Erin Patterson has been charged with three counts of murder over the poisonous mushroom meal that led to the deaths of three of her relatives four months ago.
Patterson was arrested at her home in Leongatha in Victoria’s Gippsland region on Thursday morning before police spent the day painstakingly scouring the property.
She spent five hours being questioned by detectives at Wonthaggi Police Station before police announced charges had been laid around 7.30pm.
Patterson was charged with three counts of murder along with five counts of attempted murder.
Four of the attempted murder charges involve her estranged husband Simon Patterson.
The murder charges and two of the attempted murder charges relate to the July 29 mushroom lunch, where four of Erin Patterson’s relatives fell ill following a meal at her home.
Heather Wilkinson, 66, Heather’s sister Gail Patterson and her husband Don Patterson, both 70, all died in August in the days after eating Erin’s beef Wellington.
The Pattersons were the parents of Ms Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon, who was also meant to attend the lunch but skipped the meal at the last minute.
Ms Wilkinson’s husband, Baptist church pastor Ian Wilkinson, 68, was the sole survivor but was left critically ill and spent almost two months in hospital.
The three other attempted murder charges relate to three separate incidents involved Erin Patterson’s estranged husband Simon Patterson.
Erin Patterson has been charged with three counts of murder over the poisonous mushroom meal that led to the deaths of three of her relatives four months ago
Patterson arrives at Wonthaggi Police Station, where she was questioned by cops
‘The further three attempted murder charges relate to three separate incidents in Victoria between 2021-2022,’ a police statement read.
‘It’s alleged a 48-year-old Korumburra man became ill following meals on these dates.’
Erin Patterson was remanded in custody and will spend Thursday night behind bars, before appearing at Morwell Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning.
She was seen being driven from Wonthaggi Police Station in the back of a police van at about 8.15pm.
Homicide Squad Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said the charges are just the next step in what has been an incredibly complex, methodical and thorough investigation.
‘Over the last three months, this investigation has been subjected to incredibly intense levels of public scrutiny and curiosity,’ he said in a statement.
‘I cannot think of another investigation that has generated this level of media and public interest, not only here in Victoria but also nationally and internationally.
‘I think it is particularly important that we keep in mind that at the heart of this, three people have lost their lives. These are three people who by all accounts were much beloved in their communities and are greatly missed by their loved ones.’
Detectives brought in specially-trained ‘technology detector dogs’ – that can sniff out USB memory keys and sim cards – to help scour the property
He acknowledged the deaths and alleged incidents continue to have a significant impact on the immediate families of those involved.
‘In smaller communities such as Leongatha and Korumburra, a tragedy such as this can reverberate for years to come,’ Detective Inspector Thomas added.
‘I know that people will no doubt have many unanswered questions about this matter, however I urge people to be especially mindful of unnecessary speculation and not sharing misinformation.
‘Our thoughts today are with the families of those impacted and we will continue to ensure they are provided with all the necessary support they need.’
Earlier in the day, forensic experts were spotted rifling through a crowded garage attached to the home, and combing through the interior of her red MG ZS SUV parked in the property’s driveway.
Detectives brought in specially-trained ‘technology detector dogs’ – that can sniff out USB memory keys and sim cards – to help scour the property.
Detectives were seen going through Erin Patterson’s car (pictured) during the search of her property on Thursday
Police were also seen rifling through the crowded contents of the garage attached to the home on Thursday morning
The technology detection dogs were supplied by n Federal Police who say they can find memory storage devices
The technology detection dogs were supplied by n Federal Police who say they can find memory storage devices such as USBs, hard drives, mobile phones, storage device cards and SIM cards.
The dogs are considered to be the most elite of all sniffer dogs and capable of sensing the microns-thin coating that protects computer circuit boards.
Their noses are so sensitive, they can track down tiny SIM or memory cards buried in walls or even hidden in fruit.
The dogs were seen exploring various locations around the home, with a sofa on a rear deck of the home closely inspected.
Ms Patterson’s car was also given a thorough search several times by detectives and the sniffer dogs.
Five cars including Ms Patterson’s were parked in her driveway on Thursday morning. Ms Patterson’s bins remained uncollected outside her property.
The charges come after pastor Wilkinson was said to be helping homicide detectives with the investigation following his release from hospital on September 23.
Police believe the symptoms the four diners experienced were consistent with the effects of eating death cap mushrooms.
‘Today’s arrest is just the next step in what has been a complex and thorough investigation by homicide squad detectives, and one that is not yet over,’ Detective Inspector Thomas told reporters earlier in the day.
‘Once the search of the premises is completed, the female will be interviewed by homicide squad investigators. We will provide updates through the day.’
The dogs were seen exploring various locations around the home, with a sofa on a rear deck of the home closely inspected
A sign on the fence at Ms Patterson’s home warns visitors off from trespassing on the property
A police team of investigators are currently searching her home in Leongatha where the fatal family lunch took place on July 29
Five cars including Erin Patterson’s were parked in her driveway on Thursday morning
Ms Patterson became the focus of the police investigation after it was revealed she cooked the meal. She has always strongly denied any wrongdoing.
She said she took the last remaining plate and ate a serving, later handing the leftovers to hospital toxicologists for examination.
In the wake of the tragedy, Ms Patterson spoke of her love for the victims of the poisoning, and especially her in-laws.
‘I am now devastated to think that these mushrooms may have contributed to the illness suffered by my loved ones,’ she said.
‘I really want to repeat that I had absolutely no reason to hurt these people whom I loved.’
Ms Patterson said she made the killer lunch with a mixture of button mushrooms from a major supermarket chain and dried mushrooms from an Asian grocery store in Melbourne.
In her statement to police, which was leaked to the media, Ms Patterson said she portioned the meal onto plates and let her guests pick their own.
A dehydrator was later dumped at the local tip over her concern that her estranged husband would blame her for his parents’ death and gain custody of their two children, she said.
Death cap mushroom contain deadly amatoxin which catastrophically attacks a person’s body and essentially ‘melts down a person’s liver’, one medical expert told .
It is so potent that you do not even need to eat part of the mushroom for it to be lethal.
Simply consuming liquid the mushrooms were cooked in can be enough to kill.
Erin Patterson was arrested on Thursday morning and taken to Wonthaggi Police station for questioning. She was charged later that night
Heather Wilkinson (left) died after the fatal family meal in Leongatha on July 29. Her husband Ian WIlkinson (right) was the sole survivor
Erin Patterson’s estranged in-laws Don and Gail Patterson both died after the fatal family meal