Murray Olds: Australian correspondent on the latest with the Erin Patterson murder trial

An Australian court has been shown a supermarket bill that allegedly led to a fatal mushroom lunch.

Erin Patterson's accused of killing three former in-laws by serving them a meal allegedly laced with death cap mushrooms in July 2023.

The trial has been running for five weeks.

Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the trial is still ongoing.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Murray Old's Ossie correspondents with us. Nowheymas, hey here, they're
gonna afternoon. What's happened in the mushroom Cook trial today? Well,
the last prosecution witness is still in the court, Erin Patterson,
of course, the Victorian bum accused of three counts of
murdering family members by preparing a lunch using death cap mushrooms.

(00:21):
Now Mss Patterson's in laws died along with the sister
of her mother in law after she served them lunch
late July twenty twenty three. And as I say, the finalist,
I mean, it's into the fifth week now this trial
down in Victoria. And the thing I've found really fascinating
is we're being taken behind the police investigation into this.

(00:43):
The evidence from the chief homicide officer who's investigated the case.
He was the fellow who interviewed Miss Patterson for the
first time. Now her barrister has been taking us inside
this investigation. They've been unlocking mobile telephones for retrieving data
and messengers on family threads. A many websites that relate
to the location of death cap mushrooms found in Victoria.

(01:06):
Online searches we understand carried out by Aaron Patterson books
that she bought, recipe books and the like. This is
day twenty two of the trial. She has of course
denied all charges. Now the big question for me this
afternoon is will her defense council, who's been conducting the
interrogation of the policeman for the last couple of three days,

(01:28):
will her defense council call Mss Patterson to give evidence.
So that's going to be the next fascinating chapter, I suggest, Yeah,
I imagine. So, hey, what is this business with this
thirty year old missing person case? Well, a cold case
and a big reward, and it looks like there's been well,
there has been a breakthrough a couple of hours ago,
well late this morning, and arrest was made. This concerns

(01:51):
a forty nine year old woman last seen thirty years
ago December nineteen ninety three, down in Willongong, south of Sydney.
Now Inquiries Cold Case Inquiries decided to reopen this case
last year. At the same time there was a half
million dollar reward offered for information into the disappearance of

(02:12):
this woman and presumed murder of this woman all those
years ago. Now, a sixty four year old man is
in custody. Police confirming the reward has led to the
possible breakthrough in the case. Some clothing heather was recovered
last year, months after this reward was offered. And as
I say this fellow, now in custody, we're going to
find out more of the next day or three. Interesting Hey, listeners,

(02:33):
have we still not got figured out what on earth
is going in Bradfield? This is amazing. This is a
rock solid Liberal electorate in Sydney's North. The election, as
we all know, May the third. They're still counting. Incredibly,
there's about one hundred and twelve thousand people who cast
a ballot in Bradfield on that election day. Would you

(02:54):
believe the margin in the recount is a single vote.
This is a total vote tally of one hundred and
twelve thousand. The Australian Electric Commission ordered the recount four
days ago automatically. This happens when there's a margin of
fewer than one hundred votes. Now the Liberal candidate isn't

(03:15):
front by one single vote. She was eight in front
when the first bullets were counted. Again this week, and
here's the thing. Never she's already been confirmed as a
member of Susan Lee's shadow cabinet. Now, if she doesn't
get up, I'm not sure what's going to happen down
in Canberra. But her name is Giselle Capterian, very well

(03:37):
credentialed Liberal candidate. As I say, one vote in it.
This recount's going to go on for some time. They
count every primary vote, every preference vote, they count all
the informals and finally, not sure when, don't even ask me,
not sure when we're going to come to a final decision.
But the margin could not be tightle to right. Hey, Mars,
thanks very much appreciated. Murray Olds earlier correspond For more

(04:01):
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