An Australian woman at the center of a sensational global true-crime saga has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering three people with a meal laced with death cap mushrooms.
Erin Patterson, 50, was convicted in July of killing her estranged husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, after serving them a beef Wellington lunch at her home in Leongatha, Victoria, in 2023. Heather’s husband, Pastor Ian Wilkinson, also fell gravely ill but survived.
On Monday, Justice Christopher Beale of the Supreme Court of Victoria imposed the maximum penalty, ruling that Patterson will be eligible for parole after 33 years, when she is 83.
“Your failure to exhibit any remorse pours salt into all the victims’ wounds,” Justice Beale told Patterson, describing the killings as acts that inflicted “deep trauma” on the victims’ families.
Patterson displayed little emotion as her sentence was read, occasionally closing her eyes and glaring at reporters in the courtroom. National broadcaster ABC reported she wore a paisley shirt, her hair tied back, as the verdict was delivered.
Her legal team had argued she should be considered for release after 30 years, citing the intense media attention that would likely leave her isolated behind bars. She has 28 days to appeal her conviction and sentence.
The case, dubbed the “Mushroom Murders,” captivated audiences far beyond Australia, drawing podcasters, filmmakers, and true-crime enthusiasts to the rural courthouse in Morwell. Media outlets from New York to New Delhi chronicled every twist in the trial, while locals expressed shock at the global spotlight on their quiet town.
Despite more than two months of hearings, Patterson’s motive remains unclear. Prosecutors said she deliberately poisoned the dish to settle personal grievances, while Patterson maintained the deaths were a tragic accident caused by death caps mistakenly used in her cooking.
Her estranged husband, Simon Patterson—who had been invited to the ill-fated meal but declined at the last minute—was embroiled in a tense dispute with Erin over child support payments at the time.
Speaking after the sentencing, survivor Ian Wilkinson thanked the public for their support.
During earlier testimony, he had described living with the “heavy burden of grief” over his wife Heather’s death.
With more than 150 civil parties represented in court and the notoriety of the “Mushroom Murders” cemented in public memory, Erin Patterson will remain one of Australia’s most infamous prisoners for decades to come.
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