The mysterious case of the Australian family who died poisoned after a mushroom lunch

Two weeks ago, five adults and two children sat down for a family meal in a small town in Australia.

A week later, three adults were dead, a fourth person was fighting for her life, and the fifth was under investigation for potentially poisoning her guests with wild mushrooms.

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The 48-year-old woman who made the lunch says she has no idea what happened. He loved his family and would not hurt them.

The case shocked Australians, baffled police and rocked a tight-knit community.

Premeditated or accidental?

The unusual story began when gail and Don Patterson They went to lunch with their grandchildren at the home of their daughter-in-law Erin Patterson in Leongatha, southeast of Melbourne.

The couple arrived accompanied by the Wilkinsons: Heather, Gail’s sister, and her husband Ian.

The Pattersons and the Wilkinsons were beloved members of the nearby town of Korumburra, where Ian was the pastor of the local Baptist church.

Hours after the meal, the four guests were taken to hospital, assuming at first that they had severe gastroenteritis.

It quickly became clear that it was something much worse and they were sent to a hospital in Melbourne, to receive the best medical care the Australian state could offer.

Despite this, Heather, 66, and Gail, 70, passed away on Friday.

Don, 70, died on Saturday, while Ian, 68, remains in critical condition in hospital, awaiting a liver transplant.

Police believe all four ate death mushroomswhose ingestion is highly lethal.

Heather and Ian Wilkinson fell ill after lunch. (COURTESY).

a different lunch

Interestingly, Erin and her two children are doing well.

Police say the children, who have since been in the care of authorities out of “precaution,” ate a different lunch.

However, little is clear in the case.

The researchers say that they’re not sure if Erin ate the same food as her guests, or even if the mushrooms were on the plates she served.

They also noted that she was separated from her husband, the Pattersons’ son, in a break they described as “amicable.”

However, the authorities have not yet ruled out that the poisoning was caused by malicious or criminal intent.

“At this time, the deaths are unexplained,” said Dean Thomas, a spokesman for the homicide squad.

“(Erin) could be innocent, but we just don’t know”he added.

She, for her part, assures that she cannot understand what happened.

Speaking to reporters outside her home through tears, Erin declined to answer questions about what meals were served to which guests or where the mushrooms came from.

“I didn’t do anything, I loved them,” he said.

grieving community

The people of Leongatha and Korumburra were horrified by the case.

“Nobody would expect that to happen here,” regional mayor Nathan Hersey told the BBC.

“Who in their right mind would expect to lose people who contribute and give so much in this way?” he added. “People are grieving and extremely sad.”

In a statement, the families of the victims paid tribute to them as “pillars of faith” within the community.

“Their love, unwavering faith and selfless service left an indelible mark on our families, Korumburra Baptist Church, the local community and indeed on people around the world,” the statement said.

Korumburra Baptist Church, the village where the victims lived. (GOOGLE MAPS).

However, Erin has also been shocked.

“Gail was the mother I didn’t have. My own children lost their grandmother,” she said.

“They were some of the best people I’ve ever met. I’m devastated they’re gone.”

death mushrooms

It is not the first time that the Australian province of Victoria has been shaken by mushroom poisoning.

As wild food gathering becomes popular, the species called fungus of death is confused with edible mushrooms.

Found in cool, humid climates, this mushroom appears more benevolent than many other deadly varieties.

The fungus of death causes 90% of lethal mushroom poisoning in the world. A piece the size of a coin is enough to kill an adult who eats it.

In 2020, a series of poisonings in Victoria landed 8 people in hospital. One of them passed away.

The authorities once again asked people not to eat the wild mushrooms they collect.

“If you haven’t bought them in a supermarket, stay away from them,” added Dean Thomas of the homicide department.

Source: Elcomercio