Daughter of woman who ‘cooked poisonous mushroom lunch’ shares what her mum said before meal that killed three

A little girl has spoken about the day her mother is said to have served a lunch that poisoned four people. She was just nine years old when it happened, and her words were recorded in a police interview, which is now being shared in court.

Her mother, Erin Patterson, is from Leongatha, a town in Victoria, Australia. In July 2023, she invited four people over for a home-cooked lunch. These people were her former parents-in-law, Gail and Don Patterson, both aged 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, who was 66, along with Heather’s husband, Reverend Ian Wilkinson, aged 68.

Erin made beef wellington for the meal. After eating it, all of them became seriously ill. Sadly, Gail, Don, and Heather died a few days later. Reverend Ian was also very sick, but he survived. Erin, however, is saying she did nothing wrong and has pleaded not guilty to the charges of three murders and one attempted murder.

Her daughter remembered that her mum asked her to leave the room before the meal was served. Erin told her daughter that the adults were going to talk about serious things and that she should go to the movies instead. The girl didn’t see the adults eat the food because she wasn’t in the room. Later, she recalled that they ate some of the leftovers at home, including bits of steak, mashed potatoes, and beans.

The girl also mentioned that her mum began to feel unwell, but she couldn’t remember exactly when it started — maybe the next day. This adds to the mystery, since people are now asking why only the guests fell sick so badly and not Erin or her daughter.

A doctor at the local hospital, Dr. Chris Webster, spoke about seeing Erin at the hospital where the sick guests were taken. He said he told her that the patients might have been poisoned by death cap mushrooms, which are known to be extremely dangerous and can kill people if eaten.

He said Erin didn’t stay at the hospital for long after hearing this. He found it strange because if your loved ones were poisoned, most people would stay close to them. He later tried to call her but couldn’t reach her, so he contacted the police.

Another detail revealed in court was that Erin may have used a different coloured plate from the guests during the meal. The prosecutor said that while Heather and Ian ate all their food, Gail and Don shared their portion, and Erin ate separately. This has led people to wonder whether the plates had something to do with who got sick and who didn’t.

The whole case has shocked people across Australia and beyond. Many are asking how such a thing could happen, and whether it really was an accident or something more serious. The court is still going through the facts, and more information is expected to come out as the case continues.