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

[k-mac]

The almost sole early source was reported as Simon's friend I think. Maybe some outlets re-reported using the term 'a friend' instead, Idk.Moo.

Not that it probably matters much, but lately info reported has been attributed to 'a friend' or some outlets prefer 'family friend' it seems. Both terms refer to the same information - so it would seem to depend on the outlet. Usually there is the outlet that has actually gathered/'researched' the story, then the others just re-report Imo.

Be nice to have a dollar for every article written including 'family friend', 'unnamed associate' 'source close to the family'..........

Doesn't make it fact unless the person owns the statement. Even then doesn't make it necessarily true.

This has been victim bashing without any facts, implying the murdered people where confrontational and judgemental and its just not reasonable. IMO.

 

[jepop]

I’m still open to it being an accident.

I think if in fact she was an experienced regular forager, in my mind that makes an accidental poisoning more likely rather than less. They probably often had dehydrated mushrooms in the house and cooked with them often.

I can’t explain why she is still alive. Maybe she really did get sick but her potion had a much lower dose of the poison by chance, and the medicine she claims was given really was and that saved her. Her behaviour and lies are odd but maybe she panicked realising her error and has handled the situation truly terribly. You can be awkward and a compulsive liar and also not a murderer.

I am leaning towards it being deliberate rather than an accident but there is so much unknown still.

If it was an accident, I can’t imagine what Erin would be grappling with.

You articulate that well and thoughtfully. I may have commented before but wanted to say I pretty much share your general position on this case at this point in time.

 

[Stunned]

I'm sure, yes, they will be looking to interview the friend of Simon who has been so forthcoming to the press. Moo

What kind of friend?

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Not references. I was absolutely positive that if the money came from her mom's will and were invested by her, it was hers. People in this (previous) thread made a comment that as long as they were married, S. had the right for the part of it. I don't know Australian laws, nor this specific inheritance. I would be very much interested in the financial part of it. IMHO, this might be the clue to the whole case.

The Family Court will consider the inheritance to either be included as part of the property and asset pool or it will be quarantined and kept separate from this pool.

There are many factors that can influence how the court will treat the inheritance in the property settlement matter, some of which include:

• The timing of the inheritance. Was it received before or early in the relationship, during the relationship, or after the separation?
• Whether inheritance assets became communal or whether they were quarantined and kept separate.
• How the inheritance has been used. Though there may have been one beneficiary, the inheritance may have been used to buy property or a house for the family, to pay bills, go on a holiday.
• The size of the inheritance. This is usually compared to the size of the party’s assets.
• What the intentions or wishes of the benefactor. Did the benefactor provide detailed instructions regarding how the assets were to be used.

While all of these factors are important, when the inheritance was received is arguably the most influential of them.

Inheritance and Divorce in Australia | Unified Lawyers

Inheritance and divorce property settlements can be difficult to navigate. Find out how an inheritance could be treated in a divorce in Australia here.

www.unifiedlawyers.com.au

This might help even though the lawyers are very 'yes and no and but', with regards to adding the inheritance, all or part, to the final asset pool.
When did E and S separate? Are they divorced and has there been a division of assets (E undoubtly would have the larger share as she has custody of the children), or is this still on the backburner? Idk.

 

[jepop]

What kind of friend?

Not elaborated on. Are you thinking new partner?

 

[Ellery84]

We don't know anything more from this article on who Simons 'friend' is.

It is still an unsubstantiated statement by an unnamed source.

EP stated on record all the people who died were nothing but kind and lovely to her.

smh
facts matter

Absolutely - facts do matter. Thanks for bringing this to our attention and I completely agree with you.

Hearsay from a friend of the ex who refused to put his name to it.
Got legs and became part of the 'facts.'

 

[jjleroche]

Who knows. Maybe she was made to feel that was throughout the entirety of the marriage and finally had enough. Just a maybe, not even really moo. But imo just in case

I agree that it could have been a difficult experience for EP in this marriage - particularly when she no longer had her parents. She may have felt very isolated, particularly if SP and his family were very involved in the church, and she wasn't so much.

I personally doubt very much that this provided any motive for her to murder SP's family. It appears that she had made efforts to live independently, and succeeded.

I also doubt that she wanted a reconciliation. Why would she? It may well be that a divorce hadn't yet taken place despite a lengthy separation, due to "church pressure" (for want of a better phrase).

Maybe she had been wanting to proceed with a divorce, and SP's parents wanted to have "a chat" about it.
It may be that they expressed "concern" regarding the children for some time, should a divorce occur.

IMO if she had been experiencing such pressure (possibly for some years), it may explain why she has appeared to be defensive and emotional. I know that's how I would be feeling. FWIW

 

[Ellery84]

“…on Friday, a false claim that Erin's own parents had died due to poisoning was exposed as a lie. The pair actually died of natural causes.

According to a neighbour of Ms Patterson's mother, the death of Dr Heather Scutter <Erin’s mother> from cancer in 2019 was not quick.

'It took her slowly. She went to Melbourne for treatment and came back. Then she died,' a neighbour told Daily Mail Australia.

Her husband had died in 2011 after his own battle with cancer - with his ashes sprinkled on the beach.”
MSN

It’s nice that the Daily Mail has cleared up this silly rumour.

Erin’s mother and father died of cancer, in 2019 and 2011 respectively.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Perhaps it was painted just before the wall got painted.

Maybe give the kids a chance to let their imaginations go wild.

i agree, their grandmother was a fantasy critic as well as author, their imaginations were encouraged to bloom and grow imo, death and decapitations are very much part of the fantasy genre. Kids and adults write fantasy games by the thousands, because the painter was horrified and took a picture, probably a conservative non-artistic type, not his fault, but really, does anyone check the online games their kids play?
Mum gave them free reign because the interior was going to be painted, where's the harm?
<modsnip>

JMO

 

[Stunned]

Well, I’d bet its a she and not a good friend of Erin’s, if they even personally know her. IMO

 

[Ellery84]

I agree that it could have been a difficult experience for EP in this marriage - particularly when she no longer had her parents. She may have felt very isolated, particularly if SP and his family were very involved in the church, and she wasn't so much.

I personally doubt very much that this provided any motive for her to murder SP's family. It appears that she had made efforts to live independently, and succeeded.

I also doubt that she wanted a reconciliation. Why would she? It may well be that a divorce hadn't yet taken place despite a lengthy separation, due to "church pressure" (for want of a better phrase).

Maybe she had been wanting to proceed with a divorce, and SP's parents wanted to have "a chat" about it.
It may be that they expressed "concern" regarding the children for some time, should a divorce occur.

IMO if she had been experiencing such pressure (possibly for some years), it may explain why she has appeared to be defensive and emotional. I know that's how I would be feeling. FWIW

Yes, quite.

Let’s think about the lunch and the day in question… Imagine having to deal with such an enclave of relatives of your ex partner all at once, and to dine with them alone in your own home without a support person - and without even your teenage children at home to support you or provide what might have been a welcome distraction from the conversations and a buffer between the exes relatives and Erin.

Added to this, your ex hasn’t even bothered to turn up, so you’re potentially feeling very alone indeed and maybe even “set upon”…

What a potential “pressure cooker” situation!

I guess for me, if you don’t mind indulging me for a moment, fellow-Sleuthers…I have a bit of social anxiety and I don’t like conflict… If I was the host, I would have probably wanted to just hide under the table until they all left. But then, I wouldn’t have invited them in the first place.

So, why did she invite them?

All imo and speculation.

BBM
IBM

 

[k-mac]

I'm surprised by the reaction, considering this is a true crime forum, couldn't be more into the macabre by a lot of people's standards, it's not fair to follow the media and criticize the children, mob mentality at its worst!

JMO

well to be fair....
I am very disturbed by the wall.
And I came to that conclusion all BY MYSELF.

And I dont believe for a second it has anything to do with the children.

Is it fair to judge independent thinking folk who are offended by the wall as mob mentality at its worst???

 

[PrimeSuspect]

well to be fair....
I am very disturbed by the wall.
And I came to that conclusion all BY MYSELF.

And I dont believe for a second it has anything to do with the children.

Is it fair to judge independent thinking folk who are offended by the wall as mob mentality at its worst???

If you believe it was drawn by an adult, of course, judge away, but the media aren't drawing to that conclusion and isn't fair to the children. I won't be drawn into a discussion about it, I think I made it clear in my post, it's not fair to criticise the children.

 

[k-mac]

If you believe it was drawn by an adult, of course, judge away, but the media aren't drawing to that conclusion and isn't fair to the children. I won't be drawn into a discussion about it, I think I made it clear in my post, it's not fair to criticise the children.

right
appreciate your clarification!
And I agree totally
leave the kids alone x

 

[JLZ]

Yes, quite.

Let’s think about the lunch and the day in question… Imagine having to deal with such an enclave of relatives of your ex partner all at once, and to dine with them alone in your own home without a support person - and without even your teenage children at home to support you or provide what might have been a welcome distraction from the conversations and a buffer between the exes relatives and Erin.

Added to this, your ex hasn’t even bothered to turn up, so you’re potentially feeling very alone indeed and maybe even “set upon”…

What a potential “pressure cooker” situation!

I guess for me, if you don’t mind indulging me for a moment, fellow-Sleuthers…I have a bit of social anxiety and I don’t like conflict… If I was the host, I would have probably wanted to just hide under the table until they all left. But then, I wouldn’t have invited them in the first place.

So, why did she invite them?

All imo and speculation.

BBM
IBM

I'd turn that around. She invited them, or at any rate admitted them, to her own house and cooked an elaborate meal. She didn't have to do either of those. Therefore, she had an agenda of her own. She wasn't "set upon". If there was a conflict, it is more likely that she was the aggressor.

 

[k-mac]

I guess for me, if you don’t mind indulging me for a moment, fellow-Sleuthers…I have a bit of social anxiety and I don’t like conflict… If I was the host, I would have probably wanted to just hide under the table until they all left. But then, I wouldn’t have invited them in the first place.

So, why did she invite them?

All imo and speculation.

BBM
IBM

I'd turn that around. She invited them, or at any rate admitted them, to her own house and cooked an elaborate meal. She didn't have to do either of those. Therefore, she had an agenda of her own. She wasn't "set upon". If there was a conflict, it is more likely that she was the aggressor.

I agree.

Especially when EP hasn't accused the deceased of anything negative in her narrative.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Especially when EP hasn't accused the deceased of anything negative in her narrative.

It's not surprising that she hasn't said anything negative about the deceased.

If she did she'd be thought of as guilty for sure, even if she's innocent.

 

[k-mac]

It's not surprising that she hasn't said anything negative about the deceased.

If she did she'd be thought of as guilty for sure, even if she's innocent.

But the argument can't go both ways.

The implication is that these people are coming here with pitch forks (yes Im exaggerating).
Yet...invited??

Who invites the intervention on themselves from others.... themselves????


which ends in everyone dying (attempted) except you.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I wondered why I was feeling a bit cold, its 7.9 degrees here.

 

[Charlot123]

Be nice to have a dollar for every article written including 'family friend', 'unnamed associate' 'source close to the family'..........

Doesn't make it fact unless the person owns the statement. Even then doesn't make it necessarily true.

This has been victim bashing without any facts, implying the murdered people where confrontational and judgemental and its just not reasonable. IMO.

Yes. I, too, would like to know the genders of “family friends”. Just for the context.