Woman who cooked 'poisonous' mushroom lunch 'that left three people dead' says her kids ate the leftovers
Featured Image Credit: A Current Affair / Family Handout
Topics: Australia, Crime, News, Erin Patterson
Callum Jones
The woman who cooked a mushroom lunch that reportedly left three people has finally given a statement outlining her version of events - and admitted that she lied to the cops.
On 29 July, Erin Patterson from Victoria, had invited former in-laws Gail and Don Patterson, both 70, along with Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, and her husband Ian, 68 for a meal.
She cooked them beef wellington and mushrooms and a day after the lunch all four had been rushed to hospital with 'gastro-like symptoms'.
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Unfortunately, Gail and Don Patterson both died in hospital, as did Heather Wilkinson, while her husband Ian remains in critical condition awaiting a liver transplant.
Police said they displayed symptoms of having eaten death cap mushrooms, although a toxicology report is still pending to determine their cause of death.
Patterson was subsequently interviewed by the police, but was released without charge. However, officials have said since that she remains a suspect in their investigations.
The 48-year-old has recently recalled her version of events to Victoria Police where she gave her version of events and admitted she lied to the police.
Patterson claimed in her statement that her children had not been at the dinner with the rest of the family members as homicide police had initially said, but had instead been out watching a film.
She went on to say that her son and daughter had eaten the leftovers, but that the mushrooms had been scrapped off the meal as her children did not like them.
Patterson's statement went on to add that she purchased the packet of dry mushrooms from an Asian grocery store three months before the meal was served to her family.
She said that the rehydrated mushrooms had been mixed with additional ones she'd bought from a supermarket, all of which were cooked into the beef wellington.
Patterson was reportedly also ill from the meal, saying she was also admitted to hospital after feeling under the weather on 31 July - two days after eating the beef wellington.
Patterson said she was taken to the local hospital in Leongatha before an ambulance took her to Melbourne, where she received a 'liver protective drug'.
Patterson claims she persevered the remaining leftovers of the meal to hand over to toxicologists for examination.
She said she also told them where she bought the dried mushrooms and that the Department of Health subsequently sent her photos of a pack of mushrooms similar to what she described.
Patterson's statement concluded by admitting to lying to police about a food dehydrator, having previously claimed she threw it out 'a long time ago' before saying she actually threw it out after she'd been hospitalised.
While the investigation is ongoing, Victoria Police are refusing to update the public.
They said: "Beyond that, we are not commenting on specific details of the case or what actions police will undertake as part of the investigation.
"If there are any updates we are able to release publicly, we will certainly let everyone know."