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

[Hercule Holmes]

She carefully researched, identified, picked DC mushrooms, carefully stored them, dehydrated them, powdered them, carefully added them to five out of six BW pies, carefully crafted a story to lure her guests, carefully served the poisonous meal up in a smoke and mirrors dinner plate party trick, carefully didn't kill herself, her children, any other persons around her house, or her dog. Then carefully hid her phone handsets and managed to factory reset ones that even LE had in possession. ALLEGEDLY

She's a pretty cautious and calculated person IMO.

If she's innocent then she's really reckless and careless and choatic disorganised which begs only one question - how come she never 'accidentally' poisoned anyone sooner in her home what with DC mushrooms lounging around in tupperware and on the dehydrator and being processed in her kitchen etc?

She forgot to factor in one permutation IMO - the notion that people would come to medical attention prior the DC evidence passing out of their bodies and prior them being actually dead. A flaw in her plan, it was not air tight. She must be kicking herself.

JMO MOO

Agree with all of this.

She ran a bookshop, which requires orderly, organised presentation of the books. She was an air traffic controller which needless to say, is not suited to reckless, careless and chaotic behaviour. The psych test you need to get through is pretty stringent. She was also an accountant, which again suggests a careful, cautious personality.

To suddenly lose the plot in regards to toxic food items is simply not believable IMO.

 

[LinasK]

The lab tested a sample of the meat and found the toxins present. However, the experts did not address the question of whether or not the meat would be permeated because they hadn't been asked that specific detail. It was possible that the toxins were just on the outside of the meat.

Yes, if one ate the leftover meat they would be poisoned due to the known presence of toxins on the outside. However, if the server cut off the outer layer before serving, would toxins still be present? Saying that there would still be toxins is speculative because there was no evidence presented to support that assumption.

So the judge was actually correct to point that out. The comment was regarding the presence of toxins within the meat, vs on the surface of the meat.

I am curious how knowing that bit of info is significant in the events that transpired. I don't see that it is either helpful nor unhelpful for the defence.

How could they not be? The toxins seep into the meat. The BW's were baked in the oven. There's no way that scraping off the mushrooms, or even slicing off the outer layer of beef would make the leftover BW's safe, and it's not a risk Erin would take with her kids or her dog. Therefore, she had to have fed her kids different beef.

 

[Monstradamus]

She only told the people at the lunch about the cancer diagnosis. She could have gotten away with that lie if Ian Wilkinson had died


I think she panicked because the hospital figured out very quickly that there were death cap mushrooms in the meal.

She didn’t expect that.

Yes, agree. Meticulous planning pre-lunch, very proactive. Didn't expect such a quick diagnosis. Didn't expect the spotlight would be on her so quickly. Then she goes into reactive mode, and begins to make mistakes. The plan wasn't working. Starts telling lies to conceal the truth. Then tells more lies to cover the lies. I'm still not comfortable with the fact that she withheld pertinent information from medical staff whilst her lunch guests were dying, delaying possible diagnosis and faster treatment.
MOO

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

She only told the people at the lunch about the cancer diagnosis. She could have gotten away with that lie if Ian Wilkinson had died


I think she panicked because the hospital figured out very quickly that there were death cap mushrooms in the meal.

She didn’t expect that.

I agree. And the hospital only figured that out so quickly IMO because SP had a) insisted everyone go to hospital and b) alleged that some sort of poisoning had happened. I guess a few tests and going by symptoms and also what was reported to have been eaten narrowed it down to possibly being mushrooms.

JMO MOO

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

How could they not be? The toxins seep into the meat. The BW's were baked in the oven. There's no way that scraping off the mushrooms would make the leftover BW's safe, and it's not a risk Erin would take with her kids or her dog. Therefore, she had to have fed her kids different beef.

Also, EP is a wealthy woman. Her children can eat well. Why on earth would she be scraping bits of food off other people's meals for them to eat pieces and scraps? Doesn't add up.

JMO MOO

 

[Hercule Holmes]

She was giddy with excitement. She had purchased the dehydrator just days before. Here is the timeline.

28 April 2023. Visit to Loch and Outrim
28 April 2023 - Purchase of dehydrator
4 May 2023 "I have been dehydrating mushrooms - I put it in all of my kids food (lie, IMO). They can't tell the difference" (paraphrased) "Dehydrating takes out 90% of mushroom volume. I should take my dehydrator to Woolworths to reduce the weight of vegetables" (paraphrased).
4 May 2023 pics of Death caps in "true crime group chat"
4 May 2023 Googles Ovarian Cancer symptoms / Brain Cancer symptoms
June 2023 hosts a lunch with Gail and Don. Simon pulled out
July 2023 hosts a lunch with Gail, Don, Ian, Heather. Simon Pulls out.
August 2023 3 of the people from the lunch were dead.
September 2023 - books appointment for "liposuction" at Enrich Clinic.

That's very interesting re the first lunch in June.

I know it's only speculation, but there would have to be a fair chance she backed out of "a plan" when Simon didn't come?

Then planned a bigger, more important lunch (illness news) with extra people in late July, hoping to lure him in this time. Potentially realised he was never going to come, so went ahead anyway, which has proved her undoing IMO?

 

[Monstradamus]

That's very interesting re the first lunch in June.

I know it's only speculation, but there would have to be a fair chance she backed out of "a plan" when Simon didn't come?

Then planned a bigger, more important lunch (illness news) with extra people in late July, hoping to lure him in this time. Potentially realised he was never going to come, so went ahead anyway, which has proved her undoing IMO?

He had already declined the invitation ("I don't feel comfortable"), and she doubled down to try and guilt him into attending the night before, by telling him she had spent a small fortune on the meal, and there was an important medical issue to be discussed. No reply from SP, which enraged her, imo.

 

[MsMarple]

A good mother wouldn’t infer her children were incorrect and or lying to save herself, IMO

That was a big shocker; that Erin essentially called her kids liars. “Mistaken” is close enough. So not one but both kids told the forensic interviewers they saw plates that never existed, were told not to attend the lunch due to “adult” conversation being planned, and several other flawed memories? They’re not toddlers who can’t remember events.

Then to compound the lies/flawed memories of Ian, Simon and various medical professionals and health department officials makes one wonder how all these people can even function if their recollections are so weak.

Nah…

 

[MrJ]

That's very interesting re the first lunch in June.

I know it's only speculation, but there would have to be a fair chance she backed out of "a plan" when Simon didn't come?

Then planned a bigger, more important lunch (illness news) with extra people in late July, hoping to lure him in this time. Potentially realised he was never going to come, so went ahead anyway, which has proved her undoing IMO?

I think in her mind 2 people dying would have increased suspicion on her if she didn't get sick. 4 people dying would have created some reasonable doubt that maybe they accidentally plated the wrong thing or shared a meal unknowingly containing toxins or whatever she thought. However, this exposes a flaw in her thinking when you take into account if all five people (including Simon if he had made it to the lunch) died while the cook didn't, that would further increase suspicion on her as to her health while everyone else suffered terribly.
I don't think she planned it at all well for the aftermath if she is guilty IMO

 

[BreakingNews]

Yep I had this in the U.K. and my case wasn’t anywhere near as serious as this one. One person was completely unreasonable and no matter what wouldn’t agree so in the end after the judge realized that was the case he said as long as the majority of us agreed he would accept that verdict so 11/1 was our vote on guilty. But we was sent back for a day to argue and hit our head against a brick wall first.

Wow, you would have needed a brick wall! In Australia it has to be 12/12 or it's a hung jury on murder charges. Lesser charges the judge may eventually say majority of 11.

 

[Baby baby Jane]

She only told the people at the lunch about the cancer diagnosis. She could have gotten away with that lie if Ian Wilkinson had died


I think she panicked because the hospital figured out very quickly that there were death cap mushrooms in the meal.

She didn’t expect that.

This prompted me to wonder if the 4 sick people, and SP were telling hospital staff that not only did Erin eat the same lunch … but she has CANCER as well.

Hospital staff would be very worried about her … and puzzled as to why she never mentioned the cancer - Erin would say “because they didn’t ask” …. Same as about the Imodium,

 

[Monstradamus]

Latest ABC article.

People turning down work shifts to spend months at the mushroom trial

There have been 23 courtroom places for the public in the Erin Patterson triple-murder trial. Competition for those seats starts early each morning.

www.abc.net.au

 

[MrJ]

If she is found not guilty, she's at best negligent with the way she handled the cooking and storage of the ingredients used in the meal.
If she is found guilty, she's at worst a calculated, cunning and covert planner of delivering fatal toxins into what should be a safe meal. Both aren't ideal scenarios IMO

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

That's very interesting re the first lunch in June.

I know it's only speculation, but there would have to be a fair chance she backed out of "a plan" when Simon didn't come?

Then planned a bigger, more important lunch (illness news) with extra people in late July, hoping to lure him in this time. Potentially realised he was never going to come, so went ahead anyway, which has proved her undoing IMO?

And the June meal was shepherd's pie, so she could easily have put mushrooms in that too.

 

[SouthAussie]

DBM - may repost after the verdict

 

[LinasK]

I think in her mind 2 people dying would have increased suspicion on her if she didn't get sick. 4 people dying would have created some reasonable doubt that maybe they accidentally plated the wrong thing or shared a meal unknowingly containing toxins or whatever she thought. However, this exposes a flaw

That's why she had to hurry up and make herself sick in my opinion by pigging out on cake, drinking coffee, possibly use laxatives, whatever would give her diarrhea and vomiting. This wasn't because of bulimia.

 

[MrJ]

That's why she had to hurry up and make herself sick in my opinion by pigging out on cake, drinking coffee, possibly use laxatives, whatever would give her diarrhea and vomiting. This wasn't because of bulimia.

Plausible deniability - I had symptoms too! IMO

 

[Monstradamus]

Plausible deniability - I had symptoms too! IMO

Yet carried on with life as normal on the Sunday. Apparently immune to DC poisoning. A true miracle, imo

 

[Deleted member 363451]

I'm not a big fan of this podcast, but this episode is interesting for those who would like to hear questions about jury members.

The room where it happens: Your jury questions answered | Mushroom Case Daily​

 

[Lisa4]

Been browsing the Latrobe Valley Express website and came across this (lady who turned 100 March 2024)

100 candles for Catherine

By KATRINA BRANDON LIVING with the fondest memories of growing up on a farm, a resident at Mitchell House [...]

latrobevalleyexpress.com.au

Point 1 - just Wow! were there lots more mushroom deaths back then! I suppose they had a greater wealth of shared knowledge.

Point 2 - well well well they called it mushrooming even all those decades ago. Fancy that.
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