Today we dive deep into the testimony of Erin Patterson, the accused in the mushroom murder trial, who admits under questioning that her Beef Wellington may have contained death cap mushrooms, while also revealing a web of lies about medical conditions. Ms Patterson's testimony reveals her attempts to reconnect with the Patterson family through meals, and fabricated medical issues to gain sympathy.

• Ms Patterson hosted a lunch on June 24th 2023 to reconnect with her ex-in-laws
• She admitted fabricating a medical issue including a lump requiring biopsy and MRI
• Ms Patterson confessed she lied to maintain the care and concern the family showed her
• The fatal Beef Wellington recipe came from Recipe Tin Eats cookbook with "deviations"
• She claimed to add dried mushrooms from her pantry because the mixture tasted "bland"
• Patterson acknowledged those mushrooms may have included foraged death caps
• She claimed to become ill after eating Gail Patterson's orange cake after guests left
• Patterson admitted lying about having ovarian cancer to hide gastric bypass plans
• She's pleading not guilty to three counts of murder and one attempted murder charge

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Accused killer Erin Patterson continues her testimony in her triple murder trial, admitting under questioning some mushrooms in her beef wellington might have been poisonous death caps, while most came from supermarkets and grocers. The 50-year-old mother details her mushroom foraging habits developed during COVID lockdowns and describes testing wild mushrooms by trying small amounts first.

• Developed interest in wild mushrooms during COVID lockdowns while walking with her children
• Gradually became confident identifying certain mushroom varieties and testing them carefully
• Regularly purchased exotic mushrooms from Woolworths, farmers markets and Asian grocers
• Bought a dehydrator in April 2023 primarily to preserve wild mushrooms beyond their short season
• Described her 2015 separation from husband Simon as "amicable" with continued good relations
• Claimed her in-laws Don and Gail continued to treat her as family despite the separation
• Mentioned the Wilkinson family were friendly at church, with Heather making special effort to include her
• Court heard about text from Simon in December 2022 suggesting they could resolve financial issues

Visit mushroomandmurdertrial.com for more information and subscribe to the newsletter. This weekend, Louise Wilkinson and I will be reading from the full transcript of Erin's evidence. Follow on Instagram and other social platforms, and consider supporting through the Buy Me A Coffee membership.

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Erin Patterson, the woman at the centre of Australia's mushroom poisoning case, takes the stand as a defence witness in her murder trial. She provides detailed testimony about her personal life, relationships, and the deterioration of family ties with her in-laws who later became alleged victims in the case.

• Living a relatively stable life in July 2023 with her children in her new "final home" in Leangatha
• Experiencing increasing emotional distance from the wider Patterson family, particularly her in-laws Don and Gail
• Meeting Simon at work in 2004 and transforming from "fundamentalist atheist" to having a spiritual awakening in church
• Marrying in 2007 and embarking on a road trip around Australia where she gave birth to their first child
• Brief separation from Simon in 2009 after growing tired of travelling, though they continued co-parenting

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The Mushroom Murder Trial continues with a focus on digital evidence revealing complex relationships between Erin Patterson and her alleged victims before the fatal lunch. Friday's proceedings examined Signal messages showing warm interactions between Ms Patterson and her in-laws, juxtaposed against private Facebook conversations where she vented frustrations.

• Defendant Erin Patterson, 50, faces three murder counts and one attempted murder count over a lunch of Beef Wellington
• Signal messages from early 2022 show cordial relationships with in-laws Don and Gail Patterson
• Evidence includes Mother's Day messages where Erin called Gail "the best mother-in-law anyone can ask for"
• Defence presented Facebook group chat messages to provide context to family tensions
• Private chat described as "a space for venting" showed Ms Patterson's frustrations with in-laws
• Both sides questioned prosecution's last witness, Leading Senior Constable Stephen Eppingstall
• Case has generated over 6,000 news articles about Erin Patterson in Australian media alone

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We're approaching the end of the Mushroom Murder Trial, with hearings potentially concluding this week and the jury soon deciding Erin Patterson's fate. I share updates from recent court proceedings, including details from police searches of Erin Patterson's home and the evidence allegedly collected.

• Erin Patterson (50) from Leongatha is charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Her plea is not guilty.
• Police search on August 5, 2023 allegedly yielded items including a food hydrator manual, electronic devices, and kitchen items
• Officers documented Erin Patterson’s kitchen area, capturing video footage and photographs
• Collected electronics included phones, a tablet, and a personal computer
• Evidence about  a SIM card to a Nokia phone 
• A second search on November 2, 2023 (day of arrest) specifically sought to locate a mobile phone that "has never been located by police"

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Today's testimony from the lead investigator reveals Erin Patterson allegedly fabricated a cancer diagnosis to lure her estranged husband's family to a fatal lunch that left three people dead. Detective Stephen Eppingstall testified that police found no medical records supporting Patterson's claims about cancer tests in 2023, while text messages show her discussing medical appointments before the deadly meal.

• Police found no records of cancer diagnosis, biopsy, or MRI that Patterson claimed to have undergone
• Text messages show Patterson telling in-laws she had cancer tests weeks before the fatal lunch
• Defence presented medical records showing Ms Patterson had previously expressed cancer concerns to doctors
• Messages between Ms Patterson and her husband reveal she researched heart failure symptoms in 2022
• Detective testified Ms Patterson expressed surprise when told Heather Wilkinson had died during police search
• Prosecution alleges the cancer story was allegedly fabricated to ensure victims would attend the lunch

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And if you were feeling like rewarding me for the thousands of hours I’ve spent on this work, I have a buy me a coffee membership which allows you to pay $5 as a thanks and I get a coffee. This goes towards the editing, studio hire, liability \insurance, equipment, sound and voiceovers. Plus there’s exclusive membership material on the site, just for you.

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The Supreme Court today played video of a police interview with Erin Patterson, revealing her soft-spoken denials and emotional explanation about wanting to maintain family relationships with her estranged husband's parents.

• Detective Senior Constable Stephen Eppingstall from the Homicide Squad appeared as the final prosecution witness
• Police questioned why Ms Patterson wasn't as sick as the others after the meal
• She denied owning a dehydrator despite police allegedly  finding a manual in her home
• She explained hosting the lunch because "they're the only family that I've got"
• During the interview, Ms Patterson recounted a doctor telling her they suspected death cap mushrooms
• Ms Patterson was observed crying in court while watching the video footage
• The defendant faces three murder charges and one attempted murder charge. Her plea is not-guilty. 

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Thanks for listening. For more information, visit my website. Make sure you subscribe to my newsletter on www.mushroommurdertrial.com, it's jam-packed with news about the trial. Plus I'm on Instagram at Erin underscore pod. You can find me on Facebook. Just search the podcast, the mushroom Murder Trial podcast. I also will put links in the show notes to those social media accounts. 

And if you were feeling like rewarding me for the thousands of hours I’ve spent on this work, I have a buy me a coffee membership which allows you to pay $5 as a thanks and I get a coffee. This goes towards the editing, studio hire, liability \insurance, equipment, sound and voiceovers. Plus there’s exclusive membership material on the site, just for you.

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In this extra episode, we go through testimony at Erin Patterson’s murder trial. Professor Stephen Warillo from The Austin Hospital in Melbourne reveals the devastating details of how three victims died from organ failure despite maximum medical intervention after allegedly consuming death cap mushrooms. The Erin Patterson murder trial hears how Donald and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson died while Ian Wilkinson narrowly escaped death following the suspected mushroom poisoning at a family lunch.

• Donald Patterson suffered "severe liver injury and severe liver failure" before receiving a liver transplant that ultimately failed
• Heather Wilkinson was deemed too unwell for a transplant as her condition was "not survivable"
• Ian Wilkinson, the sole survivor, received a liver transplant and slowly recovered despite doctors believing he would die
• Gail Patterson experienced advanced organ failure with her liver "essentially not working at all"
• Medical teams attempted extraordinary measures including plasma exchange and vitamin C treatments
• All three victims experienced multiple organ failure described as "refractory" to treatment

Thanks for listening. For more information, visit my website. Make sure you subscribe to my newsletter on www.mushroommurdertrial.com , it's jam-packed with news about the trial. Plus I'm on Instagram at Erin underscore pod. You can find me on Facebook. Just search the podcast, the mushroom Murder Trial podcast. I also will put links in the show notes to those social media accounts.

And if you were feeling like rewarding me for the thousands of hours I’ve spent on this work, I have a buy me a coffee membership which allows you to pay $5 as a thanks and I get a coffee. This goes towards the editing, studio hire, liability insurance, equipment, sound and voiceovers. Plus there’s exclusive membership material on the site, just for you.

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Digital evidence presented in court reveals alleged triple murderer Erin Patterson's frustrations with her in-laws months before the deadly mushroom meal. Facebook messages, photos of mushrooms on drying racks, and searches about terminal cancer paint a complex picture in this closely watched murder trial.

• Erin Patterson, 50, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder
• Facebook messages show Ms Patterson expressing frustration about her in-laws and estranged husband Simon Patterson
• Ms Patterson allegedly wrote she was "sick of this shit" and wanted "nothing to do" with Simon's parents
• Messages detail disputes over child support and perceived favouritism towards Simon
• Digital forensic analyst testified about photos of mushrooms on drying racks and scales found on Ms Patterson's tablet
• Evidence extracted from a phone allegedly included internet searches about stage four cancer and brain lymphoma
• Defence maintains the poisonings were a terrible accident with no intention to harm

Thanks for listening. For more information, visit my website. Make sure you subscribe to my newsletter on www.mushroommurdertrial.com, it's jam-packed with news about the trial. Plus I'm on Instagram at Erin underscore pod. You can find me on Facebook. Just search the podcast, the mushroom Murder Trial podcast. I also will put links in the show notes to those social media accounts. 

And if you were feeling like rewarding me for the thousands of hours I’ve spent on this work, I have a buy me a coffee membership which allows you to pay $5 as a thanks and I get a coffee. This goes towards the editing, studio hire, liability insurance, equipment, sound and voiceovers. Plus there’s exclusive membership material on the site, just for you.

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Digital forensic expert Sharman Fox-Henry testifies about key evidence found on Erin Patterson's computer in the Mushroom Murder Trial. Mr Fox-Henry reveals a Google search for a site featuring death cap mushrooms on May 28, 2022—approximately one year before the fatal lunch where three people died after allegedly consuming toxic mushrooms.

• Digital forensics team created a clone of Patterson's computer to search for evidence
• Computer had three storage units including Samsung drive and Hitachi hard disk
• Investigators searched for terms including "death cap mushrooms" and "poisons"
• Evidence showed a search at 7:20and 7:21 on May 28, 2022 for a death cap mushroom page on iNaturalist.org
• Page documented a mushroom sighting at Bricca Reserve in Moorabbin
• Shortly after viewing this page, an alleged search for "Korrumburra Middle Pub" was made
• Chrome autofill data showed Erin Patterson's name and mobile number used around the same time
• Prosecution building timeline suggesting alleged research into deadly mushrooms a year before the incident

Thanks for listening. For more information, visit my website. Make sure you subscribe to my newsletter on www.mushroommurdertrial.com, it's jam-packed with news about the trial. Plus I'm on Instagram at Erin underscore pod. You can find me on Facebook. Just search the podcast, the mushroom Murder Trial podcast. I also will put links in the show notes to those social media accounts. 

And if you were feeling like rewarding me for the thousands of hours I’ve spent on this work, I have a buy me a coffee membership which allows you to pay $5 as a thanks and I get a coffee. This goes towards the editing, studio hire, liability, insurance, equipment, sound and voiceovers. Plus there’s exclusive membership material on the site, just for you.

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Mushroom Murder Trial Website