Woman Who Cooked Fatal Mushroom Meal Claims She Poisoned Family to Death by Accident

An Australian woman, Erin Patterson, who used poisonous mushrooms in a meal that allegedly resulted in the death of three individuals, now claims she had no knowledge of their toxicity.

Patterson prepared a beef Wellington meal for her family on July 29. Following the dinner, three individuals lost their lives, while one person is critically ill. Patterson herself fell ill after eating the dish and required hospitalization.

She has since provided a written statement to Victoria police, which ABC has obtained. "I am now devastated to think that these mushrooms may have contributed to the illness suffered by my loved ones. I really want to repeat that I had absolutely no reason to hurt these people whom I loved,” she said in the statement.

Patterson claims she sourced the dried mushrooms from an Asian grocery store. However, authorities have been unable to identify this grocer. The deceased include Patterson’s former husband’s mother, father, and great-aunt. Ian Wilkinson, the great-aunt of Patterson’s ex-husband, remains in critical condition.

Investigative reports indicate that symptoms exhibited by the victims correspond with the ingestion of death cap mushrooms – the world's most toxic variety, as noted by NPR.

Patterson recalled in her statement that after serving the meal, she allowed the guests to select their own plates and she opted for the last one available. Later, she sought medical care for severe stomach distress and diarrhea.

While she had received treatment, she acknowledged that she hadn’t immediately informed authorities of her illness.

Gippsland Southern Health Service verified an additional case, revealing another individual presented at Leongatha Hospital on July 30, showing signs of food poisoning.

Initially, Patterson responded with “no comment” when approached by the police post the tragic events. She later clarified, "I now very much regret not answering some questions following this advice given the nightmare that this process has become."

Interestingly, Patterson's children weren't present for the meal. Yet, she fed them leftovers later, ensuring she removed the mushrooms, as her children dislike them. She mentioned combining store-bought button mushrooms with the dried mushrooms from the Asian store for the dish. She also handed over remnants of the beef Wellington to hospital toxicologists for analysis.

Contradicting media reports suggest that Patterson used a food dehydrator, a device to dry out food, and discarded it later. The police retrieved this equipment from a dump. Initially, Patterson denied disposing of the dehydrator recently. She recalled a conversation with her ex-husband at the hospital where he asked, “Is that what you used to poison them?"

Patterson conceded she discarded the dehydrator, fearing it would implicate her and jeopardize the custody of her children.

The investigation is still underway, and no charges against Patterson have been finalized.