• News
  • Life
  • TV & Film
  • Beauty
  • Style
  • Home
  • News
    • Celebrity
    • Entertainment
    • Politics
    • Royal Family
  • Life
    • Animals
    • Food & Drink
    • Women's Health
    • Mental Health
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Travel
    • Real Life
  • TV & Film
    • True Crime
    • Documentaries
    • Netflix
    • BBC
    • ITV
    • Tyla Recommends
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Make-up
    • Skincare
  • Style
    • Home
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
Submit Your Content

Home> News> Crime

Updated 14:24 7 May 2025 GMT+1Published 16:30 14 Aug 2023 GMT+1

Woman who cooked 'poisonous' mushroom lunch 'that left three people dead' says her kids ate the leftovers

Erin Patterson from Victoria, Australia, has released a statement as three are left dead following her beef wellington lunch.

Callum Jones

Callum Jones

Featured Image Credit: A Current Affair / Family Handout

Topics: Australia, Crime, News, Erin Patterson

Callum Jones
Callum Jones

Advert

Advert

Advert

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'.

Advert

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.

Advert

Don and Gail Patterson died following the meal.
Family Handout

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.

Advert

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.

Advert

Erin Patterson remains a suspect.
A Current Affair

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.

Advert

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."

Choose your content:

12 hours ago
13 hours ago
  • 12 hours ago

    Camp Mystic security guard issues emotional statement after using mattresses in heroic act to rescue girls from deadly floods

    In total, at least 82 people are confirmed to have lost their lives following the flash floods in Texas on Friday (4 July)

    News
  • 12 hours ago

    Meghan Markle fans spot ‘creepy’ detail in newly shared photos with her and Prince Harry

    The Duchess of Sussex shared a new Instagram post to celebrate the Fourth of July

    News
  • 13 hours ago

    Kate Middleton ignited major debate after breaking decades-old Wimbledon 'rule'

    Both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle broke the exact same rule - but they received very different treatment for the fashion faux pas

    News
  • 13 hours ago

    Paramedic jailed after secretly giving pregnant woman abortion pill

    Stephen Doohan has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison

    News
  • Chilling question ex-husband allegedly asked woman who hosted deadly lunch that killed three
  • Sole survivor of poisonous mushroom lunch that killed three finally allowed home
  • Woman accused of killing three at deadly lunch made sick lie to ensure her children didn’t attend, court hears
  • Ex-husband of poisonous mushroom cook asked chilling question after parents died