July 30, 2025 • 31 mins
A family lunch ends in tragedy when a homemade beef wellington serves up more than just a gourmet meal. Three dead, one critically ill, and a small Australian town left reeling in shock.
Dive deep into the case of Erin Patterson, whose 2023 lunch invitation to her former in-laws turned deadly when death cap mushrooms made their way into her beef wellington. The quiet town of Leongata, Victoria became the epicenter of one of Australia's most disturbing criminal cases as Don and Gail Patterson, along with Heather Wilkinson, lost their lives, while Heather's husband Ian barely survived after an emergency liver transplant.
The disturbing details emerge through survivor testimony, forensic evidence, and Erin's own contradictory statements. Why would a former air traffic controller with no prior violent history target her children's grandparents? What pushed family tensions to such a deadly breaking point? And most hauntingly, how did she expect to get away with it?
Join us as we examine the evidence, trace the investigation's key turning points, and analyze the trial that ultimately found Erin Patterson guilty on all counts. This case serves as a stark reminder that sometimes the most dangerous threats come from those closest to us, disguised as an invitation to break bread together.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to Clue Trail , where true stories unravel one
step at a time, from crimes andcolds to survival stories and
the downright strange.
We follow the twists that leadto the truth.
If you're enjoying the show,check out Patreon for bonus
(00:30):
episodes and early access.
Just search Clue Trail or hitthe link in the show notes.
And don't forget to follow,rate or review the podcast.
It helps more curious mindsfind us.
Now let's dive into today's case.
In a quiet corner in Victoria,australia, a family lunch ended
(01:17):
in tragedy when a homemade beefwellington resulted in three
deaths, one critical illness anda wave of national attention.
Now, after months ofinvestigation, forensic analysis
and courtroom proceedings, averdict has been reached.
(01:40):
Erin Paterson, the formerdaughter-in-law to the victims,
has been found guilty of murder.
But how did it come to this?
What event led to a familygathering turning into one of
Australia's most unsettlingcriminal cases?
(02:02):
This is the Erin Patterson case.
It all began on a quiet Saturdayafternoon in July 2023, in the
(02:28):
small town of Leongata, victoria.
That day, erin Pattersoninvited her former in-laws, don
and Gail Patterson, over forlunch.
Joining them were Gail's sister, heather Wilkinson, and
Heather's husband, ian.
This lunch wasn't intended as acelebration.
(02:51):
In the days leading up to it.
Erin has told her ex-husband,simon Patterson, that she had
found a lump and had receivedsome bad news.
She had found a lump and hadreceived some bad news.
According to Erin, she wantedto gather everyone, don and Gail
along with Heather and Ian, todiscuss how they would break the
(03:21):
news to the children.
Simon, while reportedlysaddened by what she told him,
declined the invitation giventhe recent strain in their
relationship.
He said it would be awkward toattend.
But the others still agreed togo.
The meal Aaron served that daywas beef wellington, a dish
(03:45):
traditionally made with beeftenderloin, mushroom duxelles
and puff pastry.
But Erin didn't prepare thedish in the traditional way.
Instead of making one largewellington to slice and serve,
she made individual portions toslice and serve.
(04:06):
She made individual portions.
She later explained that thiswas because she couldn't find
beef tenderloin, so she usedribeye steaks instead.
That detail specifically theseparate servings would later
become a point of interest inthe investigation.
A point of interest in theinvestigation.
After lunch, the four guestsreturned home, but within hours
(04:29):
they were struck by severegastrointestinal symptoms
vomiting, diarrhea and rapiddehydration.
Their condition deterioratedquickly, progressing to liver
failure.
Don and Gail Patterson diedwithin days.
Heather Wilkinson passed awaysoon after and her husband, ian,
(04:57):
was rushed to intensive careand only survived after
undergoing an emergency livertransplant.
And Erin Patterson, the one whohad prepared and served the
meal, showed no symptoms at all.
The cause of death confirmed bythe toxicology tests amatoxin
(05:20):
poisoning, the deadly toxinfound in the dead cap mushrooms.
To understand how we got hereto a lunch that left three
(05:42):
people dead and one fighting forhis life for seven weeks, we
need to understand the woman atthe centre of it all.
So who was the mastermindbehind this horrific poisoning?
Erin Patterson was born on 30thof September 1974 and raised in
(06:05):
a suburb southeast of Melbourne.
She was bright and driven,performing well academically and
earning a place in a scienceprogram at the University of
Melbourne.
She later switched toaccounting and eventually
trained as an air trafficcontroller, graduating in 2001.
(06:25):
This alone was an impressiveachievement, given the intense
pressure and responsibility thatcomes with that role.
Erin held a range of jobs overthe years, including time with
Air Services Australia and laterthe RSPCA, working in animal
management, and later the RSPCAworking in animal management.
(06:48):
In 2004, she met SimonPatterson, an engineer at the
Monash City Council.
From the get-go, they hit itoff and began dating In 2006,.
Following her grandmother'spassing, erin inherited two
million dollars.
She and Simon married the nextyear and moved to Western
(07:10):
Australia, living in severaltowns while Erin ran a
second-hand bookshop and Simonworked in a local government.
Their first child was bornduring this time and Erin
remained close with Simon'sparents, don and Gail.
By all accounts, everythingbetween Erin and her in-laws was
(07:31):
fine.
Erin even decided to helpSimon's siblings financially,
offering them interest-freeloans to purchase their homes.
Her only ask was that theseloans would be paid with
inflation and before theirsecond child arrived.
The whole family returned toVictoria to be closer to Don and
(07:55):
Gail.
Erin especially bonded with Donover books and connected with
Heather and Ian through thelocal Baptist church where Ian
preached.
But despite what seems like aquiet life with family support
and structure, the marriagebegan to deteriorate.
(08:15):
Simon and Erin separatedmultiple times before finally
calling it quits in 2015.
Although separated, theyremained amicable and
co-parented children even wenton holidays as a family.
But that changed in 2022.
And it started from a simplemistake when Simon filed a tax
(08:40):
return that listed him as single.
As a result, erin losteligibility for certain
government support and shebecame furious, which, in this
context and this being the onlything she asked of him
understandable.
Simon said it was a mistake byhis accountant and he will fix
(09:04):
this straight away.
But either way, the damage wasdone.
Their relationship souredquickly.
Battles for child support beganand slowly Erin grew distant
from the entire Patterson family.
By 2023, the relationship wason the rocks, and after she was
reportedly snubbed afterreceiving a last-minute
(09:26):
invitation to Gil's Patterson's70th birthday celebration, the
damage was irreversible.
Erin now felt like an outsiderand the people who she
considered family were no longerin her good graces.
Family were no longer in hergood graces.
(09:50):
She started venting online,posting critical messages about
Simon and her in-laws, and, justlike this, what was once a warm
relationship now turned cold.
(10:11):
While investigators were tryingto determine what happened at
that lunch table that led tothree people dying, another clue
unfolded for them theydiscovered that a year earlier,
in 2022,.
Simon was rushed to thehospital with a sudden
life-threatening illness.
(10:32):
He had collapsed at home andwas placed in intensive care,
and for weeks he fought for hislife.
His liver was failing andslowly his body was shutting
down.
And this wasn't the first timeSimon fell ill His old friends.
He had fallen ill on multipleoccasions, including after meals
(10:56):
Erin had prepared or drinks shehad given him.
And although authorities wereinitially cautious in their
public statements, even going sofar as to say in the days
following the fatal lunge thatAaron Patterson was not a
suspect, it was a long untilthey uncovered the extent of
(11:20):
this web of lies and possiblyone of the most unsettling
murder cases.
And things began to escalatequickly after a doctor at the
hospital contacted police, whichshifted the case from concern
to suspicion.
Initially, the call focused onErin Patterson's well-being.
(11:43):
She had presented at thehospital complaining of gastric
symptoms and requesting an IVfor dehydration, but she chose
to leave against medical advice.
What raised even more questionswas that Erin, unlike the
others, showed no signs ofpoisoning.
(12:06):
Actually, she seemed determinedto avoid any further
examination.
The turning point came when thedoctor asked her where the
mushrooms had come from and whoelse has eaten that meal.
Erin didn't really have anygood answer, claiming her
(12:29):
children are fine, althougheating leftovers, with the
mushroom paste removed and soonafter she left the hospital.
So, given the severity of theincident and the potential risk
to public safety, a fullinvestigation was launched.
(12:50):
Police started by searchingErin's home and collected any
items linked to the lunch.
They conducted interviews,gathered CCTV footage and worked
to build a clear timeline ofevents, not only to determine
what happened but to assesswhether there was any broader
(13:10):
threat to the community.
You can imagine the panic ifsupermarkets were selling
poisonous mushrooms.
As for Erin's explanation toall this, it was simple.
She told police she had used apack of dried mushrooms bought
from an Asian grocery storemonths earlier to make the
(13:33):
mushroom paste for theWellington.
And despite being askedmultiple times where exactly she
had purchased the mushroomseven just the name of the street
or any detail that could helptrace the source or any detail
that could help trace the sourceErin avoided giving any clear
answer.
(13:53):
She delayed returning calls,she said she was busy and
generally remained vague.
All this taken together Simon'sunexplained illnesses, the fact
that Erin and the childrenremain unaffected by the meal,
her reluctance to providedetails about the source of the
(14:16):
mushrooms.
The growing tensions with thefamily and the discovery of a
discarded food dehydratorcontaining traces of the toxin
left investigators with oneconclusion Erin Patterson had
knowingly served this poisonmeal and by 2nd of November the
(14:39):
same year, they had gatheredenough evidence.
Erin Patterson was arrested ather home and formally charged
with three counts of murder andfive counts of attempted murder.
After her arrest, erinPatterson was taken to Wontagi
(14:59):
police station and then latershe was detained at a maximum
security prison in Melbourne.
At that stage, her lawyer saidlittle to the press and Erin
remained largely silent duringproceedings, offering no plea.
The case was then adjourned toallow police to complete the
full brief of evidence, whichincluded forensic results,
(15:22):
toxicology reports, electronicrecords and dozens of witness
statements.
Throughout early 2024, erinappeared in court multiple times
(15:57):
and each time the prosecutionoutlined plead not guilty to all
charges and a trial date was29th of April 2025.
(16:24):
The prosecution openingstatement was straight to the
point.
Erin Patterson was manipulative.
She had lied about havingserious illness, even claiming
to have cancer, and used thoselies to shape how others saw her
and to explain away suspiciousbehavior.
(16:45):
Erin Patterson had deliberatelyserved a meal laced with death
cap mushrooms, knowing exactlywhat he would do.
Rather than focusing on motive,the prosecution urged the
jurors to look at the evidence,at the actions, and to follow
(17:06):
the pattern.
They believed pointed clearlyto premeditated poisoning.
The defense argued that thiswas a tragic accident, not
murder, they believed pointedclearly to premeditated
poisoning.
The defense argued that thiswas a tragic accident, not
murder.
Erin, they said, had no ideathe mushrooms were toxic and had
no reason to harm her guests.
She had used the driedmushrooms bought from an Asian
(17:29):
grocery store and prepared whatshe believed was a normal family
meal.
They acknowledgedinconsistencies in her story but
attributed them to shock andconfusion, not guilt.
They also pointed out no clearmotive.
Erin gained nothing from thedeaths and had no history of
(17:51):
violence or malice towards herformer in-laws.
With this opening statementdelivered, trial began.
Let's go over the evidence andwitness testimonies the
prosecution presented to supporttheir case against Erin
Patterson.
Firstly, there was the fooddehydratedrator which police
(18:12):
recovered from a nearby landfill, the exact same one that Aaron
had denied owning.
Forensic testing found tracesof amatoxins, along with Aaron's
fingerprints, and CCTV footageconfirmed that Erin had disposed
of the dehydrator just daysafter the launch.
(18:35):
She later told the police shepanicked and wanted to get rid
of it.
Then the prosecution showedthat Erin had posted photos of
the dehydrator and the driedmushrooms on social media before
the incident.
This contradicted her earlierclaims that she didn't own or
(18:58):
use the dehydrator.
Evidence was also presentedthat Erin had made two trips in
April 2023 to rural areas nearLoch and Autrim.
These locations have beenreported to have few habitats
for dead cap mushrooms.
The prosecution suggested thiswas when she may have gathered
(19:21):
the toxic mushrooms used in themill.
Then there was the testimony ofIan Wilkinson, the only
surviving guest from the lunch.
He told the court thatdifferent coloured plates were
used to serve the meal.
Erin had used four dark platesand one orange plate.
(19:43):
It was actually HeatherWilkinson, his wife, who first
noticed the difference.
His wife who first noticed thedifference, according to Simon
Patterson, as he was drivingHeather to the hospital.
She asked him whether Aaronowned Miss Mash Crockery.
(20:05):
Then, in what would be one ofher final lucid moments before
passing away, heather raised thequestion again why had Erin
eaten from a different coloredplate?
The prosecution pointed to thisdetail as further evidence of
premeditation, suggesting thatErin may have deliberately
served the contaminated food toher guests while avoiding it
(20:30):
herself.
And although Erin claimed tohave also felt sick that day,
medical staff noted she showedno physical symptoms when she
arrived at the hospital.
She actually left withouttreatment and gave no clear
explanation for her condition,which the prosecution viewed as
(20:52):
an attempt to appear uninvolved.
They also introduced evidencethat Erin's ex-husband, simon,
had fallen severely ill in 2022.
He was hospitalized with liverfailure and required intensive
care, and he had reportedlyfallen sick several times after
(21:13):
consuming food or drink providedby Erin.
These incidents were onlyincluded to support a pattern of
suspected poisoning.
Also, they pointed out thatthroughout the investigation,
erin gave inconsistent accountsof where she got the mushrooms.
Despite repeated requests, shefailed to provide the name of
(21:36):
the store or even a location.
This was described as evasivebehavior.
And lastly, prosecutors saidthat Erin kept her children from
attending the lunch.
They suggested this wasintentional to prevent them from
being exposed to thecontaminated food.
(22:01):
The prosecution argued that allthis evidence pointed to a clear
conclusion that Erin Pattersonhad prepared and served the
mushroom dish knowingly withmurderous intent.
In response, the defensechallenged the prosecution's
claim and presented their owninterpretations of the event.
(22:23):
Here's how they countered thekey pieces of evidence.
They first tackled the sourceof mushrooms.
Erin Patterson maintained thatshe had purchased dried
mushrooms from an Asian grocerystore and although she couldn't
remember the store, the defenseargued that she had no way of
(22:45):
knowing they were toxic and thatthe mushrooms must have
actually been contaminatedunintentionally.
One of the central pillars ofthe defense's case was the
absence of a clear motive.
They stressed that Erin had nofinancial or personal gain from
(23:05):
the deaths and that herrelationship with the victims,
although strained, had neverbeen violent or threatening.
The defense reminded the jurythat motive was not proven and
that personal conflict alone isnot equal to intent to kill.
Then they talked about Erindeclining medical treatment.
(23:30):
On this, they claimed that Erinhad told the police and Simon
that she felt unwell after themeal.
The defence argued that thisshowed she had no reason to
think the food was dangerous andno motive to avoid eating it
herself.
They suggested her refusal oftreatment was based on her
(23:51):
symptoms being mild, not part ofa plan to feign illness.
Being mild, not part of a planto feign illness.
When talking about the fooddehydrator, this was placed only
on Erin panicking, a simpleemotional response in the
aftermath of this tragedy.
The plates Many people owneddifferent plate sets, no
(24:13):
forensic evidence showed whichplate had the toxin, and Erin
herself denied serving differentmeals.
The defence also acknowledgedSimon's previous health scare
but insisted there was no solidproof connecting Erin to his
symptoms.
And lastly, they admitted shemay have seemed evasive at times
(24:40):
but argued that this was due toshock, grief and a fear of
being blamed, not a sign ofguilt.
They said her inconsistentanswers reflected stress, not a
calculated cover-up.
So this was prettystraightforward so far as a
(25:00):
trial like this would go.
But then Aaron made a decisionthat surprised many.
You see, in a case of thisnature it's not common for the
accused to testify, but AaronPatterson chose to take the
stand in the hopes that thiswould show openness, remorse and
(25:21):
of course, credibility with thejury.
During her testimony, erinrepeated her version of events
that the mushrooms had beenbought from an Asian supermarket
months earlier and that she hadused them unknowingly in the
beef Wellington.
She said she had no idea themushrooms were dangerous and
(25:45):
insisted she would never harmher former in-laws.
She considered them family.
Once more, she claimed that shetoo fell unwell after the meal
and although she didn't seektreatment beyond showing up at
the hospital and leaving shortlyafter, she maintained that her
(26:05):
symptoms were genuine, just notas severe.
And the reason for her lesssevere symptoms?
After lunch she indulged to afull orange cake that Heather
has brought over, and she hadmade herself sick and thrown up.
One of the most revealingmoments of Erin's testimony came
(26:27):
when she addressed her falsecancer claim, the lie central to
why the lunch was organized inthe first place.
Erin admitted she had told herfamily she believed she might
have ovarian cancer, but sheinsisted she was covering for
something else.
She was embarrassed aboutmaking plans for weight loss
(26:51):
surgery, specifically a gastricbypass, and didn't want to
reveal her insecurities.
She said she believed shebooked a pre-surgery appointment
for the procedure at Melbourneand Ridge Clinic.
However, things really took aturn when prosecutors confronted
(27:12):
her about the fact that theclinic had no records of
treating her or even offeringgastric bypass surgery at all.
Erin's response to this?
She acknowledged she might havebeen confused about the
procedure, even though she hadreferenced a specific
(27:32):
appointment date previously.
Of course, the prosecutionimmediately highlighted this
discrepancy as evidence of herdeception to the jury.
It basically raised even moredoubts about her credibility.
Finally, after 11 weeks oftestimonies, forensic evidence
(27:55):
and dozens of witness statements, the trial drew to a close with
both sides delivering theirfinal arguments.
The prosecution closed byurging the jury to focus on the
facts the deliberate plating,the discarded dehydrator, the
evasive answers and AaronPatterson's proven lies.
Answers and Aaron Patterson'sproven lies.
(28:20):
This was not an accident but acalculated act carried out with
full knowledge of what dead capmushrooms could do.
They reminded the jury thatthree people had died, a fourth
had nearly followed and the onlyperson untouched by the meal
was the one who prepared it.
The defense, in their closingstatement, asked the jury to
(28:43):
consider the possibility ofhuman error.
They said Erin was not amurderer but a woman overwhelmed
by panic and grief.
They argued that prosecutionhad built a case on assumptions
and circumstantial connectionsno hard proof of intent.
They asked for reasonable doubtand urged the jury not to
(29:07):
mistake inconsistency for guilt,and after five days of
deliberation, the jury returnedwith an unanimous verdict.
Erin Patterson was found guiltyon all three counts of murder
and five counts of attemptedmurder.
She remains in custody and isawaiting formal sentencing, with
(29:31):
a non-parole period to bedetermined at a future hearing.
This case shocked the world,taking grandparents, parents and
(29:52):
beloved members of thecommunity far too soon.
It raised painful questionsabout family trust and how
something as ordinary as ashared meal could lead to such
devastating loss.
This was the case of AaronPatterson.
(30:12):
Thanks for listening to ClueTrail.
We'll be back soon with anotherstory and another path to
follow.
Until next time, stay curiousand stay safe.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Thank you, you.
Welcome to Clue Trail , where true stories unravel one
step at a time, from crimes andcolds to survival stories and
the downright strange.
We follow the twists that leadto the truth.
If you're enjoying the show,check out Patreon for bonus
(00:30):
episodes and early access.
Just search Clue Trail or hitthe link in the show notes.
And don't forget to follow,rate or review the podcast.
It helps more curious mindsfind us.
Now let's dive into today's case.
In a quiet corner in Victoria,australia, a family lunch ended
(01:17):
in tragedy when a homemade beefwellington resulted in three
deaths, one critical illness anda wave of national attention.
Now, after months ofinvestigation, forensic analysis
and courtroom proceedings, averdict has been reached.
(01:40):
Erin Paterson, the formerdaughter-in-law to the victims,
has been found guilty of murder.
But how did it come to this?
What event led to a familygathering turning into one of
Australia's most unsettlingcriminal cases?
(02:02):
This is the Erin Patterson case.
It all began on a quiet Saturdayafternoon in July 2023, in the
(02:28):
small town of Leongata, victoria.
That day, erin Pattersoninvited her former in-laws, don
and Gail Patterson, over forlunch.
Joining them were Gail's sister, heather Wilkinson, and
Heather's husband, ian.
This lunch wasn't intended as acelebration.
(02:51):
In the days leading up to it.
Erin has told her ex-husband,simon Patterson, that she had
found a lump and had receivedsome bad news.
She had found a lump and hadreceived some bad news.
According to Erin, she wantedto gather everyone, don and Gail
along with Heather and Ian, todiscuss how they would break the
(03:21):
news to the children.
Simon, while reportedlysaddened by what she told him,
declined the invitation giventhe recent strain in their
relationship.
He said it would be awkward toattend.
But the others still agreed togo.
The meal Aaron served that daywas beef wellington, a dish
(03:45):
traditionally made with beeftenderloin, mushroom duxelles
and puff pastry.
But Erin didn't prepare thedish in the traditional way.
Instead of making one largewellington to slice and serve,
she made individual portions toslice and serve.
(04:06):
She made individual portions.
She later explained that thiswas because she couldn't find
beef tenderloin, so she usedribeye steaks instead.
That detail specifically theseparate servings would later
become a point of interest inthe investigation.
A point of interest in theinvestigation.
After lunch, the four guestsreturned home, but within hours
(04:29):
they were struck by severegastrointestinal symptoms
vomiting, diarrhea and rapiddehydration.
Their condition deterioratedquickly, progressing to liver
failure.
Don and Gail Patterson diedwithin days.
Heather Wilkinson passed awaysoon after and her husband, ian,
(04:57):
was rushed to intensive careand only survived after
undergoing an emergency livertransplant.
And Erin Patterson, the one whohad prepared and served the
meal, showed no symptoms at all.
The cause of death confirmed bythe toxicology tests amatoxin
(05:20):
poisoning, the deadly toxinfound in the dead cap mushrooms.
To understand how we got hereto a lunch that left three
(05:42):
people dead and one fighting forhis life for seven weeks, we
need to understand the woman atthe centre of it all.
So who was the mastermindbehind this horrific poisoning?
Erin Patterson was born on 30thof September 1974 and raised in
(06:05):
a suburb southeast of Melbourne.
She was bright and driven,performing well academically and
earning a place in a scienceprogram at the University of
Melbourne.
She later switched toaccounting and eventually
trained as an air trafficcontroller, graduating in 2001.
(06:25):
This alone was an impressiveachievement, given the intense
pressure and responsibility thatcomes with that role.
Erin held a range of jobs overthe years, including time with
Air Services Australia and laterthe RSPCA, working in animal
management, and later the RSPCAworking in animal management.
(06:48):
In 2004, she met SimonPatterson, an engineer at the
Monash City Council.
From the get-go, they hit itoff and began dating In 2006,.
Following her grandmother'spassing, erin inherited two
million dollars.
She and Simon married the nextyear and moved to Western
(07:10):
Australia, living in severaltowns while Erin ran a
second-hand bookshop and Simonworked in a local government.
Their first child was bornduring this time and Erin
remained close with Simon'sparents, don and Gail.
By all accounts, everythingbetween Erin and her in-laws was
(07:31):
fine.
Erin even decided to helpSimon's siblings financially,
offering them interest-freeloans to purchase their homes.
Her only ask was that theseloans would be paid with
inflation and before theirsecond child arrived.
The whole family returned toVictoria to be closer to Don and
(07:55):
Gail.
Erin especially bonded with Donover books and connected with
Heather and Ian through thelocal Baptist church where Ian
preached.
But despite what seems like aquiet life with family support
and structure, the marriagebegan to deteriorate.
(08:15):
Simon and Erin separatedmultiple times before finally
calling it quits in 2015.
Although separated, theyremained amicable and
co-parented children even wenton holidays as a family.
But that changed in 2022.
And it started from a simplemistake when Simon filed a tax
(08:40):
return that listed him as single.
As a result, erin losteligibility for certain
government support and shebecame furious, which, in this
context and this being the onlything she asked of him
understandable.
Simon said it was a mistake byhis accountant and he will fix
(09:04):
this straight away.
But either way, the damage wasdone.
Their relationship souredquickly.
Battles for child support beganand slowly Erin grew distant
from the entire Patterson family.
By 2023, the relationship wason the rocks, and after she was
reportedly snubbed afterreceiving a last-minute
(09:26):
invitation to Gil's Patterson's70th birthday celebration, the
damage was irreversible.
Erin now felt like an outsiderand the people who she
considered family were no longerin her good graces.
Family were no longer in hergood graces.
(09:50):
She started venting online,posting critical messages about
Simon and her in-laws, and, justlike this, what was once a warm
relationship now turned cold.
(10:11):
While investigators were tryingto determine what happened at
that lunch table that led tothree people dying, another clue
unfolded for them theydiscovered that a year earlier,
in 2022,.
Simon was rushed to thehospital with a sudden
life-threatening illness.
(10:32):
He had collapsed at home andwas placed in intensive care,
and for weeks he fought for hislife.
His liver was failing andslowly his body was shutting
down.
And this wasn't the first timeSimon fell ill His old friends.
He had fallen ill on multipleoccasions, including after meals
(10:56):
Erin had prepared or drinks shehad given him.
And although authorities wereinitially cautious in their
public statements, even going sofar as to say in the days
following the fatal lunge thatAaron Patterson was not a
suspect, it was a long untilthey uncovered the extent of
(11:20):
this web of lies and possiblyone of the most unsettling
murder cases.
And things began to escalatequickly after a doctor at the
hospital contacted police, whichshifted the case from concern
to suspicion.
Initially, the call focused onErin Patterson's well-being.
(11:43):
She had presented at thehospital complaining of gastric
symptoms and requesting an IVfor dehydration, but she chose
to leave against medical advice.
What raised even more questionswas that Erin, unlike the
others, showed no signs ofpoisoning.
(12:06):
Actually, she seemed determinedto avoid any further
examination.
The turning point came when thedoctor asked her where the
mushrooms had come from and whoelse has eaten that meal.
Erin didn't really have anygood answer, claiming her
(12:29):
children are fine, althougheating leftovers, with the
mushroom paste removed and soonafter she left the hospital.
So, given the severity of theincident and the potential risk
to public safety, a fullinvestigation was launched.
(12:50):
Police started by searchingErin's home and collected any
items linked to the lunch.
They conducted interviews,gathered CCTV footage and worked
to build a clear timeline ofevents, not only to determine
what happened but to assesswhether there was any broader
(13:10):
threat to the community.
You can imagine the panic ifsupermarkets were selling
poisonous mushrooms.
As for Erin's explanation toall this, it was simple.
She told police she had used apack of dried mushrooms bought
from an Asian grocery storemonths earlier to make the
(13:33):
mushroom paste for theWellington.
And despite being askedmultiple times where exactly she
had purchased the mushroomseven just the name of the street
or any detail that could helptrace the source or any detail
that could help trace the sourceErin avoided giving any clear
answer.
(13:53):
She delayed returning calls,she said she was busy and
generally remained vague.
All this taken together Simon'sunexplained illnesses, the fact
that Erin and the childrenremain unaffected by the meal,
her reluctance to providedetails about the source of the
(14:16):
mushrooms.
The growing tensions with thefamily and the discovery of a
discarded food dehydratorcontaining traces of the toxin
left investigators with oneconclusion Erin Patterson had
knowingly served this poisonmeal and by 2nd of November the
(14:39):
same year, they had gatheredenough evidence.
Erin Patterson was arrested ather home and formally charged
with three counts of murder andfive counts of attempted murder.
After her arrest, erinPatterson was taken to Wontagi
(14:59):
police station and then latershe was detained at a maximum
security prison in Melbourne.
At that stage, her lawyer saidlittle to the press and Erin
remained largely silent duringproceedings, offering no plea.
The case was then adjourned toallow police to complete the
full brief of evidence, whichincluded forensic results,
(15:22):
toxicology reports, electronicrecords and dozens of witness
statements.
Throughout early 2024, erinappeared in court multiple times
(15:57):
and each time the prosecutionoutlined plead not guilty to all
charges and a trial date was29th of April 2025.
(16:24):
The prosecution openingstatement was straight to the
point.
Erin Patterson was manipulative.
She had lied about havingserious illness, even claiming
to have cancer, and used thoselies to shape how others saw her
and to explain away suspiciousbehavior.
(16:45):
Erin Patterson had deliberatelyserved a meal laced with death
cap mushrooms, knowing exactlywhat he would do.
Rather than focusing on motive,the prosecution urged the
jurors to look at the evidence,at the actions, and to follow
(17:06):
the pattern.
They believed pointed clearlyto premeditated poisoning.
The defense argued that thiswas a tragic accident, not
murder, they believed pointedclearly to premeditated
poisoning.
The defense argued that thiswas a tragic accident, not
murder.
Erin, they said, had no ideathe mushrooms were toxic and had
no reason to harm her guests.
She had used the driedmushrooms bought from an Asian
(17:29):
grocery store and prepared whatshe believed was a normal family
meal.
They acknowledgedinconsistencies in her story but
attributed them to shock andconfusion, not guilt.
They also pointed out no clearmotive.
Erin gained nothing from thedeaths and had no history of
(17:51):
violence or malice towards herformer in-laws.
With this opening statementdelivered, trial began.
Let's go over the evidence andwitness testimonies the
prosecution presented to supporttheir case against Erin
Patterson.
Firstly, there was the fooddehydratedrator which police
(18:12):
recovered from a nearby landfill, the exact same one that Aaron
had denied owning.
Forensic testing found tracesof amatoxins, along with Aaron's
fingerprints, and CCTV footageconfirmed that Erin had disposed
of the dehydrator just daysafter the launch.
(18:35):
She later told the police shepanicked and wanted to get rid
of it.
Then the prosecution showedthat Erin had posted photos of
the dehydrator and the driedmushrooms on social media before
the incident.
This contradicted her earlierclaims that she didn't own or
(18:58):
use the dehydrator.
Evidence was also presentedthat Erin had made two trips in
April 2023 to rural areas nearLoch and Autrim.
These locations have beenreported to have few habitats
for dead cap mushrooms.
The prosecution suggested thiswas when she may have gathered
(19:21):
the toxic mushrooms used in themill.
Then there was the testimony ofIan Wilkinson, the only
surviving guest from the lunch.
He told the court thatdifferent coloured plates were
used to serve the meal.
Erin had used four dark platesand one orange plate.
(19:43):
It was actually HeatherWilkinson, his wife, who first
noticed the difference.
His wife who first noticed thedifference, according to Simon
Patterson, as he was drivingHeather to the hospital.
She asked him whether Aaronowned Miss Mash Crockery.
(20:05):
Then, in what would be one ofher final lucid moments before
passing away, heather raised thequestion again why had Erin
eaten from a different coloredplate?
The prosecution pointed to thisdetail as further evidence of
premeditation, suggesting thatErin may have deliberately
served the contaminated food toher guests while avoiding it
(20:30):
herself.
And although Erin claimed tohave also felt sick that day,
medical staff noted she showedno physical symptoms when she
arrived at the hospital.
She actually left withouttreatment and gave no clear
explanation for her condition,which the prosecution viewed as
(20:52):
an attempt to appear uninvolved.
They also introduced evidencethat Erin's ex-husband, simon,
had fallen severely ill in 2022.
He was hospitalized with liverfailure and required intensive
care, and he had reportedlyfallen sick several times after
(21:13):
consuming food or drink providedby Erin.
These incidents were onlyincluded to support a pattern of
suspected poisoning.
Also, they pointed out thatthroughout the investigation,
erin gave inconsistent accountsof where she got the mushrooms.
Despite repeated requests, shefailed to provide the name of
(21:36):
the store or even a location.
This was described as evasivebehavior.
And lastly, prosecutors saidthat Erin kept her children from
attending the lunch.
They suggested this wasintentional to prevent them from
being exposed to thecontaminated food.
(22:01):
The prosecution argued that allthis evidence pointed to a clear
conclusion that Erin Pattersonhad prepared and served the
mushroom dish knowingly withmurderous intent.
In response, the defensechallenged the prosecution's
claim and presented their owninterpretations of the event.
(22:23):
Here's how they countered thekey pieces of evidence.
They first tackled the sourceof mushrooms.
Erin Patterson maintained thatshe had purchased dried
mushrooms from an Asian grocerystore and although she couldn't
remember the store, the defenseargued that she had no way of
(22:45):
knowing they were toxic and thatthe mushrooms must have
actually been contaminatedunintentionally.
One of the central pillars ofthe defense's case was the
absence of a clear motive.
They stressed that Erin had nofinancial or personal gain from
(23:05):
the deaths and that herrelationship with the victims,
although strained, had neverbeen violent or threatening.
The defense reminded the jurythat motive was not proven and
that personal conflict alone isnot equal to intent to kill.
Then they talked about Erindeclining medical treatment.
(23:30):
On this, they claimed that Erinhad told the police and Simon
that she felt unwell after themeal.
The defence argued that thisshowed she had no reason to
think the food was dangerous andno motive to avoid eating it
herself.
They suggested her refusal oftreatment was based on her
(23:51):
symptoms being mild, not part ofa plan to feign illness.
Being mild, not part of a planto feign illness.
When talking about the fooddehydrator, this was placed only
on Erin panicking, a simpleemotional response in the
aftermath of this tragedy.
The plates Many people owneddifferent plate sets, no
(24:13):
forensic evidence showed whichplate had the toxin, and Erin
herself denied serving differentmeals.
The defence also acknowledgedSimon's previous health scare
but insisted there was no solidproof connecting Erin to his
symptoms.
And lastly, they admitted shemay have seemed evasive at times
(24:40):
but argued that this was due toshock, grief and a fear of
being blamed, not a sign ofguilt.
They said her inconsistentanswers reflected stress, not a
calculated cover-up.
So this was prettystraightforward so far as a
(25:00):
trial like this would go.
But then Aaron made a decisionthat surprised many.
You see, in a case of thisnature it's not common for the
accused to testify, but AaronPatterson chose to take the
stand in the hopes that thiswould show openness, remorse and
(25:21):
of course, credibility with thejury.
During her testimony, erinrepeated her version of events
that the mushrooms had beenbought from an Asian supermarket
months earlier and that she hadused them unknowingly in the
beef Wellington.
She said she had no idea themushrooms were dangerous and
(25:45):
insisted she would never harmher former in-laws.
She considered them family.
Once more, she claimed that shetoo fell unwell after the meal
and although she didn't seektreatment beyond showing up at
the hospital and leaving shortlyafter, she maintained that her
(26:05):
symptoms were genuine, just notas severe.
And the reason for her lesssevere symptoms?
After lunch she indulged to afull orange cake that Heather
has brought over, and she hadmade herself sick and thrown up.
One of the most revealingmoments of Erin's testimony came
(26:27):
when she addressed her falsecancer claim, the lie central to
why the lunch was organized inthe first place.
Erin admitted she had told herfamily she believed she might
have ovarian cancer, but sheinsisted she was covering for
something else.
She was embarrassed aboutmaking plans for weight loss
(26:51):
surgery, specifically a gastricbypass, and didn't want to
reveal her insecurities.
She said she believed shebooked a pre-surgery appointment
for the procedure at Melbourneand Ridge Clinic.
However, things really took aturn when prosecutors confronted
(27:12):
her about the fact that theclinic had no records of
treating her or even offeringgastric bypass surgery at all.
Erin's response to this?
She acknowledged she might havebeen confused about the
procedure, even though she hadreferenced a specific
(27:32):
appointment date previously.
Of course, the prosecutionimmediately highlighted this
discrepancy as evidence of herdeception to the jury.
It basically raised even moredoubts about her credibility.
Finally, after 11 weeks oftestimonies, forensic evidence
(27:55):
and dozens of witness statements, the trial drew to a close with
both sides delivering theirfinal arguments.
The prosecution closed byurging the jury to focus on the
facts the deliberate plating,the discarded dehydrator, the
evasive answers and AaronPatterson's proven lies.
Answers and Aaron Patterson'sproven lies.
(28:20):
This was not an accident but acalculated act carried out with
full knowledge of what dead capmushrooms could do.
They reminded the jury thatthree people had died, a fourth
had nearly followed and the onlyperson untouched by the meal
was the one who prepared it.
The defense, in their closingstatement, asked the jury to
(28:43):
consider the possibility ofhuman error.
They said Erin was not amurderer but a woman overwhelmed
by panic and grief.
They argued that prosecutionhad built a case on assumptions
and circumstantial connectionsno hard proof of intent.
They asked for reasonable doubtand urged the jury not to
(29:07):
mistake inconsistency for guilt,and after five days of
deliberation, the jury returnedwith an unanimous verdict.
Erin Patterson was found guiltyon all three counts of murder
and five counts of attemptedmurder.
She remains in custody and isawaiting formal sentencing, with
(29:31):
a non-parole period to bedetermined at a future hearing.
This case shocked the world,taking grandparents, parents and
(29:52):
beloved members of thecommunity far too soon.
It raised painful questionsabout family trust and how
something as ordinary as ashared meal could lead to such
devastating loss.
This was the case of AaronPatterson.
(30:12):
Thanks for listening to ClueTrail.
We'll be back soon with anotherstory and another path to
follow.
Until next time, stay curiousand stay safe.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Thank you, you.
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