Morwell: Erin Patterson, the woman at the center of a chilling case that gripped global attention for nearly two years, was found guilty on Sunday of murdering three family members and attempting to kill a fourth with a mushroom-laced Beef Wellington served at a family lunch.
A 12-member jury delivered unanimous guilty verdicts after six days of deliberation, concluding a 10-week trial at the Morwell County Court. Patterson, 50, remained composed as she was convicted of the July 2023 deaths of Don and Gail Patterson—her former in-laws—and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson. Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, survived the meal after a prolonged hospital stay.
The verdict brings a dramatic close to a case that fascinated true crime followers, sparked global headlines, and left a small Victorian community deeply shaken. While Patterson maintained her innocence throughout, jurors concluded beyond reasonable doubt that the meal was no accident—but a carefully planned act of murder using foraged Amanita phalloides, also known as death cap mushrooms.
#BREAKING: Erin Patterson has been found guilty of murder over the deadly mushroom lunch that killed three of her in-laws and poisoned a fourth.
The jury unanimously convicted the Leongatha woman after 10 weeks of emotional evidence and deliberations.
She now faces a life… pic.twitter.com/WST7fIwt7L
— 10 News (@10NewsAU) July 7, 2025
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A Homemade Lunch That Turned Lethal
The events unfolded in Leongatha, a quiet town in Victoria, when Patterson invited her estranged husband Simon Patterson and his relatives to lunch on July 29, 2023. Simon backed out at the last minute, but his parents, Don and Gail, along with Heather and Ian Wilkinson, attended.
All four guests fell violently ill within hours, suffering symptoms consistent with severe mushroom poisoning—vomiting, diarrhea, and liver failure. Within a week, three had died. Only Ian survived after nearly two months of intensive treatment.
I’m so happy 4 the victims of #ErinPatterson that justice was served today. It would have felt like a total injustice in 2025 given the science on death caps & the forensic behaviour observed post murders, but mostly from the evidence of who was in control on that tragic day.
— Becks (@letvictoriavote) July 7, 2025
Authorities later traced the poisoning to death cap mushrooms, which contain deadly amanitin toxins that destroy liver cells. According to prosecutors, Patterson intentionally picked the mushrooms after spotting their location on a citizen science website and used them to prepare individual beef Wellingtons for each guest.
Forensics, Lies, and a Dehydrator
Central to the prosecution’s case were Patterson’s actions in the days following the lunch. She discarded a food dehydrator—later recovered from a local waste center—bearing her fingerprints and traces of mushroom residue. Investigators also noted that her devices were factory-reset shortly after the incident, allegedly to erase incriminating evidence.
In court, Patterson admitted to lying to both police and her guests, including fabricating a cancer diagnosis to justify the lunch invitation. She claimed her lies stemmed from panic and embarrassment, not guilt, and that she accidentally used foraged mushrooms stored in her pantry.
But prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC described Patterson’s behavior as a “web of calculated deceptions,” arguing she feigned illness after the lunch to avoid suspicion and misled investigators about her mushroom-gathering habits. She labeled Patterson’s cover-up efforts as deliberate and “sophisticated,” pointing to inconsistencies in her statements and deleted digital evidence.
A Community Shaken, a Family Torn
The victims were beloved community members in the Gippsland region, known for their church work and family dedication. Their deaths sparked not just local grief but national debate about food safety, trust, and justice.
The trial transformed the small rural town of Morwell into a media hub, with crowds of reporters, podcasters, and locals filling the courtroom gallery daily. Four true crime podcasts tracked each twist of the testimony, and images of Patterson arriving at court in a prison van made global headlines.
The surviving families did not attend court for the verdict, asking for privacy after two emotionally exhausting years.
No Motive, But a Verdict Delivered
Despite the lack of a clear motive—a point stressed by Patterson’s defense team—the jury found that the act was premeditated. Prosecutors emphasized that motive wasn’t required under Australian law, only proof that Patterson knowingly caused harm.
Messages shared during the trial showed Patterson expressing anger toward her in-laws in private Facebook chats. “I’m sick of this shit, I want nothing to do with them,” she wrote in one, months before the fatal lunch.
Justice Christopher Beale reminded the jury in his closing instructions that while Patterson’s lies might seem morally troubling, the legal question was whether they proved criminal intent. The jury ultimately decided they did.
What Comes Next?
Patterson faces sentencing in the coming weeks. She has 28 days to appeal the conviction. Prosecutors have not disclosed what sentence they will seek, but under Victorian law, a life sentence is a possibility.
Outside court, Victoria Police thanked investigators and prosecutors while urging the public to respect the victims’ families and their privacy.
For the residents of Leongatha and Morwell, the verdict brings long-awaited closure—but also lingering disbelief that such a tragedy emerged from something as ordinary as a family lunch.
