The Australian woman charged with murder for preparing a lunch of Wellington beef and poisonous mushrooms that left three people dead also tried to kill her husband several times, according to police documents released Friday.
Erin Patterson, 49, is accused of serving poisoned Wellington beef to her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Baptist pastor Ian Wilkinson and his wife Heather on July 29.
The couple, Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, died a few days later from symptoms similar to those caused by ingesting Amanita phalloides. Only the 69-year-old priest survived after almost two months in hospital.
Erin Patterson was charged with murder on Thursday. In particular, according to police in the state of Victoria, where the tragedy occurred, she is the subject of three cases of murder and five cases of attempted murder.
She was also charged with four counts of attempted murder of her husband, Simon Patterson, from whom she was estranged, according to police documents released Friday. The suspected poisoner was brought before the court that day and will return in May to allow time for the investigation.
According to police, the husband fell ill “after eating” in 2021 and 2022.
Erin Patterson was arrested Thursday morning ahead of her arraignment and continued to maintain her innocence. His apartment was searched.
In August, she asserted that she had purchased the mushrooms that topped her beef from an Asian grocery store and that it had been an accident.
This case is gripping the country and putting the spotlight on the small rural town of Leongatha, 110km southeast of Melbourne.
It has attracted “incredible” interest from the media and public opinion in Australia and abroad, Inspector Dean Thomas of the Victoria Police Crime Squad admitted on Thursday morning.
Phalloid mushroom, also called green orange mushroom and calyx of death, can easily be confused with edible species.
Its powerful toxins severely damage the liver and kidneys. There is currently no real antidote for phalloidin poisoning.