Erin Patterson, a 49-year-old woman in Australia, has been charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder following a tragic incident involving a meal she hosted.
The symptoms suffered by the victims were consistent with poisoning by wild death cap mushrooms, which are responsible for 90% of lethal mushroom poisoning globally.
The victims were identified as Don Patterson, his wife Gail, and her sister Heather Wilkinson, all in their 60s or 70s.
Erin Patterson, a 49-year-old woman in Australia, has been charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder following a tragic incident involving a meal she hosted. The charges stem from an incident where three guests died and one was critically ill after consuming a dish suspected to contain poisonous mushrooms.
The victims were identified as Don Patterson, his wife Gail, and her sister Heather Wilkinson, all in their 60s or 70s. A fourth individual, Heather Wilkinson's husband, Ian, was released from hospital in September after nearly two months of treatment. The attempted murder charges also include three prior, separate episodes, in which a 48-year-old man fell ill.
The symptoms suffered by the victims were consistent with poisoning by wild death cap mushrooms, which are responsible for 90% of lethal mushroom poisoning globally. The case has drawn international attention and prompted safety warnings about foraging for wild mushrooms.
Patterson has consistently denied any wrongdoing, stating that she and her two children ate the same meal without falling ill. She also claimed she did not intend to poison her guests and was also hospitalised after the lunch. Patterson, whose identity was initially not disclosed by the police, is set to appear in court on Friday.
The only survivor was her brother-in-law, a local pastor, who spent two months in the hospital.
The symptoms suffered by the victims were consistent with poisoning by wild death cap mushrooms, which are responsible for 90% of lethal mushroom poisoning globally.