Erin Patterson Found Guilty of Murder for Serving Death Cap Mushroom Lunch

A Supreme Court jury has found Erin Patterson guilty of murdering three relatives by deliberately lacing a beef Wellington lunch with death cap mushrooms.

Patterson, 50, had pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder, telling the court the poisonous mushrooms were accidentally included in the meals she served to four relatives in 2023.

Erin Patterson has been found guilty of three counts of murder and one of attempted murder after serving her relatives a lunch containing death cap mushrooms. Follow the latest news in our live blog. To stay up to date with this story, subscribe to ABC News.

Her parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson both died after the Leongatha lunch, along with Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson. Ms Wilkinson's husband, Ian Wilkinson, survived after spending weeks in hospital.

Sitting in Morwell, the Supreme Court jury found Patterson guilty of murdering the trio, and guilty of the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson.

As the verdict was handed down, Patterson did not express any obvious outward emotion, watching the process from inside the courtroom.

Jury presented with choice between 'sinister deception' or tragic accident

Stay up to date with the ABC's Mushroom Case Daily podcast Photo shows An illustration of Erin Patterson with her face inside the shape of a mushroom. The ABC's Mushroom Case Daily podcast brings you all the key updates from court involving accused triple murderer Erin Patterson, and an allegedly poisonous mushroom lunch.

Over nine weeks, the jurors heard from more than 50 witnesses and were introduced to more than 120 exhibits by the prosecution and defence.

The prosecution told the jury Patterson had deliberately picked death cap mushrooms from places identified on the nature website iNaturalist, before dehydrating them, blitzing them into a powder and concealing them in the individually parcelled beef Wellingtons served to her guests.

To support its case, prosecutors drew on mobile phone tower data, digital forensic analysis of devices seized from Patterson's Leongatha home, and evidence from the surviving lunch guest, Ian Wilkinson.

Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC told the jury Patterson engaged in four major deceptions to facilitate the meal.

She said the substantial one was the \"sinister deception ... to use a nourishing meal as the vehicle to deliver the deadly poison\".

Ian Wilkinson (left) was the only surviving guest of the lunch, which led to the deaths of his wife Heather Wilkinson, as well as Don and Gail Patterson. (Supplied)

Other deceptions alleged by the prosecution were Patterson's lie to lunch guests about cancer, allegedly faking her illness after the lunch and disposing of a food dehydrator containing death cap mushroom residue and lying about it to police.

Prosecutors did not allege a specific motive for Patterson to murder her relatives, something which defence barrister Colin Mandy SC told the jury was a significant omission.

\"Erin Patterson had a motive to keep these people in her world so that they could keep supporting her and her children,\" he said.

\"And there's absolutely no doubt that Don and Gail had a great relationship with their grandchildren … absolutely no doubt that Erin was devoted to her children.

\" Why would she take wonderful, active, loving grandparents away from her own children? \"

Mr Mandy told the jury that there was no reason for her to harm her relatives, despite a brief episode of tension months before the lunch.