Who is Erin Patterson?
ERIN PATTERSON found herself at the centre of a mystery after three of her relatives died following a meal at her house.
The woman, from Australia, was the only one of the five diners who did not fall ill after eating the food she served.
Who is Erin Patterson?
Erin Patterson is a 48-year-old mother of two who cooked a poisonous mushroom lunch that killed three members of her extended family.
She lives in Leongatha in Victoria’s South Gippsland region in Australia, an area known for it beaches, lakes, mountains and vineyards.
Who is Erin Patterson’s ex-partner?
Erin’s estranged husband, and father of her two children, is a man called Simon Patterson.
He is believed to be an U16 boys basketball coach.
Simon was invited to to join his parents for lunch at Erin’s house, the former family home, on July 29, 2023.
It was been reported that he pulled out of the fatal meal at short notice.
A friend of Simon’s told Daily Mail Australia: “Simon was supposed to go to the lunch but couldn’t make it at the last minute.”
According to neighbours of Simon’s parents, he had lived with his mum and dad after splitting from Erin.
They added that he moved out of his parent’s house in late 2022.
In May 2022 Simon suffered a mystery illness after collapsing and was placed into an induced coma.
Simon detailed his ordeal in a social media post, writing: “I collapsed at home, then was in an induced coma for 16 days through which I had three emergency operations mainly on my small intestine, plus an additional planned operation.
“My family were asked to come and say goodbye to me twice, as I was not expected to live.
“I was in intensive care for 21 days…”
Who died after eating the mushrooms?
Gail and Don Patterson, Simon’s parents and Erin’s former in-laws, as well as Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson died after eating at Erin’s house.
Heather’s husband Ian, a pastor, is still alive at the time of writing.
He is in a critical condition in hospital and is awaiting a liver transplant.
The guests became violently ill after eating the meal Erin had prepare for them, which allegedly had poisonous mushrooms in it.
Gail and her husband Don were both 70 when they died, while Heather was 66.
Erin is a suspect in the case, homicide detectives have confirmed.
Detectives searched her house on August 5 and questioned her over the deaths, after which she was released pending further inquiries.
It is still not known whether she ate the same meal as her guests but police have confirmed her two children did not eat the food.
Dean Thomas, Victoria Police Detective Inspector for the Homicide Squad, has confirmed that the investigations into the deaths are not necessarily being treated as suspicious.
He did say, however, that they are “unexplained”.
Thomas added that the symptoms presented by the victims are linked to death cap mushrooms and that they are working with medical experts and toxicologists to get to the bottom of the case.
What has Erin Patterson said?
Erin has spoken out about the situation, denying any wrongdoing on her part.
She spoke to a local news station in front of her house on August 7, saying she was “devastated” over the deaths.
She said: “I loved them and I’m devastated that they’re gone.
“Gail was like the mum I didn’t have because my mum passed away four years ago and Gail had never been anything but good and kind to me.
“Ian and Heather were some of the best people I’d ever met. They never did anything wrong to me.”
Erin did not say where the mushrooms came from or what meal she had made for her guests.