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

[Baby baby Jane]

just stopped into my grocer & pondered 1kg of button mushrooms … 5 punnets.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[browneyes]

I know that I'll never be able to look at Beef Wellington in the same way ever again.

I’ve never eaten it, but will never touch it after this trial. I also detest mushrooms. It’s the texture.

 

[browneyes]

I can’t listen right now, what’s the latest breaking evidence on her gastric bypass, other than the huge lie she already told? TIA

 

[imstilla.grandma]

I can’t listen right now, what’s the latest breaking evidence on her gastric bypass, other than the huge lie she already told? TIA

"You told the lie about feeding leftovers to your children because it gave you some distance from a deliberate poisoning," Rogers suggested.

"I don't see how it could, but I disagree anyway," Patterson responded.

On Wednesday, Patterson was provided with a statement from the clinic's manager, which the prosecutor said was a "cosmetic dermatology clinic that does not offer gastric bypass".

She accepted the prosecutor's proposition the clinic has never offered gastric bypass surgery and only conducts examinations and procedures relating to the skin and its appendages.

Erin Patterson denies 'wild goose chase' over mushroom origins

Triple-murder accused Erin Patterson has been grilled over where she sourced the mushrooms for her toxic meal.

www.9news.com.au

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.

“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

Erin Patterson murder trial day 30 as it happened: Computer seized from accused killer’s house shows evidence of visit to death cap webpages; Patterson denies making up story about mushroom foraging with kids

Accused killer Erin Patterson returned to the witness box on Wednesday for further cross-examination from prosecutor Nanette Rogers, SC. She has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder.

www.watoday.com.au

Ms Patterson had told the court she didn't disclose this to the lunch guests because she was embarrassed, but let them believe there was treatment she might require for ovarian cancer in the future, so she knew they'd be there to help with the kids if she underwent a surgery

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-11/erin-patterson-mushroom-murder-trial-live-blog-wednesday-june-11/105401832nails

 

[Neet_Mc]

100% agree. I have also thought about this - I could always narrow it down to one or in worst case 2 different shops at least. We have to consider that Erin was very capable of dealing with her everyday life - things like cooking an elaborate meal and getting children to activities on time was not a problem to her.
Yet she supposedly couldn’t remember which shop she bought the mushrooms from only a few months ago? We also have to keep in mind that she grew up in the area of Melbourne (Glen Waverley) she bought the mushrooms from. She had an investment property there and I think it had been mentioned that she went there every couple of months. So it’s certainly not a new and unfamiliar area to her which makes it even more unlikely that she couldn’t remember.

IMO Erin saying she can’t remember is a very obvious lie based on my thoughts above.

I would suggest that her display in the stand, in particular her ability to specifically recall with a very high degree of accuracy, very specific statements said maybe 5, 6 almost 7 weeks ago in court, and minutiae intricacies on the construction of those statements, or apparently statements made way back when back in 2023, highlights this memory lapse over the Asian mushrooms as complete BS. I hope Dr Rogers continues to elucidate similar nitpicking semantics from EP because it just demonstrates the hypocrisy in what she is trying to claim.

 

[Neet_Mc]

A bit more from the son’s evidence:

“Patterson made leftovers for herself too, he said, but did not eat it as she felt unwell, so he ate her food.
They ate all of the leftovers, he said.”
The court has previously heard that police recovered at least one beef wellington, and part of another, from a wheelie bin at Patterson’s house on 1 August, the following day.

Erin Patterson’s daughter says accused mushroom poisoner was ‘very good’ cook, murder trial hears

Patterson’s son tells jury eye-fillet steak from leftovers of fatal lunch was ‘some of the best meat I’ve ever had’

www.theguardian.com

I am still confused about the leftovers. Allegedly 6 were made by Erin, 4.5 were eaten at the lunch, then 3 serves of leftovers (with the mushrooms and pastry removed) were eaten on Sunday evening and then 1 and bit BWs were found in the bin on the Monday.

I know the court were shown cctv footage of the bin leftovers being inspected:

“The footage is of Dr Foote handling the leftover beef Wellington that had been retrieved from Erin Patterson's bin on July 31, 2023.
Dr Foote, wearing gloves, can be seen pulling a dark-coloured substance out of a brown Woolworths paper bag, presumably the filling of the beef Wellington.
Then she retrieves a larger piece, the outer pastry of a beef Wellington.”

Can anyone recall court reporters mentioning if any of the beef eye fillet was visible in the footage or was it just pastry and duxelles?

Court sees footage of Erin Patterson leaving hospital against medical advice — as it happened

A Supreme Court murder trial hears Erin Patterson was initially "reluctant" to have her children brought to hospital for medical checks after they allegedly ate leftovers from a lunch contaminated with death cap mushrooms. Look back on how the day's hearing unfolded in our blog.

www.abc.net.au

Has Erin expressed at any time how lucky or miraculous it is that her children didn’t have the slightest hint of poisoning?

Almost like an intervention from God!

 

[Neet_Mc]

Wonder if maybe Erin was thinking “I’ll give you something to pray for..” and a bit of

Not sure than anyone meets Erin’s standards of intelligence, hygiene, affection …etc

I do wonder if her mother was a robot, was her father also a robot? My opinion is Erin finds fault in everyone.

Dog poo bag of used toilet paper placed inside her handbag suggests her standards of hygiene are questionable!

 

[iridized]

Not that she did, but if anyone else considers making mushroom burgers instead of meat burgers, it takes about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds (close to 1 KG) to make 6 to 8. And they are absolutely delicious just using regular button mushrooms.

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 pounds fresh mushrooms
• 3/4 medium onion, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 3 large eggs, beaten

1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano; cook and stir until mushrooms have released their juices and the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
   
   
   
2. Transfer mushrooms to a cutting board and clean the skillet.
   
   
   
3. Chop mushrooms into small chunks, then transfer to a large bowl. Mix in bread crumbs and oats, and season with salt and pepper as needed. Stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, then eggs; let stand until bread crumbs have absorbed any excess liquid, about 15 minutes. Use moist hands to form mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, into patties.
   
   
   
4. Heat remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat. Pan-fry patties in the hot skillet until golden brown and cooked through, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes per side.

 

[Megnut]

Things that existed but EP rid herself of

Pulverized death cap mushrooms
Dehydrator
Grey plates
Mushroom books
Cellphone A


Things that never existed

Asian mushrooms
Tupperware of mixed mushrooms
Stage VI ovarian cancer
Gastric bypass surgery
Liposuction


JMO

 

[Neet_Mc]

So she was going to tell her family that she had ovarian cancer as a cover to hide that she was having liposuction? Yah, sure....

Liposuction wouldn’t require the rehab gastric bypass would to necessitate for the wrap around care and assistance she was trying to put in place with the false premise of the lunch.

 

[Megnut]

Weight gain is multifold and common as air.

IMO an Erin can't accept the imperfection about her so the cause is outside of herself.

Going on a diet, starting an exercise routine -- not dramatic, hardly newsworthy.

But a cancer? Now that gets people's attention, sympathy. People mobilize.

I cannot tell how sincere she is about gastric bypass, if she was fantasizing about rapid weight loss or whether that was 100% invention because Ian lived, and the lunch topic became public.

Were there twelve BWs?

Thought exercise:

Six luncheoners, if Simon appears.

Six diners, one falls ill.

Six diners, three fall ill.

Six diners, five fall ill.

Five diners, four fall ill.

Five diners, two fall ill.

Had the source of the toxicity not been identified, what would have happened next?

Was EP planning to garner public sympathy for rapid weightloss? With no one left to challenge her version of the facts. Think of the sympathy she could have garnered online. For a pretend cancer she didn't really have.

Simon's instinct not to intend was well-founded.

How awful he must feel with the fallout for the innocent relatives who paid the price.

Not his fault but natural human emotion.

Have we heard a single word of regret from EP? Sorry that three people died, regardless of how? I see more passion in splitting definitions and mincing words.

JMO

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

Would it have been possible for the Prosecution to bring into the Courtroom Death cap mushrooms to show how much they smell as they get older?

Or to cook an individual Beef Wellington with Death cap mushrooms to show how the toxins contaminate the whole meal whether the pastry/mushroom is scrapped off it or not?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Dr Rogers: Christine McKenzie had posted on 18 April, 2023, that she saw death cap mushrooms growing under some oak trees at Loch. That iNaturalist post had four photos of the death cap mushrooms that she’d posted. I suggest that you read the Christine McKenzie post. Agree or disagree?

Ms Patterson: Disagree.

Dr Rogers: I suggest that you drove to Loch from your house in Leongatha to specifically find death cap mushrooms on 28th April. Agree, or disagree?

Ms Patterson: Disagree.

Dr Rogers: And I suggest that you found some.

Ms Patterson: Disagree.

Dr Rogers: And I suggest that within hours of finding them you drove to the Hartley Wells and bought a dehydrator.

Ms Patterson: I did buy that that day, yes

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/crime/mushroom-murder-trial-prosecutors-intensify-case-as-crossexamination-of-erin-patterson-continues-in-regional-victoria/news-story/0459c4c06ddc6e7f6f91a8b57820744c

 

[Lisa4]

Exactly right.

I keep seeing people on other forums say Erin is stupid and that concerns me because if people think of her through that lense, it’s much easier to think that she couldn’t possibly premeditate such a thing.

I have no doubt if Erin was hypothetically planning what she is accused of, that she would know every single thing about the topic. The thing she is not good at is people and predicting how they will behave, which is her undoing here, IMO.

If it wasn’t for Simon taking the inlaws to hospital and the hospital quickly cottoning on that this was Death Cap poisoning, it’s possible we would not be here.

I’m sure she didn’t think her friends would betray her (in her mind) and share private photos she shared. Or disclosing to the police that she hid powdered mushrooms in the kids food.

I’m sure she didn’t think police would be looking at her bank statements days after the lunch and seeing her dispose of the dehydrator, etc. I doubt they would have even started looking at her so soon if it wasn’t for her refusing to answer the questions initially. IMO

Ive never thought she was stupid. Can see how some may find it hard to believe she's not. Just a thought, her use of the word discombobulated, would that clue people in or not?


To me, it was her own behaviour in leaving the hospital that caused cogs to start turning.

And it got the police involved so quickly too.

I do think she genuinely panicked there. But it was a huge mistep. (If she is guilty.)

*I'm not even sure panicked is the right emotion. Trying to pin it down in my mind...

 

[Montrealaise]

Not that she did, but if anyone else considers making mushroom burgers instead of meat burgers, it takes about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds (close to 1 KG) to make 6 to 8. And they are absolutely delicious just using regular button mushrooms.

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 pounds fresh mushrooms
• 3/4 medium onion, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 3 large eggs, beaten

1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano; cook and stir until mushrooms have released their juices and the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
   
   
   
2. Transfer mushrooms to a cutting board and clean the skillet.
   
   
   
3. Chop mushrooms into small chunks, then transfer to a large bowl. Mix in bread crumbs and oats, and season with salt and pepper as needed. Stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, then eggs; let stand until bread crumbs have absorbed any excess liquid, about 15 minutes. Use moist hands to form mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, into patties.
   
   
   
4. Heat remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat. Pan-fry patties in the hot skillet until golden brown and cooked through, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes per side.

Sounds good but at this point, I don't think anybody following the trial closely is inclined to follow mushroom recipes.

 

[Montrealaise]

To me, it was her own behaviour in leaving the hospital that caused cogs to start turning.

And it got the police involved so quickly too.

I do think she genuinely panicked there. But it was a huge mistep. (If she is guilty.)

That and the fact that she refused to bring in her children for assessment even though the doctors felt they could be in danger. By that time, her lunch guests were in a coma. It shows IMO that she knew very well her kids weren't in danger because they hadn't had the poisoned leftover from the lunch.

 

[Spectrix]

I think everyone is complex and has various sides but the panicked version isn’t a real part of hers, IMO. It is emotional manipulation and tantrum like behaviour in my opinion, but take that with a grain of salt, I’m no psychologist.

My question, @Detechtive
Erin appears to have been overconfident in her alleged murder plot, overconfident in her own lies to cover her tracks, and overconfident in her lies to cover her earlier lies.

She has been described as arrogant and cocky on the stand.

In your opinion, can Erin comprehend just how badly she's doing on cross, or does she think the jury are buying her lies?

 

[Lisa4]

Dog poo bag of used toilet paper placed inside her handbag

I think this could be added to the below

Things that never existed

Asian mushrooms
Tupperware of mixed mushrooms
Stage VI ovarian cancer
Gastric bypass surgery
Liposuction


JMO

 

[Lisa4]

To me, it was her own behaviour in leaving the hospital that caused cogs to start turning.

And it got the police involved so quickly too.

I do think she genuinely panicked there. But it was a huge mistep. (If she is guilty.)

*I'm not even sure panicked is the right emotion. Trying to pin it down in my mind...

*possibly alarmed is a better word.

Alarmed but quickly able to sum up and carry out the steps she needed to take.

Still was too hasty in leaving the dehydrator booklet behind... and somehow there were still some traces of DCs in the binned leftovers, only 2 out of 7 test tubes. (All IMO IF she is guilty).