Family Lunch Turns Deadly As Woman Murders Ex-Husband’s Family With Mushroom Poison

Last Updated:June 03, 2025, 14:43 IST

Erin Patterson, 50, is on trial in Australia for allegedly poisoning three people, including her former in-laws, with deadly mushrooms in July 2023. She pleads not guilty,

Patterson shared that she was a staunch atheist when she first met Simon and even tried to convert him. (AI generated photo from ChatGPT)

In a case that draws eerie parallels to the infamous Jolly Joseph cyanide murders in India’s southern state Kerala — where a woman allegedly killed six of her family members over 14 years — an Australian woman is now facing trial, accused of fatally poisoning three people and attempting to murder a fourth using a meal laced with deadly mushrooms.

Erin Patterson, 50, is at the centre of a high-profile case in Australia, where she is accused of deliberately serving a lunch that led to the deaths of three guests, including her former in-laws, in July 2023.

Among those who died were her estranged husband Simon Patterson’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and Heather Wilkinson, Gail’s sister. Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, a local church pastor, narrowly survived after being hospitalised for several weeks due to severe poisoning from Amanita phalloides, known as the death cap mushroom — one of the most toxic fungi in the world.

While Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges, prosecutors argue that she intentionally spiked a Beef Wellington dish with the poisonous mushrooms. They allege she found the mushrooms based on information posted on a publicly accessible website. Her defence team, however, maintains the deaths were a tragic accident, admitting she lied to police at times but insisting there was no murderous intent.

Troubled Relationship & Emotional Struggles

During court proceedings on Monday, Patterson opened up about her strained relationship with her estranged husband, Simon. She described their bond in July 2023 as merely “functional" and admitted feeling left out of family interactions. Her testimony painted a picture of someone grappling with deep-seated self-esteem issues, worsened by ageing and dissatisfaction with her appearance.

“I had been in a long-standing battle with low self-esteem for most of my adult life," she said, noting she was even considering gastric bypass surgery around that time.

How Erin Met Simon

Under questioning by defence attorney Colin Mandy SC, Patterson recounted how she first met Simon in 2004 while working at Monash City Council in Victoria. Their friendship eventually blossomed into a romantic relationship, and they married in 2007. Her parents were travelling at the time, so it was David Wilkinson, the son of Pastor Ian Wilkinson, who walked her down the aisle.

Patterson shared that she was a staunch atheist when she first met Simon and even tried to convert him. Ironically, the opposite happened. She experienced what she described as a spiritual awakening during her first visit to Korumburra Baptist Church, where Pastor Ian Wilkinson was preaching. “It overwhelmed me," she said, recalling the emotional moment that led her to embrace Christianity.

A Difficult Birth & Family Dynamics

The court also heard about Patterson’s traumatic childbirth experience, where her first child was delivered via emergency C-section after a failed attempt using forceps. Her newborn was placed in intensive care, prompting Patterson to discharge herself from the hospital prematurely so she could be with her baby. She spoke fondly of Gail Patterson, her then-mother-in-law, who supported her in those early days of motherhood and offered valuable guidance.

The couple briefly separated in 2009 while living in Perth. Patterson moved into a cottage with their child while Simon rented a nearby trailer. They reunited in early 2010 and later welcomed their second child.

Erin’s Recurring Marital Struggles

Despite attempts to make the relationship work, Patterson admitted that communication issues plagued their marriage. “Whenever we disagreed, we couldn’t express ourselves in a way that made the other feel heard or understood," she said. These recurring breakdowns in communication often left both feeling emotionally wounded, leading to periods of separation over the years.

Kerala’s Jolly Joseph Case

The case of Erin Patterson — the Australian woman accused of poisoning her guests with deadly mushrooms — bears a haunting resemblance to the shocking “Kerala cyanide murders", in which Jolly Joseph was charged with killing six members of her family over a span of 14 years.

The series of deaths, all traced back to the small town of Koodathayi in Kozhikode district, stunned India when they came to light in 2019. Joseph, now in her late 40s, allegedly used cyanide as her weapon of choice in most of the killings. The police investigation later dubbed the string of fatalities the “Kerala cyanide murders."

The first suspicious death occurred in 2002, when Joseph’s mother-in-law, Annamma Thomas, a retired teacher, suddenly passed away. This was followed by the death of her father-in-law, Tom Thomas, in 2008. In 2011, Joseph’s husband, Roy Thomas, also died under mysterious circumstances. Three years later, in 2014, Roy’s maternal uncle, Mathew, also passed away. The killings continued, with a total of six family members dying in similar unexplained conditions over the years.

The breakthrough in the case came when Roji Thomas, one of Tom Thomas’s sons who lives in the United States, grew suspicious and filed a police complaint. His doubts triggered a deeper investigation, ultimately unravelling a web of deceit and premeditated murders.

During questioning, police say Joseph confessed to her role in all six killings. She reportedly admitted to using pesticide-laced food to kill her mother-in-law Annamma, while cyanide was used in the remaining cases.

In October 2019, Joseph was arrested along with two accomplices: her friend M. Mathew, who allegedly helped procure the cyanide, and Praju Kumar, an employee at a jewellery store who reportedly sourced the toxic chemical.

Like the Erin Patterson case, the Jolly Joseph saga involved family, trust, and food turning fatal — transforming domestic spaces into scenes of slow, deliberate horror.

(With inputs from CNN)

Saurabh Verma

Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19

Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19

Location :

Canberra, Australia

First Published:

News world Family Lunch Turns Deadly As Woman Murders Ex-Husband’s Family With Mushroom Poison