Australia - 3 dead after eating wild mushrooms, Leongatha, Victoria, Aug 2023 #2

[Charlot123]

If this is indeed a premeditated crime, how was it pulled off?

- a true beef wellington recipe calls for the mushrooms to be finely chopped and fried in olive with herbs. Gordon Ramsay’s version states to continue to cook them over high heat for about 10 minutes - once the mushrooms begin to release their juices. Then when all evaporated, you are left with a mushroom paste. Known as Duxelle. This is where I am perplexed. The chemist experts say that only a very small particle such as a 20 cent coin is enough to kill. The entire dish after cooking would have been permeated with this extremely toxic paste. Enclosed under a layer of proscuitto, wrapped over the seared beef, all enclosed in pastry and baked.

I am no expert, but I would imagine that the entire dish would have been thoroughly impregnated.

- She says that the guests served theirs first and she went last.
- So how did she avoid it?
- She also said that she scraped the mushrooms off the leftovers for her two children to eat the next day.
- She also says that she did become very ill and was hospitalised.

Very, very weird.

Someone earlier had said that perhaps there were two Beef Wellingtons, one with the poison, another, without. My only question is, if so, why didn’t she serve the “poisonless” when Simon didn’t show up? Or could it be so that everyone was waiting for him, and he simply skipped the dinner? It could have happened. Everyone is waiting for him, and he changed his plans but didn’t tell anyone.
I think that the testimony of both Simon and the survivor would be very helpful.

 

[LadyL]

I can see a new episode of Gordon Ramsays Kitchen Nightmares in the pipeline...

[GR] Did I tell you to put #$%^ing Death Caps in the #$%^ing Beef Wellington!

[EP] Well, it did say wild mushrooms in your recipe.


MOO IMO

 

[jepop]

'Impossible': Leading industry body disputes mushroom lunch cook's claim

Claims made by the woman at the centre of Victoria’s triple-fatality mushroom poisoning have been disputed by a national peak industry body.

www.skynews.com.au

But her statements have now been countered by leading authority The Australian Mushroom Growers Association (AMGA) who say “it is impossible” for death cap and other poisonous mushroom varieties to be produced for commercial purposes as they “only grow in the wild”.

The organisation said it was a mandate for grocery retailers to cultivate commercial mushrooms in an “environmentally controlled” indoor environment, to fulfill food safety and hygiene protocols.

So the only way one could possibly acquire death cap mushrooms in AUSTRALIA.....is by one's own hand.

All she's claimed as far as I can see is that she bought dried mushrooms from Asian Grocer and button mushrooms from supermarket and used both in her meal preparation. It's been extrapolated, speculated by others that she is claiming those as the source of the poisonings. Are the AMGA saying it's impossible that she bought the mushrooms that were used in the lunch? On what basis? The AMGA should take up the issue with Msm. Moo

 

[LadyL]

dbm
may be wrong so deleted it

 

[LadyL]

All she's claimed as far as I can see is that she bought dried mushrooms from Asian Grocer and button mushrooms from supermarket and used both in her meal preparation. It's been extrapolated, speculated by others that she is claiming those as the source of the poisonings. Are the AMGA saying it's impossible that she bought the mushrooms that were used in the lunch? On what basis? The AMGA should take up the issue with Msm. Moo

I think they're just saying it's impossible that she bought death cap mushrooms

 

[jepop]

All this stuff about intervention meetings - does that really happen in Australia? I've certainly never heard of it. And the Baptist Church isn't some far-out sect. I know that if my marriage had fallen apart I (in fact neither of us) would have welcomed interference from others, however well-intentioned. And we certainly wouldn't have allowed others to decide where the children would live. This idea about the lunch being an "intervention", which seems to have become an accepted fact by some - where did it start, and is there any basis at all for it?

The source is a "a friend of Simon Patterson's" as per Msm. Moo

 

[jepop]

I think they're just saying it's impossible that she bought death cap mushrooms

Fair enough - but then she never claimed that she did (buy death cap mushrooms). So why is it reported that they are disputing EP's claim? Moo

 

[LacieL]

All this stuff about intervention meetings - does that really happen in Australia? I've certainly never heard of it. And the Baptist Church isn't some far-out sect. I know that if my marriage had fallen apart I (in fact neither of us) would have welcomed interference from others, however well-intentioned. And we certainly wouldn't have allowed others to decide where the children would live. This idea about the lunch being an "intervention", which seems to have become an accepted fact by some - where did it start, and is there any basis at all for it?

My involvement in churches in Australia ended years ago but yes my experience is that some families were very involved with their church and consulted closely with church leaders and elders in all matters of their lives.

At the moment I imagine it being something as follows:
Simon is concerned about the children while they are in the care of Erin. He relays his concerns to his parents.
His parents consult with the minister at their church and together they decide to meet with Erin to see if they can better understand what is going on and/or get better support for the kids.

I think the wider circumstances surrounding this intervention are potentially quite complex. Someone else posted about having suspected other things at play with the family and I think I agree. Because this relates to the children, I don’t think it’s right by them to speculate publicly in greater detail.

I am leaning towards the “intervention” being about custody or a critique of Erin’s parenting. If she felt as though they were trying to take her kids away from her, maybe she took drastic action?

 

[LadyL]

Fair enough - but then she never claimed that she did (buy death cap mushrooms). So why is it reported that they are disputing EP's claim? Moo

well she claims she bought the mushrooms that she used and then somehow the victims got mushroom poisoning so she is implying (IMO) that she bought/used the dried mushrooms not knowing that they were poisonous

 

[Charlot123]

Maybe EP just couldn't stand stressful meetings/family stuff/gatherings/interventions/religious stuff/whatever and what she thought or hoped were 'magic' turned out to be 'tragic' when she attempted to chill out the lunchtime crowd for an easier afternoon.

JMO obvs.

Beef Wellington-oriented family psychotherapy? (Well, at least it could explain the unicorns.) I am not quite sure that was Erin’s ultimate goal, but an interesting idea.

 

[k-mac]

I'm not relying on those words as proof that they're true - but that she used them to set up her fantasy tale

yeah I knew what you where saying, didn't mean it to sound personal!
Your was a poor word choice!
Should have used 'one' relies on here.

 

[jepop]

Sure. But why would she throw it out then?

Idk - possibly as a reaction to her estranged husband accusing her of poisoning her in-laws when she was at the hospital. If this happened as per her statement then I think it would have been early on ie the Monday or Tuesday after the lunch when EP herself was in hospital in Melbourne.Moo.

We don't know the reality of her relatoinship with the ex. We don't know, for eg, if there were custody disputes privately between them. We don't know anything. Most of what we 'know' has come from Simon P's friend informing the press and what EP herself has said in her statements, some of which counters the apparent knowledge of Simon's friend. Moo. Who knows if there were continuing toxic relationship issues between them beneathe a facade. Moo

 

[jepop]

well she claims she bought the mushrooms that she used and then somehow the victims got mushroom poisoning so she is implying (IMO) that she bought/used the dried mushrooms not knowing that they were poisonous

A more accurate and informed report would state something like 'It's Impossible,given regulations, that toxic death caps could have been purchased from supermarkes or Grocers in Australia' or some such. The word claim really has no place Imo but not surprised that the reporting of the AMGA's concerns is spun that way. Moo

 

[k-mac]

Idk - possibly as a reaction to her estranged husband accusing her of poisoning her in-laws when she was at the hospital. If this happened as per her statement then I think it would have been early on ie the Monday or Tuesday after the lunch when EP herself was in hospital in Melbourne.Moo.

We don't know the reality of her relatoinship with the ex. We don't know, for eg, if there were custody disputes privately between them. We don't know anything. Most of what we 'know' has come from Simon P's friend informing the press and what EP herself has said in her statements, some of which counters the apparent knowledge of Simon's friend. Moo. Who knows if there were continuing toxic relationship issues between them beneathe a facade. Moo

She provided the poisonous lunch. That is not in question ....and is the bones of why we are here.

Throwing out the dehydrator is like shooting someone and getting rid of the gun.

If she shot someone in self defence there would be no need to get rid of the gun.
But if she shot the person deliberately....she might wanna get rid of it and its incriminating evidence.

Same theory applies here.

'The who' pushed her to get rid of the evidence.... is still not the serial killer.

IMO mental illness is going to play a very big role in this story.

 

[k-mac]

A more accurate and informed report would state something like 'It's Impossible,given regulations, that toxic death caps could have been purchased from supermarkes or Grocers in Australia' or some such. The word claim really has no place Imo but not surprised that the reporting of the AMGA's concerns is spun that way. Moo

Its just semantics at play here.

Until someone is charged of course the media are going to use the words 'claim' 'alleged' etc.

Par for the course.

 

[jepop]

She provided the poisonous lunch. That is not in question ....and is the bones of why we are here.

Throwing out the dehydrator is like shooting someone and getting rid of the gun.

If she shot someone in self defence there would be no need to get rid of the gun.
But if she shot the person deliberately....she might wanna get rid of it and its incriminating evidence.

Same theory applies here.

'The who' pushed her to get rid of the evidence.... is still not the serial killer.

IMO mental illness is going to play a very big role in this story.

Sure. I was responding to a narrow question re a hypothetical- if she had used the dehydrator on the button mushrooms when prepping lunch, why throw it out? My post speculated one possible reason. Moo

 

[jepop]

Its just semantics at play here.

Until someone is charged of course the media are going to use the words 'claim' 'alleged' etc.

Par for the course.

I dislike inaccurate reporting but agree it has become par for the course. Moo

 

[JBowie]

I think they're just saying it's impossible that she bought death cap mushrooms

Yes, and IMO she knows it -- hence the weak attempt at deflection to some Asian shop who (to her way of possibly racist thinking) clearly would be ignorant enough to harvest death caps and package them for sale with hand-written labels saying who knows what ... but for sale only to her because no one else was similarly poisoned in the three months since she bought them.

Give me a break!

 

[k-mac]

I dislike inaccurate reporting but agree it has become par for the course. Moo

What is inaccurate?
Can you link what your disputing? tia

 

[jepop]

What is inaccurate?
Can you link what your disputing? tia

'Impossible': Leading industry body disputes mushroom lunch cook's claim

Claims made by the woman at the centre of Victoria’s triple-fatality mushroom poisoning have been disputed by a national peak industry body.

www.skynews.com.au

Headline.