July 7, 2025 — In a case that has gripped Australia and the world, Erin Patterson, a 50-year-old mother of two from Leongatha, Victoria, was found guilty on July 7, 2025, of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. The verdict, delivered after a nine-week trial and seven days of jury deliberation in the Victorian Supreme Court in Morwell, marks the conclusion of a chilling saga involving a deadly lunch laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms.
The Fatal Lunch
On July 29, 2023, Patterson hosted a lunch at her home in Leongatha, a small town southeast of Melbourne, for her estranged husband’s relatives: his parents, Don and Gail Patterson (both 70), Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson (66), and Heather’s husband, Pastor Ian Wilkinson (68). The menu featured individual beef Wellington pastries, served with mashed potatoes and green beans. Tragically, the meal contained death cap mushrooms, a highly toxic fungus native to Europe but found in parts of Australia.
Within days, Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson succumbed to the poisoning, dying in hospital on August 4 and 5, 2023. Ian Wilkinson, the sole survivor, endured weeks in intensive care, including a liver transplant, before recovering. Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon Patterson, was invited but withdrew from the lunch the day before.
The Trial: A Web of Lies Unraveled
Patterson pleaded not guilty, claiming the inclusion of death cap mushrooms was a “terrible accident” caused by mistakenly using foraged mushrooms she believed were safe. However, the prosecution, led by Nannette Rogers SC, painted a damning picture of deliberate intent. They argued Patterson knowingly sourced the lethal mushrooms, possibly after seeing their locations on the citizen science website iNaturalist, and served them to her guests while eating from a different plate herself.
Key evidence included Patterson’s shifting accounts, deleted phone data, and a discarded food dehydrator, which prosecutors alleged she used to prepare the mushrooms. During her eight days on the witness stand, Patterson admitted to lying about several details, including the source of the mushrooms (claiming she bought them from Woolworths and a Chinese shop) and whether her children ate leftovers. These inconsistencies, coupled with her internet searches about poisonous fungi, convinced the jury of her guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The prosecution did not need to prove a specific motive, with Rogers stating, “You don’t have to know why a person does something in order to know they did it.” However, tensions over child support payments and a strained relationship with her estranged husband, Simon, were noted as possible factors. Simon testified about their deteriorating relationship, denying Patterson’s claim that he questioned her about poisoning his parents.
The Verdict and Reaction
On July 7, 2025, the 12-member jury delivered unanimous guilty verdicts on all four charges after a tense week of deliberation. Patterson, dressed in a paisley shirt, sat emotionless in the dock as the foreperson announced “guilty” for each count. She faces life in prison, with sentencing to be determined at a later date. The courtroom, attended daily by family members like Colin Patterson (Don and Gail’s son) and David Wilkinson (Heather’s son), was a scene of somber closure.
Posts on X reflected public sentiment, with users like @KatyKray73 calling the verdict a triumph of justice: “Justice has prevailed and may the people that died RIP and the family can have closure. What an evil despicable act.” Others, including @FranMooMoo and @NightsWithPing, echoed the relief at the guilty verdict, emphasizing the severity of Patterson’s actions.
A Community Shattered
The case has left Leongatha reeling, with the small town thrust into the global spotlight. Patterson’s home, where the fatal lunch was served, was covered in black plastic tarps on June 30, 2025, as she anticipated acquittal and a return to privacy—a hope dashed by the jury’s decision.
The tragedy has also inspired a forthcoming true crime series, Toxic, by Tony Ayres Productions for the ABC Network, which will explore the case’s impact on the community and the fairness of a trial under intense media scrutiny.
Looking Ahead
Patterson retains the right to appeal the verdict, but for now, she returns to jail awaiting sentencing. The case serves as a grim reminder of the dangers of foraged mushrooms and the devastating consequences of familial discord. For the victims’ families, the guilty verdict offers a measure of justice, though it cannot undo the loss of Don, Gail, and Heather, nor the trauma endured by Ian Wilkinson.
As Australia processes this high-profile case, the story of Erin Patterson and her deadly lunch will linger as a cautionary tale of betrayal and retribution, forever etched in the nation’s consciousness.