Australia - 3 dead after eating wild mushrooms, Leongatha, Victoria, Aug 2023 #13 *Arrest*

[Jess D]

And Casey Anthony, so obviously guilty it seemed and yet she slithered away with Not Guilty on all counts, even though her toddler was found dead, and there was a strong smell of decomposition in her trunk...

Also, no-one will ever convince me that Amanda Knox isn't guilty...

 

[Salah11]

Did Erin actually claim she booked gastric surgery at a place that doesn’t offer that service?

 

[Ellery84]

Did Erin actually claim she booked gastric surgery at a place that doesn’t offer that service?

That seems to be the case.

 

[Ellery84]

Also, no-one will ever convince me that Amanda Knox isn't guilty...

Same, though. And I know it’s a bit off-topic, but same.

 

[dothetime]

Really feel for all the experiences you've had, thanks for being in this thread @Detechtive!

Discovering one has been lied to (on matters great and small) is a horrible experience of shock and betrayal; we need to be able to trust one another in order to live in society and build real connections to others. When this betrayal comes from family or friends it is traumatic and damaging in the extreme.

 

[Old Soul]

I do wonder why there has been no discussion about the physical appearance of the “Asian” mushrooms and whether they looked like dried death caps. Or has she said they were “mixed”

At my Asian grocer - the mushrooms all look very different - color, size, shape. Some are blackish balls, others orange and thin, some very irregularly shaped, whole or sliced etc etc

Yes the world of fungi is weird and wonderful, there are some great examples of fresh and dried mushrooms in this link, but no death caps, though I’d imagine they retain some yellow/green tinge and distinguishing features when dehydrated?

Fungus, Molds & Yeast

Mushrooms, Fungus, Molds & Yeast: various edible varieties, photos, descriptions and details of culinary usage

www.clovegarden.com

I believe Erin was deliberately vague about what varieties of fungi might have been in the mysterious Asian grocery store mushrooms but did say something like “it might have been shiitake or porcini.”
I’m not sure if Erin has provided a detailed description of their appearance (more likely a vague one IMO).

I imagine there is not a lot of knowledge about the appearance of dried death caps because drying them is not something that would be done frequently (hopefully!) except by those collecting mycology research samples, like Tom May.

Tom May has commented that the smell of dried death caps is very unpleasant. I can’t find any quotes where he describes the appearance of dried death caps.
I believe he would be able to distinguish between dried death caps, dried shiitake and dried porcini.
I don’t believe he would be able to make a visual comparison between dried death caps and Erin’s Asian grocery store mushrooms because they are invisible IMO

 

[katydid23]

Medical records make no mention of gastric bypass surgery​

ByMarta Pascual Juanola
Senior Crown prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers, SC, is now asking accused murderer Erin Patterson about evidence she gave earlier in the trial about her desire to undergo gastric bypass surgery.

Patterson told the court during her evidence in chief that she was embarrassed and ashamed that she had no control over her body and what she ate, and that she wanted gastric bypass surgery.

Patterson agreed she had told the jury she did some preparation for the procedure and booked a pre-surgery appointment at the Enrich Clinic in Melbourne for early September 2023.

The jury heard that over the lunch break, Patterson had been given the chance to read a police statement dated June 10, 2025, and records provided by the manager of Enrich Clinic.

Rogers: Do you accept that the Enrich Clinic does not offer and has never offered gastric bypass surgery?

Patterson: Yes

Rogers: Do you accept the Enrich Clinic does not offer and has never offered pre-surgery assessment related to gastric bypass surgery?

Patterson: I do.

Rogers: Do you accept [the clinic] only conducts examinations and procedures relating to the skin and its appendages?

Patterson: I do.

Patterson agreed that the medical records obtained by Stephen Eppingstall, the lead detective in the mushroom case, for the period of January 2020 to August 2023 made no mention of Patterson seeking information or a pre-assessment for a gastric bypass surgery, weight loss surgery or treatment, or a referral to a professional that could perform a gastric bypass.

“You attended Korumburra medical centre three days before the lunch and on that date you obtained some renewed prescription, but there was no mention of a gastric bypass or weight loss surgery treatment on that day,” Rogers said.

Patterson agreed.

I think this evidence is soooooooo incriminating. Here's why I think so---

She just got through explaining a long diatribe of how embarrassed and humiliated she felt because of the shame of her bulimia which triggered her to LIE to her in-laws about the Cancer Diagnosis.

So she weaselled out of that shameful cancer lie by giving a somewhat rational explanation----she planned on having upcoming bariatric surgery, needed childcare help during that time, so she made up the cancer treatment lie.

OKAY, it is still obnoxious and pretty awful, but OK.....BUT NOW we know that was all a lie as well....

And she pivoted and tried to say 'Errr I mean LIPOSUCTION, that's what I meant....

But again, FAIL-----total shameless LIE , Erin Erin Erin....


So now, we can circle back to that disgusting heap of lies she told to Gail and Don, spurring them all on to pray over her for healing and recovery, and for how to tell her poor children their mum has ovarian cancer and needs chemotherapy....

And while the 4 of them are in prayer and in service to Erin, their bodies are just beginning to digest the deadly lunch she prepared for them, starting the prior spring.

 

[Salah11]

That seems to be the case.

It’s hilarious when you tell so many lies you can’t keep track of them and then don’t expect the experts to investigate your lies.

 

[L_B]

​

The prosecution has alleged Patterson didn't want her kids at the lunch because she wanted to keep them away from the toxic meal.
Patterson has denied telling her daughter she can't be at the lunch.
The jury was also reminded of Patterson's son's evidence.
Patterson's son said his mum didn't invite him or his sister to the lunch.
'No, mum said she just wanted it to be the five of them,' he said.
'She wanted to talk about personal stuff.'
Patterson said her son was incorrect.
'I don't remember saying I just wanted it to be the five of us,' Patterson said.
Dr Rogers suggested Patterson didn't want her kids anywhere near the lunch because she knew she'd be serving up a toxic meal.
'Incorrect,' Patterson said.


Some of her denials are just so unnecessary and dumb.

Why try and say her kids 'misunderstood' her and they were welcome to stay for lunch?

There has already been believable solid testimony that this luncheon was for an adult conversation. We saw texts between EP and Simon and EP and Gail, and that was made clear. The jury saw those texts.

And the kids, sincerely and honestly testified and were 100% believable in their understanding that the 5 adults were going to have a grown-ups-only lunch.

But then EP walks that back, rather clumsily, and claims the kids were confused, they were welcome to stay home, etc etc.

It just makes it hard to believe much of anything she says when she keeps re-writing history like that.

'I don't remember saying I just wanted it to be the five of us,'

So the kids made that up then? Why is she saying that now?

You have a point. Why refute the kids testimony, she did admit she got them there with her cancer/gastric bypass excuse right.. so why not just agree and move on.

 

[CityKid]

I think the sheer number of people whose memories differ from Erin's will be noted by the jury. Especially when many of them are medical professionals with no personal stake in this case.

And frankly, often her version of those events don't make a lot of sense. Like she admits when she signed herself out of the hospital they were vehement that she shouldn't leave, yet she says no one told her that her life was at risk. Why did she think they were so insistent that she should stay?

BBM. And medical professionals who are taking/recording notes when speaking with patients.

 

[Jess D]

35 minutes ago

Questioning turns to the books found in Erin's home​

The jury has re-entered the courtroom after half an hour.

Dr Rogers asks Erin the question again.
“Do you accept that there were no records located on that computer relating to edible or non-toxic mushrooms?” Dr Rogers asks.
“No,” she replies.
Dr Rogers then moves to the books located in Erin’s house by police on August 5, adding that more than 400 books were catalogued.
“I think I’ve got a lot more than that,” she replies.
She agrees that “probably” none of those books were about foraging.
But she tells the court she had not unpacked all her books by August 5.
“I still had a lot of books in tubs in my garage,” she says.
Erin explains that she took the books out the tubs over August, September and October 2023 and there are “currently hundreds more books in my house”.
Dr Rogers then takes her to the evidence of her children, who told investigators they did not recall picking mushrooms with their e.
Dr Rogers: I suggest your children never knew you to pick wild mushrooms, agree or disagree?
Erin: Disagree.
Dr Rogers: This is a story you have made up for this jury, agree or disagree?
Erin: Disagree.

That 'family friend' who told the Daily Mail that Erin had books on mushrooms may have been mistaken, or maybe Erin got rid of them before the police inspected her house?

 

[CityKid]

? Paper plates are not a regular thing for most Americans. We use them the same way you do. I can't remember the last time I bought paper plates or had them in my home.

American as well. I've only seen them at kiddie parties where they're part of the "theme" of the party, or under a slice of pizza to go.

 

[Jess D]

Key Event
1m ago
No GP referral sought for gastric-bypass surgery

By Joseph Dunstan

Dr Rogers then takes Ms Patterson to the medical records obtained by police for the trial, which had no mention of weight-loss surgery or treatments.

The prosecutor suggests Ms Patterson never sought or obtained a referral to a specialist who could perform a gastric bypass.

"Yes, I never got anything like that from a GP, no," Ms Patterson says.

I suspect she made it up for sympathy from the jury...

 

[Jess D]

What sort of an answer is that?

There's nothing in either location... except for Death Cap mushrooms...

 

[Jess D]

3m ago
Rogers says Patterson told the jury she told her daughter about the lunch beforehand, but her daughter was excited about going to the movies with her brother and his friend.

Rogers says in pre-recorded video evidence, Patterson’s daughter recalled her mother saying she wanted to talk about “adult stuff” with the lunch guests and the children would go to the movies.

Patterson says this is not what she told her daughter. Patterson also rejects her son’s evidence that his mother said she only wanted adults at the lunch.

Rogers suggests Patterson’s evidence her daughter wanted to see a movie is a lie, and she didn’t want them near what she was planning to serve her lunch guests.

Patterson rejects this.

So Erin is saying that both her son and daughter are also lying? Somebody just shoot me now.

 

[JennieM]

So Erin is saying that both her son and daughter are also lying? Somebody just shoot me now.

Everyone is lying except her - nurses, doctors, her ex husband, the only surviving guest and her own children.

 

[Jess D]

Everyone is lying except her - nurses, doctors, her ex husband, the only surviving guest and her own children.

She isn't right.

 

[Klclevi]

Hi all.
Anyone who has been through the experience of anorexia and bulimia nervosa and recovered to some extent ( i am one of those , but it is always there in the background ) knows that the ability to be in control of something in your life is a major factor. I am 53 this year and food still controls my life to some extent ( Anorexia at 12-16 then Bulimia pretty much until I was 40 but then put on alot of weight in perimenopause at about 45 which yes it messes with your brain I will admit that)
If this was a major factor in her life and her self esteem (ie putting on weight she would have felt out of control of her body, mind and her relationship with Simon, at 50 low self esteem, anxiety and all the rest that comes with perimenopause and menopause.) Still - absolutely no excuse for deliberately poisoning his family. That bit I cannot figure out. She wants control in this situation. Her denials in the testimony seem clinical. From day 1 of the poisonings if you had any EI (emotional intelligence) or shred of accountability and integrity you would be there up front and centre owning this - being there for his family and your possibilities of making a mistake. Otherwise this would not be happening.

 

[katydid23]

It has definitely been unusual, that's for sure. However the people who I feel for mostly are the Patterson family, especially the kids in this awful story.

I along with other former friends are learning a lot through the trial along with everyone else. A lot of the things we were led to believe I am now finding out are categorically untrue. Little things, things nobody would usually lie about. It is discombobulating.

Little things, things nobody would usually lie about. It is discombobulating.

YES^^^^^discombobulating. is a perfect word.
I once had an Aunt that married into the family. I was just a kid but really liked her. She was very friendly and chatty and was very nice to us kids. Over time I began to over hear quiet adult talk about 'Aunt Patty' and I think it was the first time I heard the term 'pathological liar' ----after a few years I began to understand.

She'd lie about absolutely everything, even the most inconsequential details. It was really weird.
But also created some drama and chaos which was very annoying and exhausting.

My uncle divorced her but I still saw my cousins so did see Aunt Patty over the years and I don't think she ever stopped her habitual lies.

The saddest part was how it impacted her 2 kids. It's just weird to not be able to believe what your Mom tells you. Or trust what she says to others about you. Her son especially----he was depressed for much of his life. So much gaslighting and dishonesty and it makes one discombobulated. What can you trust or believe?

 

[CityKid]

WHO EATS 1 KG OF MUSHROOMS

In two days, no less. I love mushrooms, but about 125 grams/4 ounces would be more than plenty for me in a serving.