Australian woman accused of killing former husband's relatives with poisonous mushrooms pleads not guilty

An Australian woman accused of feeding poisonous mushrooms to several members of her ex-husband's family has pleaded not guilty to three murder charges and five attempted murder charges. Authorities allege that she served toxic wild mushrooms to four people at a lunch last year, killing three of them and leaving a fourth seriously ill.

Erin Patterson, 49, appeared briefly in Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court by video link from a Melbourne prison, where she has been held since her arrest in November. She is accused of killing her former parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail Patterson's sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66.

All three died in a hospital days after consuming a meal at Patterson's home in July.

Patterson has insisted since the incident that she did not commit any crime. 

"I am now devastated to think that these mushrooms may have contributed to the illness suffered by my loved ones," she said in a statement given to Australian media at the time. "I really want to repeat that I had absolutely no reason to hurt these people whom I loved."

She pleaded not guilty to all charges and will appear at Victoria state's Supreme Court in Melbourne for the first time on May 23.

Proceedings have been fast-tracked after Patterson dispensed with a committal hearing where a magistrate would have examined the prosecution's case to ensure there is sufficient evidence to warrant a jury trial.

She has not applied to be released on bail during any of her four court appearances.

Erin Patterson is also accused of the attempted murder of her ex-husband, Simon, at that lunch and on three previous occasions dating back to 2021. Simon Patterson did not accept an invitation to attend the lunch.

She has also been charged with the attempted murder of Wilkinson's husband, Ian Wilkinson. Patterson was arrested in November on charges for all eight alleged offenses, including both of the alleged past murder attempts, the BBC reported. 

Ian Wilkinson spent seven weeks in a hospital following the lunch. The BBC had reported during his hospitalization that Ian Wilkinson was waiting on a liver transplant.

Police say the symptoms of the four sickened family members were consistent with poisoning from wild amanita phalloides, known as death cap mushrooms. They grow in wet, warm areas throughout Australia and can be mistaken for edible mushrooms. But death caps contain toxins that poison the liver and kidneys after being consumed.

Patterson could face up to 25 years in prison for each attempted murder charge, while murder in the state of Victoria carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

In:
• Melbourne
• Australia
• Murder