Woman wails after serving mushroom lunch that 'killed three of her relatives'
A woman who served a meal that appears to have killed three of her family members has denied any wrongdoing.
Australian Erin Patterson, 48, hosted a lunch with her former parents-in-law, Gail and Don Patterson, along with Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson and husband Ian at her home in Leongatha, in Victoria's Gippsland region.
All four guests fell ill after the meal on July 29, before being hospitalised the following day. Their conditions worsened before the two sisters, aged 66 and 70, dying on Friday. Don, 70, died on Saturday. Meanwhile Ian, 68, remains fighting for his life and waiting for a liver transplant.
Police said their symptoms were consistent with those caused by death cap mushrooms.
Erin, who has not been charged in relation to the tragedy, has now spoken publicly for the first time since the fatal lunch.
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"I didn't do anything," she told local media. "I loved them and I'm devastated that they're gone." She then mistakenly confused Don with Ian by expressing her 'hope' that 'Don pulls through'.
Gail and Don Patterson were Erin's parents-in-laws (Nine)Erin spoke for a couple of minutes but did not answer questions about where the mushrooms came from, who picked them or what meal she made for her guests. "I'm so devastated by what's happened," she said as she wiped away a tear.
She described the two couples as 'some of the best people I've ever met'. She added: "Gail was like the mum I didn't have because my mum passed away four years ago and Gail had never been anything but good and kind to me.
"Ian and Heather were some of the best people I'd ever met. They never did anything wrong to me. I'm so devastated about what's happened and the loss to the community and to the families and to my own children, they've lost their grandmother."
Erin was previously married to Don and Gail's son, Simon, and had been living at the Leongatha property for the past 12 months. Her two children were also present at the lunch but reportedly ate different meals to the adults and did not fall ill. They were taken to hospital as a precaution and have been removed from their mother's care.
Heather Wilkinson died on Friday (Nine)
Ian remains fighting for his life (Nine)Detectives from the homicide squad questioned Erin when they searched the property on Saturday, and she was reportedly heard 'wailing' after cops visited the home at the weekend, according to Seven News. She was released pending further enquiries.
Victoria Police Detective Inspector for the Homicide Squad Dean Thomas said: "She hasn't presented with any symptoms but we have to keep an open mind in relation to this, that it could be very innocent but again we just don't know at this point."
The deaths are currently being treated as "unexplained". Mr Thomas added: "We've seized a number of exhibits in relation to the matter, a lot of the items we have seized will be forensically tested in the hope that they can shed some light on what's occurred.
"We will be working closely with medical experts, toxicologists ... in the hope we can understand exactly what has gone on and provide some answers to the family.
"We're trying to understand who ate what at the lunch, whether that person that did not become ill did or did not eat the mushrooms... And of course, we're trying to ascertain what it is that has actually caused the poisoning ... to the four people that attended."
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