Australia: Woman charged with murder over mushroom poisoning that left 3 people dead
Jail
A 49-year-old woman was arrested on Thursday (Nov 2) in Australia and charged with murder in a case linked to deadly mushroom poisoning that left three people dead.
They died earlier this year after Erin Patterson served a lunch to a group of people that included her estranged parents-in-law.
Patterson remained in the headlines for the case that shook up a small rural town of Leongatha, 110 kilometres southeast of Melbourne.
According to the police, they arrested Patterson in the morning and began a search of her home with the help of "technology detector dogs". Reports have mentioned t hat the dogs can sniff out electronic devices such as USB keys.
The Victoria Police have confirmed that the woman was charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
She will be questioned by the homicide squad investigators once the search of her home is complete, said Detective Inspector Dean Thomas of the Victoria police homicide squad.
"Today's arrest is just the next step in what has been a complex and thorough investigation by homicide squad detectives and one that is not yet over," Thomas told reporters.
He added that the probe had been subject to "incredibly intense" media and public interest in Australia and internationally.
"I think it is particularly important that we keep in mind that at the heart of this three people have lost their lives," Thomas said, adding that "a tragedy such as this can reverberate for years to come" in smaller communities.
How did she serve 'poisonous' mushrooms?
Local reports have mentioned that Patterson served the mushrooms as part of a beef Wellington dish on the afternoon of Jul 29 to her estranged parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson, local Baptist pastor Ian Wilkinson and his wife Heather.
On the same night, the two couples were taken to hospital with food poisoning symptoms. Their health rapidly deteriorated, and within a week, three of them were dead.
Police believe their symptoms were consistent with those caused by eating highly toxic death cap mushrooms.
(With inputs from agencies)