Wild mushrooms, which were reportedly on everyone’s menu except the hosts, turned a modest family meal in a sleepy Australian town into the focal point of a potential murder mystery.
A homicide inquiry has been opened following the deaths of three guests and the critical illness of a fourth in the days following the supper, all of whom had symptoms that, according to the authorities, were typical of death cap mushroom poisoning.
The 48-year-old woman who prepared and hosted the supper for her in-laws and another spouse on July 29 has been questioned by police. She was freed without being charged pending additional investigations, but Victoria police said her home had been searched and some things had been taken away for testing.
Erin Patterson sobbed as she told reporters she was “devastated” by the killings while speaking outside her home in the southern state of Victoria’s Leongatha town. She admitted on Monday that “I didn’t do anything,” adding that the victims were “some of the best people I’ve ever met” and calling her mother-in-law “the mom I didn’t have.”
When asked where the mushrooms came from or which guests received which dinners, she remained silent.
The lunch attendees, including Patterson and her two children, did not get sick. According to The Associated Press, police said they think the children were served a different entrée than the other diners.
According to Victoria police, their investigation is being conducted in close collaboration with the health department and the medical community. At a press conference, Detective Inspector Dean Thomas stated that it was too early to file any charges.
He said, “We must maintain an open mind. “It could be very innocent, but again, we just don’t know at this point,” he continued.
Gail Patterson, 70, her husband Don, 70, & her sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, were among the attendees at the lunch. The day after the lunch, they were brought to a hospital in Melbourne, where they all passed away a few days later.
The meal was also attended by Heather Wilkinson’s 66-year-old husband Ian, who is still in the hospital in serious condition awaiting a liver transplant.
The group resided in the Victorian town of Korumburra, where Ian Wilkinson was the pastor of the local Baptist congregation.
Both families expressed a need for privacy at “this difficult time” in a statement to the neighborhood newspaper.
The victims were recalled for “their love, steadfast faith, and selfless service.”
The official cause of death has yet to be determined, but according to police, all four guests displayed symptoms associated with death cap mushroom poisoning, a particularly deadly kind.
Death cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides) are “extremely poisonous” to both humans and animals, according to the Victoria health department. One of those mushrooms can kill an adult, according to the warning, which also lists symptoms like severe stomach discomfort, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
In southeast Australia, death cap mushrooms are most prevalent between March and May. The health department issued a warning that there are now no at-home tests that can reliably differentiate between edible and toxic mushrooms.
Thomas advised caution when mushroom-foraging because it may take some time for testing and toxicology results to identify the cause of the symptoms and the manner of death.
“I do advise folks in the neighborhood to consider mushrooms they may have found in paddocks, farms, or anywhere else. Please consider whether you should consume them.