An Australian judge will rule on Monday whether convicted killer Erin Patterson spends the rest of her life in prison for murdering three people with toxic mushrooms, capping a trial that sparked a media frenzy.
Patterson, 50, was convicted in July of triple murder for serving a poisonous meal to her estranged husband’s parents, aunt and uncle during a sumptuous beef Wellington lunch at her home in 2023.
Her trial drew podcasters, film crews and true crime fans to a courthouse in the rural town of Morwell, a sedate hamlet in Victoria better known for its prize-winning roses.
Audiences from New York to New Delhi followed every twist of what many now simply call the “mushroom murders”.
The motive of the murders remains a mystery.
The Melbourne Supreme Court will decide on Monday whether Patterson spends the rest of her life behind bars without the possibility of parole — the maximum sentence for murder in the state of Victoria.
But the judge could allow her to be eligible for release in 30 years, when she will be 80 years old.
Prosecutors say Patterson should be jailed for life without parole because her offence was of the “worst category”.
But her defence argues she should be given the chance of release after 30 years because the notoriety of her case will mean she will spend most of her prison sentence in isolation.
She arrived at the Melbourne court just after 09:00 am local time (2300 GMT Sunday), an AFP journalist said.
After the judge delivers Patterson’s sentence, her legal team has 28 days to appeal both her convictions and her sentence.
In July, a 12-person jury found Patterson guilty of murdering her husband Simon’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as his aunt Heather Wilkinson, at her home in Leongatha, in the state of Victoria.
She was also found guilty of attempting to murder Heather’s husband Ian.
Simon had also been invited to the fateful lunch, but pulled out on the eve of the meal, texting his estranged wife that he felt “uncomfortable” attending.
At the time, Patterson’s relationship with Simon had turned sour.
The pair — long estranged but still legally married — were fighting over Simon’s child support contributions.
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.
Friends and family of the victims last month told a court of the devastating impact of the crime.
Sole lunch survivor Pastor Ian Wilkinson said he feels “half alive” without his wife.
“The silence in our home is a daily reminder,” he said.
“I continue to carry a heavy burden of grief over her untimely death.”
