Australia - 3 dead after eating wild mushrooms, Leongatha, Victoria, Aug 2023 #8 *Arrest*

[Megnut]

Who ate 1 1/2 servings? Maybe the 1 serving had no death cap mushrooms but the 1/2 did?

 

[Bats]

Who ate 1 1/2 servings? Maybe the 1 serving had no death cap mushrooms but the 1/2 did?

Yes, i guess that's possible. It was Don that ate the extra serving.

 

[SouthAussie]

Who ate 1 1/2 servings? Maybe the 1 serving had no death cap mushrooms but the 1/2 did?

I think Don Patterson was the sickest of them all. They couldn't even examine him without him constantly needing the bathroom. I think I posted a link about that way back somewhere.

imo

ETA links:

Donald Patterson - who had eaten his portion of lunch and about half his wife's - told a doctor he'd vomited 30 times in the space of a few hours.
Toxic mushroom meal was 'terrible accident', says woman on trial for murder


Alleged mushroom cook didn’t ingest death caps, ‘no record’ she had cancer, jury told: Trial day one, as it happened

 

[Spectrix]

I think Don Patterson was the sickest of them all. They couldn't even examine him without him constantly needing the bathroom.

From memory, didn't Don finish off his wife's uneaten portion?

 

[SouthAussie]

From memory, didn't Don finish off his wife's uneaten portion?

Yes.

I linked it above in my ETA ... "Donald Patterson - who had eaten his portion of lunch and about half his wife's"

 

[Porky1]

I think Don Patterson was the sickest of them all. They couldn't even examine him without him constantly needing the bathroom.

So very sad. It’s hard to imagine Erin wanting to cause so much pain and suffering, especially to Don.

 

[SouthAussie]

So very sad. It’s hard to imagine Erin wanting to cause so much pain and suffering, especially to Don.

Maybe it was Simon she wanted to feel pain and suffering - and Don, Gail, Heather and Ian were the means.

 

[Via Marple]

And honestly, who does that? Hosts a luncheon to announce one's cancer diagnosis? (Especially when they don't have cancer, but that's beside my point.) Even the faux reason, for help in how to tell the children. (Indeed, how do you tell young children you have a cancer, um, when you don't?)

Dear Esteemed Invitees, I know I snubbed you for your 70th birthday party but I cordially invite you to my party where I've prepared an elaborate meal with mystery ingredients. Once I have you gathered, we can all focus on me. I will begin with a dramatic reading of WebMD, next we will dialogue about me and how we can mitigate the heaviness of my burden (having to bear the weight of my imaginary cancer) and close with your adoration, for how well I'm handling (not) having cancer, and prayers to carry me through (also not having cancer).

You can't imagine how hard it is.

JMO

You know what, this does sound like a storyline right out of an Agatha Christie novel. And then there were none, A Murder is announced etc. Turns out the host/hostess is the murderer, meaning to stage a murder party.

 

[Megnut]

Narcissist don't just get mad, they get even.

Since the guest of honor wouldn't come, spite.

JMO

 

[Megnut]

You know what, this does sound like a storyline right out of an Agatha Christie novel. And then there were none, A Murder is announced etc. Turns out the host/hostess is the murderer, meaning to stage a murder party.

And no one left to discover she never had cancer.

JMO

 

[Detechtive]

If the cancer was a lie, what was the purpose if the luncheon?

Doh.

JMO

Because his parents were his next of kin, and would have had control over the children and their finances (Simon's half share in everything) in the event he died, because Erin and Simon were separated and the children are under 18. JMO

The mistake you are making is to assume this was rational. It isn't necessarily. Anyone who is capable of murder is not someone who cares much about whether they like or don't like somebody when it comes to getting their needs met.

 

[Megnut]

Because his parents were his next of kin, and would have had control over the children and their finances (Simon's half share in everything) in the event he died, because Erin and Simon were separated and the children are under 18. JMO

Let me rephrase this, as it was rhetorical, directed at Erin, who isn't answering --

Her attorney conceded it was a lie, yes? But also tried to trap Simon into don't he didn't not hear it from a guest...

So... if Erin didn’t tell anyone she had cancer, what medical thing did she tell them? (And why would one guest invent cancer?) If it wasn't cancer, what is her attorney suggesting is the reason Erin suddenly wanted to host a luncheon? At which all the guests, and only the guests, just happened to ingest the same fatal toxin.

Simon did live to tell the tale. About the invite, about the medical news she was going to share.

I'm just asking the questions the Defense is dodging.

JMO

 

[Megnut]

Can anyone confirm?--

Did her attorney say that it was Erin who lied, about having cancer when she didn't?

Or it was a lie that she told anyone she had cancer because didn't have cancer and didn't tell anyone she did?

JMO

 

[arrogantcat]

Let me rephrase this, as it was rhetorical, directed at Erin, who isn't answering --

Her attorney conceded it was a lie, yes? But also tried to trap Simon into don't he didn't not hear it from a guest...

So... if Erin didn’t tell anyone she had cancer, what medical thing did she tell them? (And why would one guest invent cancer?) If it wasn't cancer, what is her attorney suggesting is the reason Erin suddenly wanted to host a luncheon? At which all the guests, and only the guests, just happened to ingest the same fatal toxin.

Simon did live to tell the tale. About the invite, about the medical news she was going to share.

I'm just asking the questions the Defense is dodging.

JMO

My prediction is that the defence are going to go with the suggestion that she only told them she *might* have cancer, and that he misunderstood or misheard. If she was having a lump biopsied or some other tests, they could spin this as “cancer was a possibility and she wanted to keep them informed”.

But they only get to state this version outright if they put Erin on the stand, which I think is unlikely. Otherwise it will just be through implication, eg the questioning of S asking if there may have been a misunderstanding etc, and any medical testimony they might have secured.

 

[arrogantcat]

Can anyone confirm?--

Did her attorney say that it was Erin who lied, about having cancer when she didn't?

Or it was a lie that she told anyone she had cancer because didn't have cancer and didn't tell anyone she did?

JMO

I believe the quote used in various reporting was “the defence do not dispute that Erin did not have cancer” (except for the BBC, who left out the “do not”, quite confusingly! But presumably just an error on their part)

They have not yet posited how they say this all came about. In my post above I shared what I expect them to go with - “she just said she *might* have cancer, or was having some testing, and the surviving victim just misunderstood”.

Often with illness fabrication there’s a grain of truth at the heart of it that seems to inspire the lie. Eg, someone has a benign lump biopsied, and they spin it into a story about full blown cancer.

JMO etc

 

[Mandala]

So, Simon allegedly suspected Erin of previous poisoning attempts. One landing him in the ICU for weeks in an induced coma

…yet, a surprise (and highly unusual) dinner invitation to the family in the midst of an emotive dispute didn’t raise any alarm bells

Maybe that’s why he declined going to the lunch though

 

[JBowie]

But they only get to state this version outright if they put Erin on the stand, which I think is unlikely.

Highly unlikely IMO. The Prosecution would make mincemeat (sans mushrooms) of her given her litany of admitted lies.

 

[CityKid]

So yeah, I saw that Death Caps had been geotagged at two locations just near my home, so I visited both of them hoping to find a completely different kind of mushroom instead. And what do you know, I accidentally came home with Death Caps!
Then I accidentally dried them out and waited for the perfect moment to accidentally feed them to my Ex's whole family.
Weirdly, they all became violently ill from eating them, and three people died.
I ate the mushrooms as well, but somehow they didn't make me sick. In fact, they cured me of cancer!

Where's the laugh emoji when I need it?

 

[Megnut]

My prediction is that the defence are going to go with the suggestion that she only told them she *might* have cancer, and that he misunderstood or misheard. If she was having a lump biopsied or some other tests, they could spin this as “cancer was a possibility and she wanted to keep them informed”.

But they only get to state this version outright if they put Erin on the stand, which I think is unlikely. Otherwise it will just be through implication, eg the questioning of S asking if there may have been a misunderstanding etc, and any medical testimony they might have secured.

And it makes no sense! Inviting people over, which you've never done before, to serve a meal long in preparation (with or without death seasoning), to alert them to a... health concern. I've gathered you all here today, let me adjust my dramatic flourish, to... tell you I'm having a biopsy.

No one does that. Certainly not Erin, with any other health concerns she might have had.

So she's suddenly an alarmist? Wants to bring in-laws in so they can properly worry? Oh, but notice, I could be dying of Cancer Biopsy but my only concern is the children.

Erin, if you didn't invite them over to tell them you had cancer, why did you invite them? And what was so very important but super secret you couldn't tell them over the phone?

I have questions.

JMO

 

[Old Soul]

Can anyone confirm?--

Did her attorney say that it was Erin who lied, about having cancer when she didn't?

Or it was a lie that she told anyone she had cancer because didn't have cancer and didn't tell anyone she did?

JMO

“A defence lawyer representing accused triple-murderer Erin Patterson has told a jury she lied about a cancer diagnosis and foraging mushrooms, but is innocent of murdering three relatives with a poisoned meal.”

Mushroom trial: Erin Patterson admits foraging mushrooms but lawyers say deaths were accident

Erin Patterson admits foraging mushrooms, but did not deliberately seek out death cap mushrooms, jury told.

www.rnz.co.nz

If Ian Wilkinson, the surviving lunch guest, gives evidence I think it is likely he will confirm that the guests were told by EP that she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.