Leongatha Mushroom Deaths - VIC *Erin Patterson charged with 3 counts of murder & 2 attempts

[CD Xbow]

Three people from Leongatha have died from mushroom poisoning and a fourth is ill. Homicide police have been called in.
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/h...g/news-story/3f8675b9029cd931c5f50c9aa533e17c
It is almost certainly a case of Amanita Phalloides poisoning and most likely accidental, they look very much like some field mushrooms and every now and then this happens. There is no specific antidote and it's supportive treatment plus a new liver if you are lucky. Many die still despite treatment as in this case.

 

[Awakening]

Three people from Leongatha have died from mushroom poisoning and a fourth is ill. Homicide police have been called in.
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/h...g/news-story/3f8675b9029cd931c5f50c9aa533e17c
It is almost certainly a case of Amanita Phalloides poisoning and most likely accidental, they look very much like some field mushrooms and every now and then this happens. There is no specific antidote and it's supportive treatment plus a new liver if you are lucky. Many die still despite treatment as in this case.

It strikes me as a good way to kill people and claim it was accidental.

Well why didn’t you die?
I don’t like mushrooms so didn’t eat any.

 

[CD Xbow]

It strikes me as a good way to kill people and claim it was accidental.

Well why didn’t you die?
I don’t like mushrooms so didn’t eat any.

Always make sure the cook eats a substantial portion of the Mushrooms, of course this fails if they are planning murder suicide. Amanita have been used to kill throughout history, but accidental causes are more common.

 

[Kurve]

Always make sure the cook eats a substantial portion of the Mushrooms, of course this fails if they are planning murder suicide. Amanita have been used to kill throughout history, but accidental causes are more common.

They started sprouting up on my property a couple of years ago, they can look like harmless little button mushrooms when they're small. With two dogs at the time, I got rid of them quickly. What a horrible way to die.

 

[CD Xbow]

They started sprouting up on my property a couple of years ago, they can look like harmless little button mushrooms when they're small. With two dogs at the time, I got rid of them quickly. What a horrible way to die.

Yes, pets are at risk. It's even trickier because there are multiple Amanita species which also contain the toxins and even other families (skullcaps) that also have them. Most serious, accidental human poisoning seem to be identified as Amanita phalloides.

 

[Paul Kersey]

That mushroom story has hairs on it imo. Foul play is my gut feel.

 

[daniologist]

That mushroom story has hairs on it imo. Foul play is my gut feel.

I agree, not sure why but it just doesn't sit right. Baptist church connections notwithstanding.

Same with the Qld house fire - that was suspicious straight away and now Qld popo are saying that 'further scrutiny' is needed.

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

So this one has been all over the news today. 3 dead and one more likely not to pull through. Never seen reporting around a scenario quite like this before.

Listening to the police press conference and how bluntly and repeatedly they were saying things such as ‘she was the only one to eat the meal and not be poisoned’ and ‘her two children ate a different meal’ make it seem like it’s a matter of time before murder charges are going to be laid.

Daughter-in-law served poisonous mushroom meal that killed three, Victoria Police believe - ABC News

amp.abc.net.au

 

[FTY1]

That mushroom story has hairs on it imo. Foul play is my gut feel.

It may be foul play, but I know deathcap mushrooms are really lethal even with a small amount. In 2012 a chef went forraging for some wild mushrooms and ended up killing himself and one of his guests while awaiting a liver transplant. One of his guests survived who had a smaller serving. That was in the ACT.

While rare, when it occurs, there are often multiple people dying on the one occasion.

Another case in Victoria below.

Elegant but deadly: why death cap mushrooms are a forager's nightmare

It’s peak season for wild mushrooms but be careful about picking your own. Just one morsel of the wrong fungus can kill.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

So this one has been all over the news today. 3 dead and one more likely not to pull through. Never seen reporting around a scenario quite like this before.

Listening to the police press conference and how bluntly and repeatedly they were saying things such as ‘she was the only one to eat the meal and not be poisoned’ and ‘her two children ate a different meal’ make it seem like it’s a matter of time before murder charges are going to be laid.

Daughter-in-law served poisonous mushroom meal that killed three, Victoria Police believe - ABC News

amp.abc.net.au

Going to be hard to innocently explain why she didn't have the same meal as those poisoned with death cap mushrooms.

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

Going to be hard to innocently explain why she didn't have the same meal as those poisoned with death cap mushrooms.


View attachment 1767651

Yep. I’m thinking she isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed if this is the method she’s used to get rid of her ex in laws and family.

 

[Paul Kersey]

It may be foul play, but I know deathcap mushrooms are really lethal even with a small amount. In 2012 a chef went forraging for some wild mushrooms and ended up killing himself and one of his guests while awaiting a liver transplant. One of his guests survived who had a smaller serving. That was in the ACT.

While rare, when it occurs, there are often multiple people dying on the one occasion.

Another case in Victoria below.

Elegant but deadly: why death cap mushrooms are a forager's nightmare

It’s peak season for wild mushrooms but be careful about picking your own. Just one morsel of the wrong fungus can kill.

www.smh.com.au

Usually people who aren’t that familiar with vegetation fall victim imo - don’t think that’s the case here. Something weird going on.

 

[CD Xbow]

Usually people who aren’t that familiar with vegetation fall victim imo - don’t think that’s the case here. Something weird going on.

Nah, accident. Hanlon's Razor applies here “never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity"

 

[Xtreme]

Guilty as hell
Or

The world's dumbest chef!

 

[Kurve]

* Police have confirmed a 48-year-old woman who prepared the meal that allegedly led to the fatal mushroom poisoning of three people is a suspect.

 

[zedx]

Usually people who aren’t that familiar with vegetation fall victim imo - don’t think that’s the case here. Something weird going on.

IMO - I just can't believe the stupidity of some people. Don't we all know some mushrooms are poisonous? You would think it would be common sense that you would know you cant just eat any mushroom you see and if you are not an expert you would err on the side of caution! Though in saying that, a young friend of mine, when she was first married, found some mushrooms on her back lawn and cooked them up for her new husbands dinner one night, around 2am she had to call an ambulance because of his extreme stomach pains! He survived, thank goodness. She had no idea they were poisonous. To make it worse he was a Police man!! We all joke about it now, but at the time it was very serious.

 

[flashmanvc]

Years ago my manager sent me out the back of Korumburra to scout for a suitable spot for a gauging station on Coalition Creek. While there, I picked some mushrooms I found under a stand of pine trees. I ate them that weekend, and while I obviously didn't die, my soul DID leave my body.

 

[Big_Birdy]

It will be pretty funny if a previous Instagram/Facebook post of hers taking photos of her food is used as evidence that she usually eats mushrooms.

 

[ZionMig22]

Manslaughter surely?

 

[Big_Birdy]

Manslaughter surely?

It's VIC so could be different in that jurisdiction (and the way they write their legislation is woeful and I'm not putting myself through that), but involuntary manslaughter of the criminally negligent kind would be the only one that would appear to be open assuming she didn't murder them.

There would be a lot of elements of that offence which would be at issue I feel. And lets assume it was unintentional. Its a horrific accident and she has suffered greatly.

Maybe not worth it, although possibly available to the prosecution.

EDIT: Also assuming of course that she did indeed forage some mushrooms which were then consumed by the deceased.

 

[Kurve]

Manslaughter surely?

Seven people at the lunch, Erin cooked the meal. Estranged from her husband, the only people to have died so far are her parents in law, her sister in law and one other not biologically related to Erin, who is very ill and waiting for a liver transplant.

Erin and the children didn't get sick, or didn't eat the same meal.

I can understand why Homicide is investigating.

 

[Big_Birdy]

Seven people at the lunch, Erin cooked the meal. Estranged from her husband, the only people to have died so far are her parents in law, her sister in law and one other not biologically related to Erin, who is very ill and waiting for a liver transplant.

Erin and the children didn't get sick, or didn't eat the same meal.

I can understand why Homicide is investigating.

Homicide could conceivably just be doing due diligence given the circumstances. But given what you have outlined, I'd be surprised if they don't consider foul play a very real possibility.

 

[Kurve]

We're coming out of the mushroom foraging season, some people are selling online. I personally wouldn't buy any mushrooms outside of a supermarket or biggish farmers market.

A chef who posted pictures of edible mushrooms on social media warns buyers to beware

As the peak season for spotting mushrooms in the wild soon comes to an end, there are warnings against buying mushrooms advertised and sold online.

www.abc.net.au

 

[JackNah_8]

Strange situation, so she didn't eat the same meal?

 

[ep2018]

Clever way to get rid of your in-laws if this was done on purpose. I do get a funny feeling with this one.