Leongatha mushroom murders

Lore & Background

Erin Trudi Patterson (née Scutter; born 30 September 1974) grew up in Glen Waverley, Melbourne. She studied science and accounting at the University of Melbourne, trained as an air traffic controller, and later worked for the RSPCA. She married Simon Patterson in 2007 and they had two children. The couple separated in 2015 but remained on friendly terms until a tax return dispute in 2022 damaged their relationship. Between November 2021 and September 2022, Simon was hospitalized three times with gastrointestinal symptoms consistent with barium carbonate ingestion, details suppressed during the trial.

On 29 July 2023, Patterson cooked individual beef Wellingtons containing death cap mushrooms for her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, and Heather's husband Ian. Simon did not attend. Within 24 hours, all four guests were hospitalized with severe liver failure. Gail and Heather died on 4 August, Don died on 5 August despite a liver transplant, and Ian survived after seven weeks in hospital. Patterson claimed she bought dried mushrooms from an Asian supermarket and disposed of her food dehydrator in a skip bin after being accused of intentional poisoning.

Reader's Guide

The Leongatha mushroom murders became a landmark case in Victoria, being the first sentencing hearing in the state to be broadcast live. The trial, held in Morwell before Justice Christopher Beale, began on 29 April 2025 and resulted in Patterson's conviction on 7 July 2025 for three counts of murder and one of attempted murder. She was sentenced on 8 September 2025 to life imprisonment with a 33-year non-parole period. The case generated extensive media coverage worldwide and inspired a 2025 book, The Mushroom Tapes, co-authored by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper, and Sarah Krasnostein, which won the 2026 ABIA General Nonfiction Book of the Year. In August 2026, Patterson's lawyers sought a retrial on grounds including juror misconduct and unfair cross-examination, while prosecutors appealed the sentence as manifestly inadequate, seeking removal of the parole period. Both appeals remain ongoing.

Did You Know?

• The lunch was held on 29 July 2023 at Patterson's home in Leongatha, Victoria.
• Three victims died within six days; one survived after seven weeks in hospital.
• Patterson was convicted on 7 July 2025 and sentenced to life with a 33-year non-parole period.
• The book 'The Mushroom Tapes' about the case won the 2026 ABIA General Nonfiction Book of the Year.