Erin Trudi Patterson (née Scutter, born 30 September 1974[6]) grew up in the south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Glen Waverley. In 1992, Scutter was accepted for a science course at the University of Melbourne and later switched to accounting. Patterson also trained to be an air traffic controller and graduated in 2001.[7]

Early career

Following her graduation, Scutter worked as an air traffic controller with Airservices Australia in Melbourne; and by 2004, worked as an animal management employee for RSPCA Australia at the Monash City Council's headquarters. In the same year, she began dating Simon Patterson, who worked as an engineer at Monash City Council.[7]

Marriage and family life

In July 2006, Scutter inherited $2 million from her grandmother, which was paid to her over an eight-year period commencing in 2007. Scutter married Simon Patterson in 2007 and they moved to Western Australia, and lived in Perth, York, and Pemberton. Scutter, now Patterson, ran a second-hand bookshop in Pemberton while her husband worked for the local council. While living in Western Australia, Patterson gave birth to their son. Patterson subsequently testified that she bonded with Gail and Don Patterson, her parents-in-law, during this period.[7]

Prior to the birth of their daughter, Erin and Simon Patterson relocated to Koonwarra, Victoria to be closer to her in-laws. According to Simon Patterson, Erin Patterson had bonded with Don over a "shared a love of knowledge and learning" and that she liked his "gentle nature." Patterson attended a Baptist church where Ian Wilkinson served as pastor and became acquainted with Wilkinson's wife, Heather.[7]

Patterson's father died from cancer in c. 2011 and, in 2019, her mother also died from cancer. Erin Patterson and her sister inherited her parents' estate, which included a $900,000 beachfront retirement home in Eden, New South Wales. Patterson's share of her parents' estate allowed her and Simon to provide interest-free loans to his three siblings and their spouses to buy homes.[7]

Family conflict

Patterson's relationship with Simon began to deteriorate following the birth of their first child. The couple underwent several short-term separations before reaching a financial settlement and long-term split in 2015. Following their separation, Patterson and Simon shared custody of their two children and remained on friendly terms including going on holidays together. In 2022, Patterson and Simon's relationship deteriorated after he filed a tax return which listed himself as single. Due to this change in his relationship status, Patterson became ineligible for government child support payments; with Simon being told by a federal government agency to stop paying his children's school fees and medical bills. While Simon claimed that this change in status was the result of a mistake by his accountant, this incident damaged the couple's relationship.[7]

In the two years leading up to the family lunch on 29 July 2023, Patterson's relationship with her in-laws had become estranged. According to her brother-in-law Matthew Patterson's court testimony, Patterson missed several family events and briefly attended some. During her testimony, Patterson alleged that she had been snubbed when she received a late invitation to her mother-in-law Gail's 70th birthday celebration around May 2023. Patterson had also posted several social media messages to her online friends criticising her estranged husband and her in-laws.[7]

Lunch and deaths

On 29 July 2023, Erin Patterson cooked beef Wellington for a lunch for her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson and Heather's husband Ian, at her home in Leongatha.[8] Her estranged husband, Simon Patterson (separated around 2020[9]), was invited but did not attend.[10] Patterson claims her two children went to the cinema at the time of the lunch.[11] The meal contained Amanita phalloides death cap mushrooms.[12]

The following day, all four guests were admitted to hospital with suspected gastroenteritis. Erin Patterson went to Leongatha Hospital with reported stomach pains and diarrhoea, but repeatedly refused to be admitted. Doctors were so concerned for her welfare that they called the police.[13] There were further health concerns for Erin and Simon's children, who purportedly ate leftovers of the beef Wellington (with the mushrooms and pastry removed), and doctors were adamant that the children should also be checked for any adverse reactions. It was suggested that Erin Patterson was initially reluctant to seek medical attention for the children.[14][15]

On 4 August, five days after the lunch, Gail Patterson (aged 70) and Heather Wilkinson (aged 66) died in hospital and an investigation was launched by Victoria Police. On 5 August, Don Patterson (aged 70) died in hospital, despite receiving a liver transplant.[16][11]

Ian Wilkinson (aged 69) remained hospitalised for over seven weeks and survived.[17] He was discharged on 23 September. A funeral for his wife was held on 4 October.[18][19]

Police investigation

Police confirmed on 14 August that Patterson provided them with a detailed statement, in which she said she had bought dried mushrooms from an Asian supermarket in Mount Waverley (around 118 kilometres (73 mi) away from Leongatha) three months before the lunch.[20]

Patterson also said in the statement that she intentionally disposed of the food dehydrator that police found in a skip bin at a transfer station in Koonwarra after, she said, people "began accusing her of intentionally poisoning the meal".[21]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Leongatha_mushroom_murders

DISCLAIMER: Wikipedia has listed the birthday without time of birth, but I also got the birthday from a police report by Dr. Webster's call to triple 0. Access to time of birth for proper analysis at some point would be incredible. Gaia