Erin Patterson served a beef Wellington lunch that killed three people. Now she’s in prison for life. But the case isn’t over.
It’s December 2025. Patterson’s sitting in a Victorian prison with a 33-year non-parole period. She poisoned her estranged husband’s parents and aunt with death cap mushrooms. But she’s not accepting it. In November, she lodged an appeal claiming the trial wasn’t fair. The Court of Appeal hasn’t decided yet.
The prosecution’s appealing too. They reckon her sentence was too light, given she poisoned four people and killed three. So it drags on.
Quick Points – Trial and conviction
- The trial took place in the Supreme Court of Victoria in Morwell, starting in April 2025.
- 7 July 2025: A jury convicted Patterson of three murders and one attempted murder,
- 8 September 2025: She was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 33 years (eligible for parole around 2056). The judge described the crime as a profound betrayal of trust
The Lunch That Killed Three People
July 29, 2023. Erin Patterson invited her former in-laws to lunch at her Leongatha home in Victoria.
The guests were:
- Gail Patterson (her former mother-in-law)
- Don Patterson (her former father-in-law)
- Heather Wilkinson (Gail’s sister)
- Ian Wilkinson (Heather’s husband)
Also, Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon, was invited but cancelled the night before.
She served beef Wellington. Within 24 hours, all four guests were in the hospital with liver failure from death cap mushrooms. Don, Gail, and Heather died within six days. Ian survived after seven weeks in hospital but never properly recovered.
Patterson was taken into custody on November 2, 2023. The trial began in April 2025 in Morwell. Ran for 10 weeks. It took the jury six and a half days to convict her on July 7.
She was sentenced to life by Justice Christopher Beale on September 8. Victoria’s first livestreamed sentencing. He noted the media circus meant Patterson would probably need solitary confinement for her own safety. Other prisoners don’t take kindly to notorious killers.
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The Lies That Convicted Her
Prosecutors focused on Patterson’s stories. She told police she’d never owned a food dehydrator. But investigators found her Facebook posts showing off her dehydrator with dried mushrooms. That dehydrator was later found dumped at a tip.
She claimed she’d bought mixed mushrooms from an Asian grocer. Nobody could verify that. The grocer had no record of selling mushrooms to her.
She said she got sick from the same meal. Medical staff reckoned her symptoms seemed fake.
The evidence stacked up. Patterson controlled the meal prep completely. She wouldn’t let guests into her pantry. She plated everything herself. And her portion of beef Wellington had no death cap mushrooms in it.
Former colleagues described her as intelligent and calculating. One ex-flatmate said she’d drive drunk repeatedly after losing her licence. A former workmate said she “knew how to maximise her intelligence with minimal risk.”
What the Jury Never Heard
After the trial, sealed evidence came out. Properly shocking stuff. Simon Patterson testified that his ex-wife had poisoned him multiple times in 2021 and 2022. Three separate incidents that hospitalised him. One put him in a coma, and he needed part of his bowel removed.
He ate pasta bolognese she’d made. Chicken korma curry. A veggie wrap. Each time, he ended up critically ill. Doctors couldn’t work out what caused it. Simon became suspicious of Erin.
Originally, Patterson faced four additional attempted murder charges relating to Simon. Those were dropped just before trial. No explanation given. But the evidence shows a pattern the jury never saw.
Simon said doctors told Erin he’d likely die without surgery. She had medical power of attorney as his wife. The court heard all this in October 2024, but it was kept from the jury.
The Media Frenzy
The trial was called Australia’s “trial of the century” by The Spectator. Media coverage was mental. CNN, BBC, everyone covered it. The small town of Morwell was overrun with journalists.
Erin Patterson’s podcast series popped up everywhere. Nine Entertainment did “The Mushroom Trial: Say Grace”. The Herald Sun ran “The Mushroom Cook: The Trial”. ABC did daily coverage.
Stan released a three-part documentary called “Revealed: Death Cap Murders” in September and December 2025. Parts two and three premiered on December 7. The series paints Patterson as a lonely person who craved community and would “stop at nothing” to get what she wanted.
Erin Patterson, Netflix isn’t happening, but ABC’s making a drama series called “Toxic” written by Elise McCredie. It’ll follow the investigation and trial from different perspectives.
Channel 9 aired “Murder by Mushroom” in July, featuring an FBI-trained profiler analysis. Erin Patterson’s interview footage appeared in Sam Cucchiara’s documentary work, though Patterson gave limited media access.
Writers are circling too. Multiple Erin Patterson book projects are in development, though nothing’s been published yet as of December 2025.
The Appeal
Patterson’s appeal claims the jury stayed in the same hotel as police and prosecutors during deliberations. Her lawyers say this “fatally compromised the integrity of the verdicts.” They also reckon the cross-examination was unfair.
She’s requested not to physically appear in court if there’s an oral hearing. Given the media attention, you can understand why.
But honestly, the appeal faces an uphill battle. The evidence was overwhelming. The jury deliberated for nearly seven days. Justice Beale’s sentencing was thorough.
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What Happens Now
Patterson won’t be eligible for parole until at least 2058. She’ll be 84 years old. That’s assuming the appeal fails and prosecutors don’t also prevail in increasing her sentence.
Ian Wilkinson, the only one to survive, spoke after sentencing. His wife of 44 years died, and he still has health problems. The grief does not vanish just because someone has been convicted.
The case transformed how Australians think about foraging. Death cap mushrooms grow naturally in the wild in some areas of Victoria. They appear much like edible mushrooms. Public awareness about the risks associated with them has been higher in the wake of the Patterson case.
All the books, documentaries and TV series on Patterson are ‘in the pipeline,’ Justice Beale said. He was right. And the media machine does not seem to be slowing.
Erin Patterson will be among Australia’s most notorious killers for decades to come. Whether she shows remorse or keeps insisting on her innocence, the fact remains: three people died after dining at her table. Now she’s paying the price in prison.
The case is not, repeat not, closed with the pending appeals. But for the average viewer at home, the verdict was loud enough. You don’t accidentally put death cap mushrooms in three plates of beef Wellington whilst leaving your own portion clean. That’s just not how accidents work.
