ERIN PATTERSON has been arrested months after three of her relatives died following a meal at her house.
The woman, from Australia, found herself at the centre of a scandal in July 2023 when she became suspected of serving a beef wellington laced with poisonous mushrooms.
Who is Erin Patterson?
Erin Patterson is a mother of two who hit the headlines over the summer of 2023 when a lunch she cooked killed three members of her extended family.
Patterson lives in Leongatha in Victoria’s South Gippsland region in Australia.
The area is known for its beaches, lakes, mountains and vineyards.
In November 2023 Patterson was arrested, with local reports stating that detectives arrived at her home shortly after 8am on Thursday, November 2.
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Investigators were said to have been seen searching the house, garage, and Patterson's car, and taking items from inside.
Australian Federal Police technology detector dogs, who typically look for items such as USBs and SIM cards, also searched Patterson's home.
Victoria police confirmed homicide squad detectives had arrested a woman but did not name Patterson.
Homicide squad's Inspector Dean Thomas said the arrest was "just the next step in what has been a complex and thorough investigation" and that the investigation was "not over yet".
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Patterson was later charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder.
Police said three of the five attempted murder charges relate to "separate incidents" between 2021-2022, where a 48-year-old man became ill following other meals.
Detectives previously searched Erin's house on August 5, 2023, and questioned her over the deaths of her relatives, after the meal on July 29, 2023.
Who is Erin Patterson's ex-partner?
Simon Patterson is Erin's estranged husband and father of her two children.
Simon, who is believed to be an U16 boys basketball coach, was invited to join his parents for lunch at Erin's house, the former family home, on the day the poisonous lunch was served on July 29, 2023.
He ended up pulling out of the fatal meal at short notice.
Simon is believed to have moved in with his parents after splitting from Erin but moved elsewhere in late 2022.
In May 2022 Simon suffered a mystery illness after collapsing and was placed into an induced coma.
Simon detailed his ordeal in a social media post, writing: "I collapsed at home, then was in an induced coma for 16 days through which I had three emergency operations mainly on my small intestine, plus an additional planned operation.
"My family were asked to come and say goodbye to me twice, as I was not expected to live.
"I was in intensive care for 21 days…"
Who died after eating the mushrooms?
Simon's parents – and Erin's former in-laws – Gail and Don Patterson, died after eating at Erin's house.
Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson also sadly passed away.
Gail and her husband Don were both 70 when they died, while Heather was 66.
Heather's husband Ian, a pastor, is the only survivor.
He was in a critical condition in hospital after eating the meal but was finally able to go home in September 2023.
The four guests became violently ill after eating a beef wellington Erin had prepared for them.
Doctors have said their symptoms were consistent with poisoning by death cap mushrooms, which grow wild in the area near Erin's house.
What has Erin Patterson said?
Erin has denied any wrongdoing on her part.
On August 7 she spoke to a local news station in front of her house saying she was "devastated" over the deaths.
She said: "I loved them and I'm devastated that they're gone.
"Gail was like the mum I didn't have because my mum passed away four years ago and Gail had never been anything but good and kind to me.
"Ian and Heather were some of the best people I'd ever met. They never did anything wrong to me."
Erin has also said that her estranged husband has accused her of killing his parents.
In a statement provided to Victoria police and obtained by Australia's ABC News, Erin revealed Simon asked her if her food hydrator, which had been found at the tip, was "what you used to poison them".
In the same statement, Erin said she dumped the hydrator at the tip in a panic, worried she would lose custody of her children as a result of the deaths.
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She reportedly wrote: "I am now devastated to think that these mushrooms may have contributed to the illness suffered by my loved ones.
"I really want to repeat that I had absolutely no reason to hurt these people, whom I loved."
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