Mushroom Murders: Estranged Husband Feared Poisoning Before Fatal Meal, New Evidence Reveals

Melbourne, Australia — In a significant development in the high-profile Australian mushroom murder case, new pre-trial evidence has revealed that Erin Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon Patterson, suspected she had been attempting to poison him over a year before the fatal meal that killed three people.

A judge on Friday, August 8, lifted a gag order, making public crucial testimony from Simon Patterson that was not presented to jurors during his ex-wife’s trial. Simon testified that he declined the deadly July 2023 lunch invitation, fearing his wife would poison him if he attended. He recounted a history of suspicious illnesses, including one instance where he fell into a coma and required life-saving surgery after eating a meal prepared by Erin.

Erin Patterson was convicted last month by a Victoria state Supreme Court of murdering her parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, with a beef Wellington containing death cap mushrooms. She was also found guilty of attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband, who survived.

The newly revealed evidence includes Simon’s detailed account of previous alleged poisonings between November 2021 and September 2022, prompting him to keep a spreadsheet of his meals and symptoms. Prosecutors had dropped charges related to these alleged attempts before her trial.

Erin Patterson faces a sentencing hearing beginning on August 25, where she could receive a life sentence for each murder conviction and 25 years for attempted murder. The public release of this previously suppressed evidence adds a new dimension to a case that has gripped Australia.

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