LETHAL FUNGUS
Patterson hosted an intimate meal in July 2023 that started with good-natured banter and earnest prayer – but ended with three guests dead.
A 12-person jury found the 50-year-old guilty of murdering Simon’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as his aunt, Heather Wilkinson.
She was also found guilty of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian, a well-known pastor at the local Baptist church.
Simon had been invited to that lunch as well, but pulled out because he felt “uncomfortable”.
At the time, Patterson’s relationship with Simon was starting to turn sour.
The pair, long estranged but still legally married, had been fighting over Simon’s child support contributions.
Patterson’s trial drew podcasters, film crews and true crime fans to the rural town of Morwell, a sedate hamlet in the state of Victoria better known for prize-winning roses.
Newspapers from New York to New Delhi followed every twist of what many now simply call the “mushroom murders”.
Throughout a trial lasting more than two months, Patterson maintained the beef-and-pastry dish was accidentally poisoned with death cap mushrooms, the world’s most lethal fungus.
Death cap mushrooms are easily mistaken for other edible varieties, and reportedly possess a sweet taste that belies their potent toxicity.
Patterson will return to court on Aug 25 for hearings that will determine how long she spends behind bars.
Her legal team has 28 days after sentencing to appeal both her criminal convictions and her sentence.
