VERDICT WATCH Australia - 3 dead after eating wild mushrooms, Leongatha, Victoria, Aug 2023 #16 *Arrest*

[MrJ]

Poor Ian as well. His whole sense of security must be shattered after all this. I hope he and the entire family really receive intense counselling and support. They definitely need it

 

[Hercule Holmes]

I haven't posted in this thread before, so delete if inappropriate. I have a theory that I've posted elsewhere, but a lot more discussion is generated here.

So much of what Erin has done and said, post the poisonings, has just not made sense. For a smart woman, there had to be a smart plan. We know it was thrown off track, but how badly? I find it hard to believe she planned on having her life torn apart, even if it was ultimately determined to be an accident. One explanation could be:

We know she planned the lunch for 6 people, Simon included.

They were all to experience the initial symptoms, assume gastro, stay home or seek minimal medical intervention. Then they would have deteriorated and either died or become so sick at home, that no-one would have been capable of providing any details to authorities. Any conversation would have been amongst themselves, so color of plates, cancer story, even individual beef wellies etc. would have remained unknown to anyone else.

With everyone dead or desperately ill, she can then tell whatever story she likes, within the bounds of any remaining evidence. I don't think she ever intended to be even blamed for accidentally poisoning them. We know that Gail (or Heather?) brought an orange cake, obviously in a container.

I think her version was intended to be along the lines of: I made the beef wellington, vegies and dessert, but Gail (or Heather) brought along this lovely mushroom gravy. The others all had that, but I had packet gravy as I don't like mushrooms (or similiar). We know now that the DC's were inside the pastry, but we wouldn't if they were all dead.

The orange cake would be gone and the container can be said to have contained the gravy. She had likely planned to add some of the contaminated leftovers to the container to make the evidence fit. She not only would have killed them all, but one of them would be blamed for the accidental poisoning. She would have minimal explaining to do to police, before they focused elsewhere. The story would have been about how lucky she and her kids were (eating leftovers), that they didn't eat the toxic gravy that grandma made.

2 things went wrong. Simon not coming, but too late to back out of the plan. Then Simon taking them to hospital whilst they were still capable of talking. She left that hospital knowing she was in all sorts and made up the Simon/dehydrator story to explain her panic. I think that could also explain the apparent trip to Loch after leaving the hospital. Some extra DC residue to add to the container could have been her initial panicked thinking. I think it would also explain why she invited Ian and Heather. She couldn't afford the sick Gail and Don telling them any of the details before they died.

I don't think she had really planned too much at all beyond the lunch, as the finger of blame (even for an accident) was meant to very quickly point elsewhere IMO. She then had to adjust her story on the run, based around what she was confronted with, which is why it is such a mess compared to her meticulous foreplanning.

We will probably never know if there is any validity to the above, barring a full confession one day. It doesn't alter her guilt/innocence, but IMO could explain a number of things that haven't made sense. MOO.

 

[seasideForest]

It's definitely a different idea @Hercule Holmes and no reason to delete IMO

The orange cake would be gone and the container can be said to have contained the gravy.

Personally I'd be unlikely to transport a cake in a container that would transport gravy, but that might be just me. There's always the outside chance that somebody beyond Gail or Heather's immediate family (so somebody beyond their husbands) knew that whichever one of them was bringing cake not gravy.

They were all to experience the initial symptoms, assume gastro, stay home or seek minimal medical intervention. Then they would have deteriorated and either died or become so sick at home, that...

I haven't followed this case in huge detail, so I may be querying something that is clear to everybody else, but could EP have been sure that all 5 would assume gastro and stay home? Could somebody other than Simon have taken them to hospital in time?

 

[SouthAussie]

I haven't followed this case in huge detail, so I may be querying something that is clear to everybody else, but could EP have been sure that all 5 would assume gastro and stay home? Could somebody other than Simon have taken them to hospital in time?

Simon took Heather and Ian to the hospital.
Gail and Don were transported by ambulance before that. I don't think we know who made the decision to call for the ambulance, as they are both deceased now.

 

[Deleted member 363451]

Poor Ian as well. His whole sense of security must be shattered after all this. I hope he and the entire family really receive intense counselling and support. They definitely need it

It must be awful for Ian to sit through all of this, knowing what EP did to his wife and in-laws...

 

[seasideForest]

Simon took Heather and Ian to the hospital.
Gail and Don were transported by ambulance before that.

OK, so for @Hercule Holmes idea to have worked, ideally Gail and Don should not have been transported to hospital, but they were.

But still I'm sure it's worth looking at and discussing a new idea, such as Hercule Holmes' one.

 

[Megnut]

Thank God let’s hope justice gets served for Simon and his family.

Moo

Served on a single plate, no mushrooms.

If she is found guilty as charged, what she did -- what an utter violation. Food. Could a person ever truly trust food again?

Even if she were incarcerated, the mistrust and trigger would remain.

JMO

 

[BreakingNews]

Hook her up to a polygraph and it would explode (IMO).

I wonder if a polygraph would actually work on her. If she believes her own lies, they usually don't show up as lies on polygraphs. That's why Australia doesn't rely on them, especially in court

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

She was on several online crime groups. I found her and her witchie friends to be bullies. She had over 20 FB profiies that I knew of. EP harassed and ridiculed other group members, she was very brave behind her keyboard. If you didn't agree with her point of view, look out. From there it split off, and I believe she had a smaller group of friends on a private group chat. My experience only.

Thanks for sharing this info. 20 FB profiles, that's crazy stuff, JMO but it would be like air traffic control trying to remember which is what, no wonder she had no bother re-setting those phone handsets!

 

[Deleted member 363451]

Thanks for sharing this info. 20 FB profiles, that's crazy stuff, JMO but it would be like air traffic control trying to remember which is what, no wonder she had no bother re-setting those phone handsets!

The alleged stalking online behaviour from EP says a lot about her IMO.

 

[Monstradamus]

The alleged stalking online behaviour from EP says a lot about her IMO.

She was next level, imo.

 

[Deleted member 363451]

She was next level, imo.

It shows that she just couldn't handle anyone having a different opinion to her.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

Were her other FBs with fake names and pics? Was she catfishing people?

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

Poor Ian as well. His whole sense of security must be shattered after all this. I hope he and the entire family really receive intense counselling and support. They definitely need it

I'm sure it has shattered his, because it has made me even wonder whether I should be concerned about my next family meal. That's what I think might draw one in to this case, the idea that you can't even trust what should be a very safe circumstance. It's true horror.

 

[Deleted member 363451]

Key Event
Fri, 12:22pm

Jury urged to compare lunch attendees' experiences​

J
By Jesse Thompson​

The judge is delving deeper into prosecutor Nanette Rogers' argument that Erin Patterson did not suffer death cap mushroom poisoning.

Justice Beale is retuning to evidence that one doctor said Ms Patterson "did not look unwell" when she was being cannulated and looked well during an ambulance trip.

"Not one medical witness, Dr Rogers argues, observed her to be unwell, certainly not sick with death cap mushroom poisoning," the judge says.

"Compare that with the experience of the lunch guests."

We then revisit the deteriorating health of the four guests. We hear that Don Patterson reported 30 to 40 episodes of vomiting and diarrhoea by 8pm the following evening.

We hear that all guests stopped being able to tolerate fluid.

We hear that the four of them were eventually placed on life support in an "advanced state" of multiple organ failure.

 

[Deleted member 363451]

Key Event
Fri, 12:10pm

Erin Patterson didn't have diarrhoea at all, prosecution argued​

J
By Jesse Thompson​

The judge is now summarising details that the prosecution's argument cast doubt on Ms Patterson's claims of being unwell.

Among these is the fact that the accused chose to drive her son to Tyabb for a flying lesson at a time she claimed to be experiencing symptoms.

Ms Patterson also told the court that she made an emergency bush toilet stop during that drive, but the trial heard her son had no recollection of that event.

"If his mum had made an emergency stop in the bush to go to the toilet, he would remember that," the judge said, summarising the prosecution argument.

"She didn't have diarrhoea at all," the judge says, recapping that case.

 

[Deleted member 363451]

Is it possible to experience less severe death cap mushroom poisoning?​

J
By Jesse Thompson​

This is the question Justice Beale is touching upon as he revisits evidence from a toxicology expert.

That expert said that different outcomes are possible from the same meal, as it's "very likely" the distribution of mushrooms throughout the paste would be uneven. Also, Erin Patterson was younger than her guests and weighed about 100 kilograms.

The expert said they would expect "some" adverse outcomes from the survivor of the meal.

The prosecution argued that Ms Patterson's claim of developing symptoms at 4pm on the day of the lunch would be inconsistent with death cap mushroom poisoning, the judge reminds the jury, but the defence questioned who was to say the onset wouldn't be earlier.

 

[potr]

Key Event
Fri, 12:22pm

Jury urged to compare lunch attendees' experiences​

​

​

J​

By Jesse Thompson​

The judge is delving deeper into prosecutor Nanette Rogers' argument that Erin Patterson did not suffer death cap mushroom poisoning.

Justice Beale is retuning to evidence that one doctor said Ms Patterson "did not look unwell" when she was being cannulated and looked well during an ambulance trip.

"Not one medical witness, Dr Rogers argues, observed her to be unwell, certainly not sick with death cap mushroom poisoning," the judge says.

"Compare that with the experience of the lunch guests."

We then revisit the deteriorating health of the four guests. We hear that Don Patterson reported 30 to 40 episodes of vomiting and diarrhoea by 8pm the following evening.

We hear that all guests stopped being able to tolerate fluid.

We hear that the four of them were eventually placed on life support in an "advanced state" of multiple organ failure.

do we know if they got any pain relief - any relief at all or was the whole thing excruciating - poor darlings!!!!!

 

[LinasK]

Firstly, thank you so much for everything all have added here since the start. I haven't added anything as wow no need with everything I have been reading.

Just I keep thinking about when she (I believe) went out to deliberately pick the death cap mushrooms. Giving the impression she was just on a walkabout, came across 'some' mushrooms and of course picked them.

I reckon she went armed to wear plastic/rubber gloves as she knew full well and good those DC were deathly.

She must also have worn them that day when she baked the individual beef wellingtons.

Had she not worn any gloves she would have been seriously ill surely while touching/gathering and eventually using them.

I have food intolerance to dairy, egg, chocolate and nitrate preservatives. That for some reason started when I was 64, several years ago now.

If I eat any by accident within 10 mins or so I get a violent sickening headache. If I accidently touch any of those foods, without eating them, I get the violent headache within an hour.

So with that in mind I feel she could have had the same thing happen by simply touching those DC mushrooms, with absorbing them through her skin.

But there hasn't been any word she was ill a while back, or during her preparing the said meal. She must have worn gloves.

See, you DID have something valuable to contribute! I have an intolerance to onions, but it's not to their handling- it's only if I ingest them without taking a supplement called Beano.

 

[Kemug]

I have food intolerance to dairy, egg, chocolate and nitrate preservatives.

RSBM
Oh no, not chocolate!