# Australian "Mushroom Poisoner" has been charged with murder & attempted murder (Convicted July 6, 2025) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 3, 2023, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534 "2023-11-03T15:11:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/1 "2023-11-03T15:11:45Z")
I could have sworn there was a post or thread about this, but I was unable to locate it. This woman is not only being charged with murdering three people, but she also tried to kill her partner four other times. She claims it was an accident and that she simply was negligent in her choice of mushrooms for dinner, which would mean that either a grocery store or an Asian market she’d visited had death’s cap mushrooms for sale for some reason? > **[Suspected mushroom poisoning: Erin Patterson faces Australian court on murder...](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-67305278)** > > Erin Patterson has been accused of three murders in a suspected poisoning case, but denies wrongdoing. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/2 "2023-11-03T15:16:27Z")
I thought I read at least one story months ago about authorities concluding that the toxic Beef Hellington was an accident, but can’t find it. It’d be an extraordinarily idiotic way to deliberately kill someone, but murderers often are pretty damn stupid. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/3 "2023-11-03T15:33:33Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > she simply was negligent in her choice of mushrooms for dinner, which would mean that either a grocery store or an Asian market she’d visited had death’s cap mushrooms for sale for some reason And that nobody else bought and ate any of these mislabeled poisonous mushrooms. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/4 "2023-11-03T15:38:25Z")
Her ex-partner who she had attempted to kill previously survived. He was idiotic enough to eat a meal served by her after repeated attempts to kill him, but perhaps no so idiotic as to not realize he shouldn’t eat mushrooms served by her and didn’t eat as many as the rest. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/5 "2023-11-03T15:40:30Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > > [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > > > she simply was negligent in her choice of mushrooms for dinner, which would mean that either a grocery store or an Asian market she’d visited had death’s cap mushrooms for sale for some reason > > And that nobody else bought and ate any of these mislabeled poisonous mushrooms. Apparently she didn’t eat any herself. According to the article only her guests were taken to the hospital after falling ill. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/6 "2023-11-03T16:55:28Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > I could have sworn there was a post or thread about this, but I was unable to locate it. Over here: > [@I have mushrooms](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-mushrooms/983977/39): > > Be careful: ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/7 "2023-11-03T17:01:46Z")
Fun Fact: All mushrooms are edible, some only once. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/8 "2023-11-03T17:03:49Z")
Dang it! I saw the “I have mushrooms” bit while searching and didn’t think to check it out. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/9 "2023-11-03T17:15:34Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Fun Fact: All mushrooms are edible, some only once. Same’s true of volcano hikes, long swims with sharks, parachute jumps with sketchy equipment, etc. You can always do it. Maybe even you can do it twice. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/10 "2023-11-03T17:20:47Z")
Something I only remember seeing in cartoons is a daredevil who does something like swallowing a keg of gunpowder and drinking a bottle of nitroglycerin, maybe dousing himself in gasoline, and then holds a stick of dynamite in his mouth with the fuse lit. After the big KABOOM someone comments “Great act! What does he do for an encore?” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/11 "2023-11-03T17:25:13Z")
I’m going to guess that some interesting things will come up in her search history. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/12 "2023-11-03T17:30:11Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Something I only remember seeing in cartoons is a daredevil who does something like swallowing a keg of gunpowder and drinking a bottle of nitroglycerin, maybe dousing himself in gasoline, and then holds a stick of dynamite in his mouth with the fuse lit. After the big KABOOM someone comments “Great act! What does he do for an encore?” It’s a classic! > **[Show Biz Bugs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show_Biz_Bugs)** > > Show Biz Bugs is a 1957 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated short directed by Friz Freleng and featuring Mel Blanc. The short was released on November 2, 1957, and stars Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. > Arriving at the theatre where he and Bugs are appearing, Daffy is furious to discover that the rabbit's name on the marquee is above his in much larger letters. Rebuffed by the unseen manager's claim that he gives his performers billing "according to drawing power", Daffy is determined to prove that he ... ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2024, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/13 "2024-05-07T11:07:31Z")
Update- she’s pled (pleaded?) not guilty > **[Erin Patterson: Mushroom lunch cook pleads not guilty to murder](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-68967342)** > > Three people died after they were allegedly served poisonous mushrooms in regional Australia in 2023. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2024, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/14 "2024-05-07T11:25:54Z")
Her sentence would be to eat a mushroom omelette - generous with the mushrooms. If she weathered ordeal without any medical help, I would set her free. If not … … ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2024, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/15 "2024-05-07T21:32:40Z")
Salem called; they want their witch trials back. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2025, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/16 "2025-07-07T05:58:27Z")
After nine weeks of testimony and another week of jury deliberations, Erin Patterson has been found GUILTY on all charges. Three murders and one attempted murder. [Anybody up for a beef wellington tonight?](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-07/erin-patterson-mushroom-guilty-murder-trial-jury-verdict-court/105478708) ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2025, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/17 "2025-07-07T06:23:44Z")
[The Chaser, Australia’s version of The Onion responds.](https://chaser.com.au/general-news/aussie-podcast-industry-on-brink-of-collapse-as-mushroom-trial-comes-to-a-close/) ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2025, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/18 "2025-07-07T07:56:29Z")
She’s so clearly guilty, but I did wonder if she would get away with it. There’s “obviously guilty” and then there’s “proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law”, and the two don’t always align. It’s well known in the local community that her ex believed she’d poisoned him previously, but she was never convicted of it so it wasn’t part of the evidence the jury heard. I cannot wait for all the things the jury couldn’t be told to come out over the coming days. There’s hints it’s juicy ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2025, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/19 "2025-07-07T08:00:45Z")
Unlike the US, Australian juries are not allowed to speak to the press or any other sources post-verdict. So, sorry dude, you will be disappointed. Oh, and they remain anonymous too. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2025, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534/20 "2025-07-07T08:07:17Z")
Oh, I’m not expecting the jury to speak out - I’m waiting for all the things the media couldn’t publish before, and all the evidence the judge suppressed. The prejudicial stuff that couldn’t be allowed in a fair trial is now fair game. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-mushroom-poisoner-has-been-charged-with-murder-attempted-murder-convicted-july-6-2025/992534.md?page=2)