Using Lethal Death Cap Fungi.A woman from Australia, identified as Erin Patterson, is facing murder charges following suspicions that she intentionally served her former husband’s family a dish tainted with deadly death cap mushrooms. It’s reported that the tragic event occurred during a lunch on July 29 in her residence located in Victoria, Australia, where she made a beef Wellington recipe which is believed to have been laced with these perilous fungi.
The meal was shared with her former husband’s parents, his sister, and her husband. Tragically, three out of the four family members succumbed to complications that authorities believe are consistent with mushroom poisoning within a week of consuming the dish.
The former spouse’s father, however, faced a prolonged hospital stay of almost two months, battling a grave ailment.
The death cap mushroom, known for its lethal properties, is native to Victoria, the very place Patterson resides and where the lamentable meal was presented.
Don & Gail PattersonMonths after the tragic event, specifically on Thursday, Patterson was slapped with three murder charges. She was apprehended on Wednesday, with a court appearance set for the subsequent Friday in an Australian jurisdiction.
Heather & Ian Wilkinson
Defending herself, Patterson insists she’s innocent. She recounted to authorities that the beef Wellington was made using fresh mushrooms sourced from a nearby supermarket, along with dried mushrooms bought from an Asian store in Melbourne, roughly 85 miles away from her place.
Furthermore, Patterson mentioned that she consumed the said dish and even offered it to her two children the following day. However, she notes her children declined the mushrooms, leading her to remove them from their servings. Patterson also claims she fell ill after having the meal, suffering symptoms like stomach discomfort and diarrhea.
