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

[Irma]

The Herald Sun are spruiking their “explosive” new 5 part podcast - The Mushroom Cook.
Also reporting that Erin has been moved to a maximum security area for her own safety.
Erin will next appearing via video link in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates court on 3 May for a Committal Mention.

Archive link because it’s behind a paywall:

https://archive.md/r2RIF

“Accused mushroom murderer in jail unit with pedophile rapist
The woman accused of murdering three people with poisonous mushrooms has been forced into a protected prison unit alongside pedophile rapist Malka Leifer amid fears for her safety.”

 

[GrayRanga]

The Herald Sun are spruiking their “explosive” new 5 part podcast - The Mushroom Cook.
Also reporting that Erin has been moved to a maximum security area for her own safety.
Erin will next appearing via video link in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates court on 3 May for a Committal Mention.

Archive link because it’s behind a paywall:

https://archive.md/r2RIF

“Accused mushroom murderer in jail unit with pedophile rapist
The woman accused of murdering three people with poisonous mushrooms has been forced into a protected prison unit alongside pedophile rapist Malka Leifer amid fears for her safety.”

Even though she's only on remand I doubt the Classo would give her a trusted position as a cook of even an Officers' billet

 

[Zidane98]

Even though she's only on remand I doubt the Classo would give her a trusted position as a cook of even an Officers' billet

Erins not so magic shrooms.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

Another mushroom poisoning in Victoria.

Haven’t yet read details.

 

[Lady O]

The Herald Sun are spruiking their “explosive” new 5 part podcast - The Mushroom Cook.
Also reporting that Erin has been moved to a maximum security area for her own safety.
Erin will next appearing via video link in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates court on 3 May for a Committal Mention.

Archive link because it’s behind a paywall:

https://archive.md/r2RIF

“Accused mushroom murderer in jail unit with pedophile rapist
The woman accused of murdering three people with poisonous mushrooms has been forced into a protected prison unit alongside pedophile rapist Malka Leifer amid fears for her safety.”

Interesting article on the news tonight about a mushroom poisoning at Clunes. I wonder if this will have any impact on Erin Patterson's case.

 

[Kurve]

Interesting article on the news tonight about a mushroom poisoning at Clunes. I wonder if this will have any impact on Erin Patterson's case.

It will be interesting to find out how these people were poisoned, whether it was by picking wild mushrooms or some other way. I haven't read up on it fully yet.

 

[lizard man]

I think she might walk

 

[Zidane98]

I think she might walk

AT the end of the day it is agreed by all parties she cooked the meal that poisoned everybody.


I don't see how she gets out of this. The only way she could walk is say she didn't know that the mushrooms were death cap mushrooms (lol). Funny how nobody else from the supermarket she claimed to buy them from got sick. I would say the police have already thoroughly investigated the supermarket / supplier and proven with pretty much certainty that they did not supply her death cap mushrooms.

She could try and feign ignorance about death cap mushrooms. Say she just picked them from a field and decided to use them for a home cooked meal. That would be her only other realistic avenue of escaping conviction.


Good luck trying to convince a jury that you genuinely didn't know that death cap mushrooms were dangerous though. Throwing away the food hydrator (which she admits) also is inculpatory evidence.

 

[ms finch]

I think she might walk

I think this is a fascinating case that is hugely complex.

There is an obvious argument here that, if this was even a criminal act, it is more akin to manslaughter.

To prove murder, the prosecution has to demonstrate that she either intentionally used poisonous mushrooms or that her level of recklessness in her acquisition and use of the mushrooms rose to the standard necessary for murder. I am interested in whether they argue one or the other with a set theory about what happened or propose dual arguments that it was likely intentional but even if it wasn't it was outrageously reckless. I can see a very obvious question that the defence will focus on to challenge any intent, which is how she could have known the mushrooms were poisonous and also ensured that this poison was in no way ingested by herself or her children. There is a similar argument for recklessness in asking whether she would have been so reckless as to put her own and her children's lives a risk, but on the face of it recklessness seems a slightly easier argument to make.

Whether they have evidence from the ex-husband of prior poisoning attempts may prove crucial here, as will whether they can get that admitted. Other crucial evidence may be her historical knowledge of and use of mushrooms and the manner in which the meal was prepared (ie were the mushrooms in the Wellington or in a sauce on the side).

This is also a case where I cannot pick a likelihood of whether she will testify in her own defence. On one hand there may be strong arguments that the prosecution hasn't made their burden simply on the evidence that is presented, because despite the vibe of evil that the press have painted, it's a difficult case to make out that someone knowingly or recklessly cooked poisonous mushrooms and the media's presentation of the alleged perpetrator is often far from accurate. On the other hand if the case is compelling and the prosecution is able to paint a terrible picture of her character that fits with the profile painted by the media it may be that the only person who can counter the details and that picture is the accused.

 

[Lady O]

AT the end of the day it is agreed by all parties she cooked the meal that poisoned everybody.


I don't see how she gets out of this. The only way she could walk is say she didn't know that the mushrooms were death cap mushrooms (lol). Funny how nobody else from the supermarket she claimed to buy them from got sick. I would say the police have already thoroughly investigated the supermarket / supplier and proven with pretty much certainty that they did not supply her death cap mushrooms.

She could try and feign ignorance about death cap mushrooms. Say she just picked them from a field and decided to use them for a home cooked meal. That would be her only other realistic avenue of escaping conviction.


Good luck trying to convince a jury that you genuinely didn't know that death cap mushrooms were dangerous though. Throwing away the food hydrator (which she admits) also is inculpatory evidence.

Or someone else put them there.

 

[Kurve]

Random thought that I know many are going to roll their eyes at. What if we have a poison mushroom serial killer on the loose?

I'll be keeping an eye on this other poisoning case in Clunes, see if there might be a connection.

 

[Sqotty from office works]

Random thought that I know many are going to roll their eyes at. What if we have a poison mushroom serial killer on the loose?

I'll be keeping an eye on this other poisoning case in Clunes, see if there might be a connection.

Do you think we're being kept in the dark and fed sh1t.
No pun intended, I'm not being a fun guy.

 

[Lady O]

Random thought that I know many are going to roll their eyes at. What if we have a poison mushroom serial killer on the loose?

I'll be keeping an eye on this other poisoning case in Clunes, see if there might be a connection.

I've got a box of mushrooms (mixed varieties) that I haven't used yet. A bit concerned that there could be a "rogue" easily made its way in there, not meaning deliberately, but accidentally. I don't know enough about them to spot a poisonous one.

 

[Kurve]

I've got a box of mushrooms (mixed varieties) that I haven't used yet. A bit concerned that there could be a "rogue" easily made its way in there, not meaning deliberately, but accidentally. I don't know enough about them to spot a poisonous one.

Personally, I wouldn't risk it on mixed mushrooms. I've got quals in food and worked as a galley chef for reasonable sized crew at sea for weeks at a time, and I wouldn't touch them.

 

[ms finch]

Random thought that I know many are going to roll their eyes at. What if we have a poison mushroom serial killer on the loose?

I'll be keeping an eye on this other poisoning case in Clunes, see if there might be a connection.

I kind've hope this turns out to be the case just because of how wild it would be.

 

[mrskafoops]

I've got a box of mushrooms (mixed varieties) that I haven't used yet. A bit concerned that there could be a "rogue" easily made its way in there, not meaning deliberately, but accidentally. I don't know enough about them to spot a poisonous one.

Perhaps pop them in the bin

 

[ms finch]

I kind've hope this turns out to be the case just because of how wild it would be.

On another note regarding the possible mushroom poisoning at Clunes, I think any incident like that raises probably the biggest component of reasonable doubt in this case, which is that it is possible to end up with dodgy mushrooms by accident.

Mushrooms have become a thing in the health and wellbeing circles for their apparent therapeutic properties. In the last couple of years I've seen the number of mushroom products (dried, in drinks, in protein ball snacks, powdered) multiply significantly in health food stores. I have always questioned the safety of these because many health and wellbeing people choose to find ways bypass government regulations on safety and restrictions because they don't agree with them. I do not say this to cast shade on the vast majority of health food providers and stores, who I have no doubt do the right thing; I just mean to highlight that I think there is likely to be a risk that some might not be properly quality controlled.

My guess in the Clunes situation is something like this - the acquisition of dodgy mushrooms for apparent therapeutic benefits.

You can bet that Patterson's defence team are examining every case of mushroom poisoning in Australia, and probably cases of other fruits and vegetables that have not passed quality control or have been tampered with (strawberries springs to mind).

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Random thought that I know many are going to roll their eyes at. What if we have a poison mushroom serial killer on the loose?

I'll be keeping an eye on this other poisoning case in Clunes, see if there might be a connection.

Given she had alleged previous poisoning events, I think this is unlikely.

 

[Zidane98]

Given she had alleged previous poisoning events, I think this is unlikely.

Unless she is somehow behind the Clunes poisoning !

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Unless she is somehow behind the Clunes poisoning !

Surely she wouldn't be so stupid.

Hers were all involving people close to her & it appears the Clunes one sounded more accidental.

 

[Kurve]

Given she had alleged previous poisoning events, I think this is unlikely.

Yeh I agree, the thought was a bit wild.

Unless she is somehow behind the Clunes poisoning !

I was loosely thinking more of dried mushrooms that Patterson said she'd bought. I'd like to know where this health retreat source their mushrooms from, I don't think we're quite in to the season yet.

 

[ms finch]

Unless she is somehow behind the Clunes poisoning !

I now really want it to turn out that she’s running a dodgy mushroom dealing business from within jail.

 

[Kurve]

One woman dies and two are taken to hospital, later discharged, after drinking mushroom tea. The autopsy fails to find a cause of death.

It may not have been the mushrooms after all.

https://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/autopsy-fails-to-reveal-cause-of-death-for-rachael-dixon-after-consuming-mushroom-drink/news-story/a8012bf6f52a06af559dcdfe87c19787?utm_campaign=EditorialSB&utm_source=news.com.au&utm_medium=X&utm_content=SocialBakers

 

[ms finch]

One woman dies and two are taken to hospital, later discharged, after drinking mushroom tea. The autopsy fails to find a cause of death.

It may not have been the mushrooms after all.

https://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/autopsy-fails-to-reveal-cause-of-death-for-rachael-dixon-after-consuming-mushroom-drink/news-story/a8012bf6f52a06af559dcdfe87c19787?utm_campaign=EditorialSB&utm_source=news.com.au&utm_medium=X&utm_content=SocialBakers

WTF? Where did they get the mushroom link from then? Did they just wildly speculate that because she had had a drink with mushrooms in it that must have been the cause?

 

[CD Xbow]

One woman dies and two are taken to hospital, later discharged, after drinking mushroom tea. The autopsy fails to find a cause of death.

It may not have been the mushrooms after all.

https://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/autopsy-fails-to-reveal-cause-of-death-for-rachael-dixon-after-consuming-mushroom-drink/news-story/a8012bf6f52a06af559dcdfe87c19787?utm_campaign=EditorialSB&utm_source=news.com.au&utm_medium=X&utm_content=SocialBakers

It's not Amanita Phalloides, it kills you in a week. There are many other toxic mushrooms, most of which don't kill you. There are also many toxic plants. Try some Oleander tea next time you're at the health food shop. It's also possible the women who died had an interaction between the toxin and a medication she was on or with a preexisting disease, neither of which the survivors had. Given there is little in the public domain we are left only with speculation.