Sentenced: Australian Woman Killed 3 Of Her In-Laws With Poisonous Mushroom Meal

[Sugar Cookie]

The Australian mom of two on trial for allegedly killing three of her in-laws with poisonous mushrooms bragged on Facebook about lacing her dishes with the powdered fungi — including brownies for her kids, according to testimony Monday.

Erin Patterson, 50, was known to frequent a Facebook group obsessed with the case of convicted infant killer Keli Lan, with her pals testifying Monday that she touted her ability to cook mushrooms into any dish without anyone being the wiser, the Guardian reported.

“I’ve been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything. Mixed it into chocolate brownies yesterday, the kids had no idea” Patterson wrote in a message to the group.

Patterson, a mother-of-two, is accused of the July 2023 murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband.

The victims all fell ill after being served beef Wellington, with prosecutors claiming Patterson knowingly laced the meal with deadly death cap mushrooms.

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Mom charged with killing 3 with poisonous mushroom meal bragged about lacing her kids’ brownies with deadly fungi

Erin Patterson, the Australian woman on trial for allegedly killing three of her estranged husband’s elderly relatives by poisoning their food with mushrooms, loved to hide “powered mushrooms…

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She gives Blunderpuss vibes

 

[Sugar Cookie]

An Australian judge on Monday sentenced triple-murderer Erin Patterson to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years for poisoning four of her estranged husband's relatives with death cap mushrooms.

Justice Christopher Beale told the Victoria state Supreme Court that Patterson's crimes involved an enormous betrayal of trust.

Patterson was convicted in July of murdering Don and Gail Patterson and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, with a lunch of beef Wellington pastries laced with foraged death cap mushrooms.

Patterson was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson, who spent weeks in a hospital.

Patterson's estranged husband, Simon Patterson, was invited but did not attend the July 2023 lunch served to her parents-in-law and her estranged husband's aunt and uncle at her home.

Both prosecution and defense lawyers had agreed that a life sentence was an appropriate punishment for the 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.

https://www.npr.org/2025/09/08/nx-s1-5533902/australia-erin-patterson-life-sentence-mushroom-murder