Spotlight: Killer Erin Patterson

Erin Patterson, a 50-year-old Australian woman, was convicted in July 2025 of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder for poisoning four relatives of her estranged husband with death cap mushrooms during a lunch she hosted at her home in Leongatha, Victoria, on July 29, 2023. She served beef Wellington laced with the toxic fungi, killing her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, while Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson, 68, survived after weeks in a coma with lasting health issues. Patterson, who was briefly hospitalized but recovered, claimed it was an accident from foraging, but prosecutors proved deliberate intent through evidence like a different plate for herself, disposal of a dehydrator with mushroom traces, and lies to police about her mushroom hobby and a fake cancer diagnosis used to lure guests. On September 8, 2025, she was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum 33 years before parole eligibility, one of the longest terms for a woman in Australia, citing her lack of remorse and the premeditated nature of the crimes. The case, dubbed the "mushroom murders," drew massive media attention, with Patterson maintaining innocence and facing harsh prison conditions due to notoriety.