Erin Patterson sits at the centre of Netflix’s Death Cap: The Mushroom Murders – what happened before she was handed a guilty verdict? The true crime documentary has quickly become one of the platform’s most unsettling real-life stories.
Netflix has long shown a flair for gripping true crime, delivering standout titles such as Don’t F**k With Cats, Take Care of Maya, and Icarus. Death Cap: The Mushroom Murders continues that trend, unpacking a case that shocked Australia and left viewers questioning how an apparently ordinary family lunch ended in tragedy.
The series examines the deaths of Heather Wilkinson and Don and Gail Patterson, three relatives who died after a meal at Erin Patterson’s home in Leongatha, Victoria, in the summer of 2023. Whether you followed the case as it unfolded or are discovering it through the documentary, these are the key details behind one of Netflix’s most talked-about investigations.
What did Erin Patterson do?
On July 29, 2023, Erin Patterson invited four people to her home for lunch: her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, and Heather’s husband Ian. Her estranged husband Simon had also been invited but did not attend, while Patterson’s two children were reportedly at the cinema.
Within 24 hours, all four guests were admitted to hospital. Patterson herself later reported stomach pains and diarrhoea. Initially, doctors believed the group was suffering from gastroenteritis. However, five days later, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson died. Don Patterson followed the next day, on August 5.
Ian Wilkinson survived after spending seven weeks in hospital and undergoing a liver transplant. He later attended his wife’s funeral in early October.
Investigators discovered that Patterson had served Beef Wellington containing Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the death cap mushroom. While they resemble edible varieties, death caps are responsible for most fatal mushroom poisonings worldwide. Their toxins cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing and primarily attack the liver, with a reported mortality rate of between 10 and 30 percent.
Did she eat the Beef Wellington?
Patterson also ate the Beef Wellington, but far less than her guests. The prosecution claimed she exaggerated her symptoms, while the defence argued her illness was genuine, pointing to low potassium levels and elevated haemoglobin that could not be fabricated.
During the trial, Patterson said she had eaten a smaller portion of the meal before consuming most of an orange cake brought for everyone to share, which caused her to vomit. She also told the court she had previously struggled with bulimia and that episodes of overeating followed by vomiting were not unusual for her.
This, the defence suggested, explained why she was affected by the toxins but not fatally so. It was also noted that Patterson’s children reportedly ate leftovers the following day after the mushrooms had been scraped off.
Why did she kill them?
Throughout the investigation and trial, Erin Patterson maintained her innocence, and her precise motive was never established. However, her strained relationship with her ex-husband Simon was frequently highlighted.
The pair separated in 2015 after agreeing on a financial settlement, but tensions reportedly worsened when Simon mistakenly listed himself as single on a tax return, rendering Patterson ineligible for child support payments. In the months before the fatal lunch, she had missed several family gatherings and criticised both Simon and her in-laws on social media.
Simon also alleged that the Beef Wellington incident followed earlier attempts to poison him. In 2022, he was hospitalised after eating a chicken korma and later required part of his bowel to be removed.
During sentencing, Justice Christopher Beale addressed the absence of a clear motive.
“Clearly, the jury was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that you committed the alleged offences,” he said. “Only you know why you committed them. I will not be speculating about that matter.”
Where is Erin Patterson now and was she found guilty?
Erin Patterson is now incarcerated at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, a maximum-security women’s prison in Melbourne. Erin Patterson was found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, receiving three concurrent life sentences plus an additional 25 years. She will be eligible for parole in 2056, when she will be 82.
Her defence barrister, Colin Mandy SC, argued for the possibility of parole, citing the burden of imprisonment and what he described as harsh conditions. According to BBC News, Patterson spends 22 hours a day alone in her cell, with no contact with other inmates.
Death Cap: The Mushroom Murders lays out these chilling details in full, leaving viewers with a case that remains as disturbing as it is difficult to comprehend.
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