Australia - 3 dead after eating wild mushrooms, Leongatha, Victoria, Aug 2023 #9 *Arrest*

[BreakingNews]

You can be book smart and socially and emotionally inept. You can also be an intelligent psychopath without empathy , etc

I find the method of murder so chilling because it’s such a passive aggressive vindictive crime. I imagine she thought she was going to outsmart everyone.

Every day it seems to get worse for her…

Alleged murder

 

[SouthAussie]

"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."

Yes, she (eventually) admitted that she had foraged mushrooms, but I think the point that @BreakingNews is making is that she did not admit to foraging Death Caps (specifically).

That part of the foraging was "accidental". Even though she went to Death-Cap-specific places to forage.

imo

 

[BreakingNews]

Patterson's Defence are definitely going to push that she accidentally picked poisonous mushrooms...

E and S foraged together. Surely they could tell what was edible. As kids living in the bush, we knew the difference. We always picked field mushrooms after rain. Mushrooms on toast. As a 5 yo, I never picked anything else. Normal bush kids skills.

 

[Deleted member 363451]

E and S foraged together. Surely they could tell what was edible. As kids living in the bush, we knew the difference. We always picked field mushrooms after rain. Mushrooms on toast. As a 5 yo, I never picked anything else. Normal bush kids skills.

"
A close friend of the Patterson family told Daily Mail Australia she was known for going wild mushroom foraging around Victoria’s Gippsland region along with her ex-partner Simon and other relatives and was “very good” at it.

“The Patterson family would pick mushrooms each year when they were in season,” the source said.

'Knew what to pick': Source's bombshell claim about mushroom cook

A new development in the case of the deadly mushroom poisoning that claimed three lives in Victoria has exposed the woman who cooked the lunch as an experience forager.

www.skynews.com.au

 

[LinasK]

What? No, no one is claiming that the word Asian is racist, the anger is directed at Erin implying that a small Asian grocer sold her dried death cap mushrooms.

It may be that Erin used that lie in order to camouflage the fact that she had foraged the mushrooms and thus take suspicion off herself. What we're pointing out is that her claim cast a negative result on not only a small grocery business but by association a minority class.

Imagine how many people opened their morning paper in 2023 and read that mushrooms bought at an Asian grocery were likely responsible for four poisonings. It may or may not have been Erin’s intent to slur a minority but there is something called unintended consequences where one’s actions cause an outcome not anticipated.

Erin doesn’t get a pass for not caring about blaming a convenient scapegoat no matter why she chose to lie.
JMO

Yes. we saw it in the Sherri Papini case where she directly falsely targeted Hispanic women for her fake kidnapping. People were angry at the Hispanic community in her area.

 

[Baby baby Jane]

The Chinese people who ate those mushrooms in 2012 did pick the mushrooms.
I remember at the time they said the mushrooms looked just like ones they'd picked at home in China.

Agree they were not bought in a shop, they were foraged.

Mushrooms from “Asia” and exported are grown in polytunnels … not foraged.

 

[SouthAussie]

I wonder if the police case is going to mention this, among the propensity of Erin knowing what mushrooms to pick and what not to pick ... books on the subject.


Erin Patterson had a collection of books about mushrooms which she kept at her home where her fatal beef wellington lunch took place, Daily Mail Australia has been told.

A friend claimed the shelves of her family home at Leongatha included books about delicious yet potentially deadly fungi.

Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday reported Ms Patterson, 48, was an 'experienced forager' who - like many families in the area - picked mushrooms when they were in season.

The friend said she had a number of books on the subject in her library.

Erin Patterson had a 'collection of mushroom books' at her home

Deadly cook Erin Patterson had a collection of books about mushrooms she kept at her home where three people died, Daily Mail Australia has been told.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[ch_13]

Yes, she (eventually) admitted that she had foraged mushrooms, but I think the point that @BreakingNews is making is that she did not admit to foraging Death Caps (specifically).

That part of the foraging was "accidental". Even though she went to Death-Cap-specific places to forage.

imo

I noticed that Erin's lawyer specifically mentioned a variety called the "stubble rosegill" when cross-examining the mushroom expert, so maybe they will claim that's what she thought she had picked.

Ms Stafford then turns the court's attention to the non-toxic stubble rosegill, and begins pointing out characteristics that are similar to the death cap mushroom.

Mushroom expert quizzed on death cap identification in Erin Patterson trial — as it happened

An internationally recognised fungi expert has given evidence in the trial of Erin Patterson, who is accused of murdering three relatives with a poisoned beef Wellington meal. Look back at how the day unfolded in our live blog.

www.abc.net.au

Two potential issues for the defense, though. One is that every source I've googled mentions that this mushroom is similar in appearance to death caps so extra care must be taken and it should be avoided by all but the most experienced foragers. The second is that the mushroom apparently does not taste very good. Wikipedia describes it as "edible but not recommended."

 

[Deleted member 363451]

I wonder if the police case is going to mention this, among the propensity of Erin knowing what mushrooms to pick and what not to pick ... books on the subject.


Erin Patterson had a collection of books about mushrooms which she kept at her home where her fatal beef wellington lunch took place, Daily Mail Australia has been told.

A friend claimed the shelves of her family home at Leongatha included books about delicious yet potentially deadly fungi.

Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday reported Ms Patterson, 48, was an 'experienced forager' who - like many families in the area - picked mushrooms when they were in season.

The friend said she had a number of books on the subject in her library.

Erin Patterson had a 'collection of mushroom books' at her home

Deadly cook Erin Patterson had a collection of books about mushrooms she kept at her home where three people died, Daily Mail Australia has been told.

www.dailymail.co.uk

It sounds as though she had an almost obsessional interest in mushrooms. I wonder if she's on the spectrum?

 

[SouthAussie]

I noticed that Erin's lawyer specifically mentioned the "stubble rosegill" when cross-examining the mushroom expert, so maybe they will claim that's what she thought she had picked.

Ms Stafford then turns the court's attention to the non-toxic stubble rosegill, and begins pointing out characteristics that are similar to the death cap mushroom.

Mushroom expert quizzed on death cap identification in Erin Patterson trial — as it happened

An internationally recognised fungi expert has given evidence in the trial of Erin Patterson, who is accused of murdering three relatives with a poisoned beef Wellington meal. Look back at how the day unfolded in our live blog.

www.abc.net.au

Two potential issues for the defense, though. One is that every source I've googled mentions that this mushroom is similar in appearance to death caps so extra care must be taken and it should be avoided by all but the most experienced foragers. The second is that the mushroom apparently does not taste very good. Wikipedia describes it as "edible but not recommended."

Yes, the stubble rosegill is named as a look-alike, though there are differences.
The defence has obviously done its homework, I would say.

She tried the Asian thing (Paddy Straw Mushroom) then may have switched to Stubble Rosegill.

imo


Look-alikes: The Death Cap has been mistaken for Volvopluteus gloiocephalus (StubbleRosegill), and with fatal results, since the latter species is very similar to the Paddy Straw Mushroom, Volvariella volvacea, a delicacy in Asian cuisine. Volvariella species have a sac atthe base of the stalk but they do not have a ring on the stalk, the gills turn pink and producea pink spore print.

https://data.environment.sa.gov.au/Content/Publications/SHFacts%20Death%20Cap.pdf

 

[SouthAussie]

It sounds as though she had an almost obsessional interest in mushrooms. I wonder if she's on the spectrum?

Well, she may have had a lot of time to kill while she was not working and a cleaner was (surreptitiously) cleaning their house.

imo

 

[Deleted member 363451]

Yes, the stubble rosegill is named as a look-alike, though there are differences.
The defence has obviously done its homework, I would say.


Look-alikes: The Death Cap has been mistaken for Volvopluteus gloiocephalus (StubbleRosegill), and with fatal results, since the latter species is very similar to the Paddy StrawMushroom, Volvariella volvacea, a delicacy in Asian cuisine. Volvariella species have a sac atthe base of the stalk but they do not have a ring on the stalk, the gills turn pink and producea pink spore print.

https://data.environment.sa.gov.au/Content/Publications/SHFacts%20Death%20Cap.pdf

The expert will be in court again today talking about fungi. We all know where this is heading...

 

[Deleted member 363451]

Well, she had a lot of time to kill while she was not working and a cleaner was (surreptitiously) cleaning their house.

imo

 

[Baby baby Jane]

Stubble Rosegill doesn’t explain why she is still alive ….

 

[Detechtive]

I really hope she doesn't plea at any point. I really want to hear every insane detail of this crazy story!

 

[katydid23]

I meant a fit of temper / outburst. Obviously what she's done is a very tortuous and violent act but the amount of time it took to prepare - many days or even several weeks - isn't quite the sort of rage I was thinking of.

I think it was a simmering, deep down rage. A toxic, deep-seated resentment which fuelled the pre-meditated steps taken prior to the luncheon.

 

[MsMarple]

"
A close friend of the Patterson family told Daily Mail Australia she was known for going wild mushroom foraging around Victoria’s Gippsland region along with her ex-partner Simon and other relatives and was “very good” at it.

“The Patterson family would pick mushrooms each year when they were in season,” the source said.

'Knew what to pick': Source's bombshell claim about mushroom cook

A new development in the case of the deadly mushroom poisoning that claimed three lives in Victoria has exposed the woman who cooked the lunch as an experience forager.

www.skynews.com.au

The daughter said she had never gone mushroom picking so maybe not a family hobby.

Erin Patterson’s daughter says accused mushroom poisoner was ‘very good’ cook, murder trial hears

Patterson’s son tells jury eye-fillet steak from leftovers of fatal lunch was ‘some of the best meat I’ve ever had’

www.theguardian.com

 

[Deleted member 363451]

The daughter said she had never gone mushroom picking so maybe not a family hobby.

Erin Patterson’s daughter says accused mushroom poisoner was ‘very good’ cook, murder trial hears

Patterson’s son tells jury eye-fillet steak from leftovers of fatal lunch was ‘some of the best meat I’ve ever had’

www.theguardian.com

I wouldn't expect the daughter to have gone foraging, or the son for that matter. The daughter isn't the one on trial.

 

[Deleted member 363451]

I think it was a simmering, deep down rage. A toxic, deep-seated resentment which fuelled the pre-meditated steps taken prior to the luncheon.

I agree. Even though I am not making any excuses whatsoever for Erin Patterson's actions, I can see that Simon was quite a hypocrite after Erin gave his siblings interest free loans to purchase homes and then he quibbles over paying a medical bill for his son. On top of that he was only paying $38 per month for his 2 children, which is a paltry amount. Whether he had been accessed on Erin's bank balance, I don't know.

 

[SouthAussie]

The daughter said she had never gone mushroom picking so maybe not a family hobby.

Erin Patterson’s daughter says accused mushroom poisoner was ‘very good’ cook, murder trial hears

Patterson’s son tells jury eye-fillet steak from leftovers of fatal lunch was ‘some of the best meat I’ve ever had’

www.theguardian.com

Maybe a Don, Gail, Simon and Erin hobby?