Get you up to speed: Poisonous mushroom killer ‘must never be released’ over ‘extraordinarily cold’ murders | News World
Erin Patterson was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of her parents-in-law and aunt-in-law after serving them a beef wellington laced with poisonous mushrooms at her home in Leongatha, Victoria. The Court of Appeal in Melbourne has upheld her conviction, dismissing her appeal for a retrial.
Homicide squad detectives are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the lunch that led to three fatalities on 29 July 2023. Erin Patterson’s attempt to appeal her conviction was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in Melbourne, and she must now seek further recourse in the High Court.
The Court of Appeal in Melbourne has refused Erin Patterson’s request to overturn her life sentence for the murders of her parents-in-law and aunt-in-law, with Justice Stephen McLeish stating, “this offending was extraordinarily cold and calculated.” Patterson’s lawyers plan to appeal to the High Court as she faces a minimum term of 33 years before becoming eligible for parole.
What remains unclear — It is not known whether Erin Patterson will appeal her case to the High Court as planned.
Erin Patterson sentenced to life imprisonment for poisoning three relatives
Erin Patterson was sentenced to life in prison in September 2025. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP via Getty Images)
An Australian mum-of-two who murdered three people by serving beef wellington laced with poisonous mushrooms will never be released from prison.
Erin Patterson was refused by the Court of Appeal in Melbourne to have her convictions overturned after her lawyers argued she had suffered a miscarriage of justice.
She was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 33 years in September 2025 over the murders of her parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, and her aunt-in-law Heather Wilkinson.
They were served a beef wellington laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms at Patterson’s home in Leongatha, Victoria, for a ‘reconciliation lunch’ and later died in hospital.
Mrs Wilkinson’s husband Ian was also served the meal but survived.
Patterson’s ex-husband, Simon, was also invited but decided last-minute not to attend.
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Justice Stephen McLeish said: ‘This offending was extraordinarily cold and calculated and stands to be denounced in the strongest terms.
Don and Gail Patterson died after eating the beef wellington prepared and served by their daughter-in-law
Heather Wilkinson, who died in hospital after eating a meal which contained poisoned mushroom (Picture: AAP)
‘In all the circumstances after anxious consideration, we have concluded that the case involved such shocking criminality as it is inappropriate to fix a non-parole period.’
Patterson’s lawyers argued that prosecutor Nanette Rogers was ‘unfair and oppressive’ in cross-examining her for five days.
They also said the judge, Christopher Bale, had caused ‘unfair prejudice’ by allowing evidence from Patterson’s Facebook friends.
The court dismissed her attempt, and she must now appeal to the court’s High Court.
After becoming unwell, Heather spoke to Simon to tell him Patterson had eaten from a ‘noticeably different’ plate.
Ian Wilkinson was the only survivor of the meal (Picture: via REUTERS)
Simon Patterson decided at the last minute not to attend the ‘reconciliation lunch’ (Picture: AP)
‘Does Erin have a shortage of crockery? I have been wondering about it since yesterday,’ Heather said, according to the prosecutor.
Their symptoms were described as being consistent with poisoning by death cap mushrooms, which is a dull green fungus known scientifically as Amanita phalloides and can cause serious organ failure within 24 to 48 hours.
Prosecutors suggested Patterson had two faces – the woman who publicly appeared to have a good relationship with her parents-in-law, while her private feelings about them were kept hidden.
Patterson previously said she became unwell after eating the meal, and while in the hospital, her ex-husband, Simon Patterson, accused her of poisoning his parents.
The trial also heard that Patterson had told her friends she was hiding ‘powdered mushrooms in everything’.
A woman who met Erin through a true crime forum on Facebook has said the accused killer was a ‘bit of a super sleuth.’
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