Erin Patterson has finally been found guilty of three counts of murder and attempted murder almost two years after the fatal poisoning, and after a mammoth 10-week trial.
For weeks and weeks, new information has poured out about the events that led to the deaths of Don Patterson, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, and the near-death of Ian Wilkinson.
We’ve summarised a timeline of how the complicated case played out.
April 18, 2023 – A post on iNaturalist, a website for tracking plants and fungi, records death cap mushrooms growing in the Loch area.
April 28, 2023 – Erin Patterson’s mobile service records indicate a possible visit to Loch, according to telecommunications expert Dr Matthew Sorrell.
Erin Patterson also buys a food dehydrator from Hartley Wells Betta Electrical store in Leongatha.
May 21, 2023 – Another post on iNaturalist shares the exact location of death cap mushrooms growing in Outtrim.
May 22, 2023 – Erin’s mobile phone data suggests she travels to Loch and Outtrim.
July 16, 2023 – Erin Patterson attends a service at Korumburra Baptist Church and invites Don, Gail and Simon Patterson and Ian and Heather Wilkinson to lunch on July 29.
July 28, 2023 – Simon Patterson messages Erin Patterson that he will not come to the lunch because he feels “too uncomfortable”.
Five minutes later, she replies, “That’s really disappointing, I’ve spent many hours this week preparing lunch for tomorrow.
“And spent a small fortune on beef eye fillet to make beef Wellingtons because I wanted it to be a special meal, as I may not be able to host a lunch like this again for some time.
“It’s important to me that you’re all there tomorrow.”
July 29, 2023 – Erin Patterson hosts the fatal mushroom lunch at her home in Leongatha.
Her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, and her husband Ian, arrive just after noon.
They share in pleasant conversation before Erin Patterson tells the lie that she’s been diagnosed with cancer and asks for advice on telling her children. The guests give their advice, offer their well-wishes and pray.
Later that night, Don and Gail Patterson and Heather and Ian Wilkinson become incredibly sick with what they thought was gastro.
July 30, 2023 – Don and Gail Patterson go by ambulance to Korumburra Hospital in the morning, before being transported to Dandenong Hospital in the evening.
Simon Patterson takes Heather and Ian Wilkinson to Leongatha Hospital.
Erin Patterson says she suffers from diarrhoea and nausea that began on the evening following the lunch. She drives her son to a flying lesson, which was later cancelled, and CCTV shows her going to a service station, where she spends nine seconds in the bathroom, before purchasing a ham and cheese toastie, a sweet chilli chicken wrap and some lollies
She then serves her children leftovers from the beef Wellington meal.
July 31, 2023 – Erin Patterson goes to Leongatha Hospital about 8.05am and leaves about 8.10am, before returning at 9.48am.
She is later taken to Monash Medical Centre by ambulance. Her children are also brought to hospital as a precaution.
A local police officer is sent to get the beef Wellington leftovers from a bin at Erin Patterson’s home. They are later sent to the Royal Botanic Gardens in South Yarra by taxi to be investigated.
August 1, 2023 – Erin Patterson is discharged from Monash Medical Centre.
August 2, 2023 – As seen on CCTV, Erin Patterson drives her red car to the Koonwarra Transfer Station and Landfill and dumps her food dehydrator in an e-waste bin.
Monash Council begins attending Asian grocery stores in Melbourne’s south-east to try to find mushrooms matching Erin Patterson’s description.
August 3, 2023 – Victoria Police’s Homicide Squad launches an investigation into the lunch.
August 4, 2023 – Heather Wilkinson dies in hospital at 2.50am before Gail Patterson dies in hospital at 5.55pm.
Erin Patterson’s Sunbeam food dehydrator is retrieved from the e-waste bin at Koonwarra Transfer Station and Landfill by police.
August 5, 2023 – Homicide detectives search Erin Patterson’s Leongatha home. Police seize a number of items from her house – including computers and mobile phones. She is questioned and released.
Don Patterson dies in hospital at 11.30pm.
August 7, 2023 – Erin Patterson speaks to A Current Affair outside her home, saying, “It’s a tragedy what’s happened,” while wiping her eyes.
August 11, 2023 – The Department of Health finishes investigating and is unable to identify any stores selling mushrooms matching Erin’s description.
November 2, 2023 – Police execute another search warrant at Erin Patterson’s home and she is charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder over the lunch on July 29.
April 22, 2024 – Erin Patterson faces Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court by video link from prison to request her case be heard close to her home in Morwell.
Patterson’s barrister, Colin Mandy SC, said Patterson wanted the committal to be held close to her home.
“It’s not only a matter of principle, and there are powerful reasons for the committal having to take place in Ms Patterson’s local community,” Mandy said.
She elects not to have a committal, fast-tracking her court process to face trial at the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Justice Christopher Beale tells the jury to put the three attempted murder charges relating to her former husband “out of (their) minds”.
“Those charges have been discontinued by the Director of Public Prosecutions,” he told the jury.
June 2, 2025 – Erin Patterson takes the stand for the first time to give evidence in her own trial
June 30, 2025 – The jury is balloted down to 12 people, who begin deliberating.
July 7, 2025 – The jury returns its guilty verdicts.
