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THE MUSHROOM MURDERS

Greg Haddrick

A Family Lunch. Three Deaths. What Really Happened?

The shocking story of family lunch laced with the world's most deadly mushroom, and a gripping murder trial.
On 29 July 2023, Erin Patterson hosted a lunch at her home in the small regional Victorian town of Leongatha. She had invited her parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian.

Erin made beef Wellington for her guests, individual beef eye fillets covered in mushroom paste, wrapped in pastry. The following day, all four guests were taken to the hospital, and Heather, Gail and Don died. Ian Wilkinson barely survived. A toxicologist found traces of the poisonous death cap mushroom in the remains of the meal.

At first, it appeared to be a dreadful accident. As the police investigation continued, the evidence mounted, seeming to point one way. Yet Erin Patterson steadfastly claimed she did not intend to harm her relatives. But after a gruelling 10 week trial, the jury found her guilty of three counts of murder, and one count of attempted murder.

Greg Haddrick tells the fascinating inside story of the triple murder trial that gripped the country and made headlines around the world. With details not previously published, it is the compelling story of a troubled family and a poisonous mushroom that is readily found in parks and gardens.

Greg Haddrick is a Logie Award-winning screenwriter and film and television producer. His credits include the TV series Underbelly, Janet King, and Pine Gap, and he has also won seven AWGIE Awards as a writer, three AFI Awards as a producer, and an International Emmy Award nomination as a writer and producer. He is the author of In the Dead of Night about the Wonnangatta Valley murders.
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Published 2025-11-11 by Allen & Unwin

Comments

Frau wegen dreifachen Mordes durch Pilzvergiftung schuldig gesprochen In Australien hat eine Frau ihre Verwandten mit giftigen Pilzen im Beef Wellington vergiftet, nur ein Angehöriger überlebte. Eine Jury sprach sie nun schuldig. Read more...