An Australian woman, Erin Patterson, is facing life in prison after a nine-week trial in which she claimed the poisonous mushrooms used were an accident. The 50-year-old mother of two allegedly served her estranged husband’s relatives death cap mushrooms at lunch, killing three of them and seriously injuring the fourth.
Prosecutors argue that Patterson deliberately researched, foraged, and served the toxic mushrooms to kill her guests. They claim she lied about having a dire medical diagnosis to ensure their attendance, cooked individual pastries to avoid poisoning herself, and faked symptoms to make it seem like she fell ill too.
However, Patterson’s defense team says the poisoning was an accident caused by a mix-up of store-bought and wild mushrooms, which she didn’t know were deadly. They argue that Patterson wasn’t as sick as her guests because she induced vomiting after eating due to an eating disorder.
The jury is now deliberating on whether Patterson intended to kill her guests or if the poisoning was simply an accident. The prosecution suggests a deteriorating relationship between Patterson and her estranged husband, but they didn’t offer a motive for the alleged killings.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/australia-mushroom-poisoning-murder-trial-76e33e5e3f1d39bd331d2bca248de8b2