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

[Dre]

Can someone connect the dots for me on what the significance of the dehydrator might be?


She threw out the dehydrator the day after the dinner, which suggests she was trying to get rid of evidence even before police involvement and intent.

Link? Tia

 

[JLZ]

Can someone connect the dots for me on what the significance of the dehydrator might be?

Actually I am thinking the children might have used it to make umami powder out of fungi they collected themselves. Perhaps they didn't know what they were doing, or perhaps it was a prank the seriousness of whose consequences they didn't expect. I can imagine the guests indulging the children by sprinkling the offered mystery powder on their food.

 

[Waverider]

Link? Tia

IMO

 

[Waverider]

IMO

Sorry - the link stating she threw it out the day after the dinner - will find!

 

[JLZ]

Police have been back to the tip.

Police return to tip as investigation into suspected mushroom poisoning continues

Victorian police officers return to a South Gippsland tip as they investigate the deaths of three people from suspected mushroom poisoning.

www.abc.net.au

 

[JLZ]

Yep - $$$$$$$

I wonder who else in the family has died recently..

Do you think these are wealthy people? I mean, it's not a wealthy area, though the old houses I believe can be nice.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Police have been back to the tip.

Yes, just heard this on ABC radio. They're speaking to staff.

Maybe there is CCTV ?

 

[Chestnutsunfish]

I think IMO if a dehydrator was used they may have been no "mushrooms" in the meals but possibly a powder added

IMO if this is the case there will have to be an online research/internet history trail.. the average person wouldn’t know about deadly mushrooms, or about if their potency is maintained after any kind of storage/dehydration without turning to the internet surely?

 

[TootsieFootsie]

IMO if this is the case there will have to be an online research/internet history trail.. the average person wouldn’t know about deadly mushrooms, or about if their potency is maintained after any kind of storage/dehydration without turning to the internet surely?

The average person here, in Australia generally, would have had it drummed into them about the danger of death cap mushrooms.

There have been all sorts of campaigns by local, state and the federal governments.

Around times of prolonged wet weather is another time when the campaigns emerge.

Quite often it's offline, in printed newspapers, on TV and radio. And the internet of course.

And I've seen posters, around town, in public places.

Seems every three or four years there have been deaths, but the other ones mostly seem to be immigrants.

I think most Aussies know how very deadly the death cap ones are, from being educated about them over many years.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

'We don't pass any judgement': Korumburra churchgoers pray for those involved in suspected mushroom triple fatality

As the community of Korumburra in Victoria's east waits for answers on the three deaths believed to be caused by a poisonous mushroom meal, parishioners at the local Baptist church say they "don't pass any judgement" about the circumstances of the tragedy.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Waverider]

Do you think these are wealthy people? I mean, it's not a wealthy area, though the old houses I believe can be nice.

From the photos, it looks like EP’s house is quite nice, so she wouldn’t want to give half that away in a divorce. And let’s assume for the sake of argument that there are no other beneficiaries to wills of in-laws - 2 houses at $600,000 each is $1.2m, which is a good amount to live on. This is purely speculation of course, but I’m just saying that they wouldn’t have to be wealthy to make an inheritance seem attractive..

 

[Waverider]

The average person here, in Australa generally, would have had it drummed into them about the danger of death cap mushrooms.

There have been all sorts of campaigns by local, state and the federal governments.

Around times of prolonged wet weather is another time when the campaigns emerge.

Quite often it's offline, in printed newspapers, on TV and radio. And the internet of course.

And I've seen posters, around town, in public places.

Seems every three or four years there have been deaths, but the other ones mostly seem to be immigrants.

I think most Aussies know how very deadly the death cap ones are, from being educated about them over many years.

Nonetheless, most people Id imagine wouldn’t know the lethal dose and “serving suggestions”. She’d have had to have googled, don’t you think?

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Nonetheless, most people Id imagine wouldn’t know the lethal dose and “serving suggestions”. She’s have had to have googled, don’t you think?

No I don't.

 

[JLZ]

Nonetheless, most people Id imagine wouldn’t know the lethal dose and “serving suggestions”. She’d have had to have googled, don’t you think?

I think so, but I google every time I make pancakes.

 

[Jess M.]

I’m currently with my mushroom foraging partner near Canada doing thimbleberry picking (got stung 16 times today grrrrr) but my family uses dehydration often and I’m a huge fan of jarring/preserving and mushroom powder etc, and because of this I’ve been discussing this case with my fam extensively.

Warning- speculation!!
Perhaps before her ex got sick she procured a batch of deathcaps, then dried, jarred, fed to her ex and as it did not work she later used the rest at the lunch? The only traces remaining by the time of the inquiry would have been in the dehydrator, which she had to throw away and they couldn’t find in the home.

Jmo thanks for reading!

If this is what happened, she most likely upped the dose...

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I'm still keeping my mind open to all possibilities.

 

[Jess M.]

No I don't.

Yes, her search history might prove interesting...

 

[Jess M.]

Actually I am thinking the children might have used it to make umami powder out of fungi they collected themselves. Perhaps they didn't know what they were doing, or perhaps it was a prank the seriousness of whose consequences they didn't expect. I can imagine the guests indulging the children by sprinkling the offered mystery powder on their food.

Not likely.

 

[JLZ]

From the photos, it looks like EP’s house is quite nice, so she wouldn’t want to give half that away in a divorce. And let’s assume for the sake of argument that there are no other beneficiaries to wills of in-laws - 2 houses at $600,000 each is $1.2m, which is a good amount to live on. This is purely speculation of course, but I’m just saying that they wouldn’t have to be wealthy to make an inheritance seem attractive..

I met someone who was murdered over $4000 so I won't say a house or so couldn't be an inducement. However, outside of wealthy families I think it would be unusual for grandchildren to inherit alongside or ahead of the son. I hadn't considered the possibility of anything coming from the Wilkinsons. It seems to me it would be rather far-sighted and even imaginative for Erin to have expectations here.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/mushroom-cooks-ex-partner-fell-seriously-ill-in-2022/news-story/e0eda2a656e6fbc1d0e3629a6f261dd3?amp

Published a bit after 3pm today.

Mushroom cook’s ex partner fell seriously ill in 2022​

Behind paywall. Posting it here for those who subscribe