a jury.

On a jury, you focus on exactly what the judge tells you and nothing else. Most jurors take their job extremely seriously. I've been a panel member on several cases - murder, major fraud, drugs possession/dealing, illegal use of a car,

 

[katydid23]

Or if her daughter as a teen rebels - calls her names, sneaks out, lies to her. Tells EP she’s a useless mother and she wishes she was never born. Decides she’d rather live with Simon full time.

Ouch, I still remember when mine were teens.... ...I'd overhear my 14 yr old daughter telling her friends that 'my mom's trying to ruin my life.' lol. Yup, that's my job apparently====blocking you from going to drinking parties with 18 yr old boys, just trying to ruin your life...

I do wonder if EP would be stable enough to deal with the unstable irrational hormonal torrents of teens running amuck.