On a cold July afternoon in 2023, Erin Patterson invited her family over for lunch in the small town of Leongatha, Victoria. On the table: Beef Wellington. Inside it: one of the deadliest mushrooms on Earth. Hours later, three people would be dead, and Erin would become known worldwide as the Mushroom Murderer.
This episode of GBRLIFE Of Crimes, takes you inside the story. From Erin’s quiet childhood, to her strained marriage, to the infamous Sunday lunch that poisoned her in-laws. We’ll unpack the investigation, the historic trial, and the psychology of poison: why women so often choose this subtle, silent weapon.
🎧 In this episode, we explore:
- Erin Patterson’s childhood and the psychology of invisibility
- Her marriage to Simon Patterson and family tensions with her in-laws
- The fatal lunch and the slow horror of death cap poisoning
- How investigators pieced together her lies and discarded evidence
- The trial that made history as Victoria’s first televised sentencing
- Why poison has been called “the weapon of women” throughout history
🧠 This isn’t just a murder case. It’s about control, betrayal, and how ordinary life can hide extraordinary darkness.
📍 One woman. One meal. A Sunday lunch that turned into one of Australia’s most shocking crimes.
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