The incident occurred during a seemingly ordinary family lunch, turning a peaceful gathering into a tragic event that has left the community in mourning.
Don Patterson, his wife Gail Patterson and her sister Heather Wilkinson, became ill and later died after the lunch on July 29 in Leongatha, a small rural town around 135 km (85 miles) southeast of Melbourne.
A fourth man, Wilkinson’s husband Ian Wilkinson, a pastor in a nearby town was released from hospital in September.
Victoria state police also charged the woman with five counts of attempted murder – two related to the meal on July 29 this year and three related to separate incidents in 2021 and 2022 when they said a 48-year-old man became ill following meals.
Police had earlier searched the woman’s house with the help of technology detector dogs trained to sniff out tiny electronic devices such as USBs and SIM cards, which are easy to hide.
The woman, who was not named by police, was remanded in custody and will appear in court on Friday.
“Today’s charges are just the next step in what has been an incredibly complex, methodical and thorough investigation by Homicide Squad detectives,” Dean Thomas, the detective in charge of the investigation, said in a statement.
Stories evolve: Woman who cooked poisonous meal says she also went to hospital
