Timeline of mushroom murder case as Erin Patterson found guilty

Erin Patterson has been found guilty of a triple murder and an attempted murder at Victoria Supreme Court in Australia.

Patterson, 50, served a beef wellington meal laced with death cap mushrooms to her four victims on 29 July 2023. Of the four, only Reverend Ian Wilkinson survived the poisoning after recovering in hospital for around six weeks.

Don Patterson, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson all died after eating the poisoned meal.

Erin Patterson, 50, is awaiting sentencing

Patterson had pleased not guilty, claiming that including death cap mushrooms in the meal had been unintentional. She claimed to have picked the mushrooms during a foraging expedition.

She was found guilty by a unanimous jury decision on 7 July 2025 after seven days of deliberations following a nine-week trial.

Timeline of the case

• Two weeks before the fatal lunch took place on 29 July 2023, Patterson invited her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, to the lunch along with his parents Don and Gail, Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, and Wilkinson’s husband Reverend Ian Wilkinson.
• In the 24 hours preceding the planned lunch, Simon Patterson said he wouldn’t be attending as he was ‘too uncomfortable’ with the idea following a period of tensions and estrangement from wife Erin.
• On 29 July 2023, the four remaining guests attended the lunch at Patterson’s home. Patterson also ate the meal. Everyone in attendance reported feeling unwell.
• On 30 July 2023, all four of Patterson’s guests were admitted to hospital with severe nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
• On 1 and 2 August 2023, all four of Patterson’s guests were placed on life support as they suffered multiple organ failure. Erin Patterson was discharged from hospital and soon left a dehydrator she had used to dry wild mushrooms at a local dump.
• On 4 and 5 August 2023, Don Patterson, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson all died from the poisoning. During this time, police recovered the abandoned dehydrator from the dump.
• On 22 September 2023, Reverend Ian Wilkinson was discharged from hospital. He had been placed in an induced coma during his recovery.
• On 2 November 2023, Patterson was charged with three counts of murder and one of attempted murder.

The remains of the fatal beef wellington laced with death cap mushrooms (Victoria Supreme Court)

What happens next?

Patterson has 28 days to appeal against her conviction following her sentencing. The date for her sentencing has not yet been set.

She claims not to have intentionally harmed the victims and that she had no reason to do so.

Prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC told the jury in April: "You might be wondering, 'What is the motive?'

"You might still be wondering this at the end of this trial.”

She continued: "You do not have to be satisfied what the motive was, or even that there was one".

Regardless, she said there should be ‘no difficulty’ in rejecting Patterson’s claims that her crimes were the result of a ‘horrible foraging accident’.

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