The heartbreaking incident unfolded on July 29th when Erin Patterson, a stay-at-home mother residing in Victoria’s eastern region, prepared a beef wellington meal for her guests.
Among those in attendance were Pastor Ian Wilkinson, who miraculously survived the poisonous repast. However, Heather Wilkinson, aged 66, Heather’s sister Gail, and her husband Don Patterson were not as fortunate and tragically lost their lives.
The luncheon had been organised as part of a ‘mediation’ gathering aimed at discussing Ms. Patterson’s strained relationship with her estranged husband, Simon. It’s worth noting that Simon Patterson had initially been invited to join the gathering but declined attending last minute.
According to Ms. Patterson’s statement, which was leaked to the media by an anonymous source, the mushrooms used in the ill-fated meal comprised a combination of button mushrooms acquired from a local supermarket and dried mushrooms she had purchased from an Asian supermarket in Melbourne several months prior.
She also revealed that she consumed a portion from the last plate herself. In a responsible move, she handed over the leftover meal to hospital toxicologists for thorough examination and testing after her guests fell severely ill.
In a subsequent development, local authorities discovered a food dehydrator at a nearby landfill site, which Ms. Patterson claimed to have discarded due to concerns that her estranged husband might unfairly blame her for his parents’ tragic demise, potentially affecting their ongoing custody battle for their two children.
It’s important to note that Erin Patterson has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Further details on this tragic incident are expected to emerge in due course.
