Australian woman who killed 3 people with toxic mushrooms sentenced to life in prison

An Australian judge on Monday sentenced Erin Patterson to life in prison for killing three people with toxic mushrooms, following a weekslong trial that gripped the country.

Patterson was convicted in July of triple murder for serving a poisonous meal to her estranged husband’s parents, aunt and uncle during a sumptuous beef Wellington lunch at her home in 2023. She will be eligible for parole after 33 years.

Three of Patterson’s four lunch guests — her parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson — died in the hospital after the 2023 meal at her home in Leongatha, at which she served individual beef Wellington pastries containing death cap mushrooms.

She was also found guilty of attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband, who survived the meal.

Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon Patterson, was invited but did not attend the July 2023 lunch.

“Your victims were all your relatives by marriage. More than that, they had all been good to you and your children over many years, as you acknowledged in your testimony,” Beale said.

“Not only did you cut short three lives and cause lasting damage to Ian Wilkinson’s health, thereby devastating extended Patterson and Wilkinson families, you inflicted untold suffering on your own children, whom you robbed of their beloved grandparents,” he added.

It wasn’t disputed that Patterson served the mushrooms or that the pastries killed her guests. The jury was required to decide whether she knew the lunch contained death caps, and if she intended for them to die.

Both prosecution and defense lawyers had agreed that a life sentence was an appropriate punishment for the then-50-year-old on three counts of murder and one of attempted murder.

But defense lawyers had asked for Patterson to become eligible for parole after serving 30 years. Prosecutors had argued she should never be considered for parole because she did not deserve the court’s mercy.

Patterson will have 28 days to lodge an appeal against the sentence, the convictions, or both.