Mushroom Trial

Timeline of Erin Patterson’s ‘mushroom murders’

THE bewildering case of the Leongatha ‘mushroom murders’ which so captivated the world in 2023, 2024 and 2025 started with the first of two credible discoveries of death cap mushrooms growing in the Leongatha-Korumburra area, at the Loch Recreation...

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Michael Giles

09 Sep 2025

News

Mushroom murderer gets life with a non-parole period of 33 years

LEONGATHA mushroom murderer Erin Patterson has been handed a crushing sentence of life in prison, with a minimum of 33 to serve, for the murders of her husband Simon Patterson’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather...

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Michael Giles

08 Sep 2025

News

‘Worst category of offending’ says Justice Beale

FOR the substantial premeditation, involving months of planning and execution by mushroom murderer Erin Patterson, for her ‘pitiless behaviour’ post offending in refusing to help the suffering victims, for the direct and indirect suffering...

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Michael Giles

08 Sep 2025

News

Kindness, thanks and forgiveness the message of hope from Ian Wilkinson

THE only lunch guest to survive the deadly meal of Beef Wellington, laced with death cap mushrooms, Pastor Ian Wilkinson, has stood out like a beacon through the dark process of bringing the perpetrator, Erin Patterson, to justice. After giving his...

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Michael Giles

08 Sep 2025

News

Video: Homicide investigation ‘doesn’t mean it’s suspicious’

POLICE have provided new details about the tragic deaths of three Korumburra residents and the hospitalisation of another, allegedly as a result of eating a meal of poisonous mushrooms, with symptoms consistent with consuming Death Cap mushrooms...

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Sentinel-Times

07 Aug 2023

News

Media cops a broadside from Simon Patterson

THE “abrasive legal system” and “occasionally callous mainstream media” copped a blast from Simon Patterson in his victim impact statement, read into the court record by his cousin Naomi Gleadow, at the plea hearing on Monday, August 25. Mr...

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Michael Giles

02 Sep 2025

News

Love, loss, forgiveness and the sad impact of Erin Patterson’s heinous crime

THE impact of Erin Patterson’s actions, in murdering her husband Simon’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, was always going to fall heaviest on the people who were left behind. On her own children, robbed of...

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Sentinel-Times

27 Aug 2025

News

Why Simon’s alleged poisoning charges were dropped

ON MONDAY, July 7, 2025, Leongatha mother of two, Erin Patterson, was found guilty on four charges, three counts of murder against her in-laws Gail and Don Patterson and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, and one of attempted murder against Ian...

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Michael Giles

11 Aug 2025

News

What ‘helpful’ Erin said in her police interview

AT THE urging of the media, without objection from the Patterson and Wilkinson families but against the wishes of convicted triple murderer, Erin Patterson, the full video recording of the police record of interview with Ms Patterson has now been...

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Michael Giles

08 Aug 2025

News

‘A lot of victim statements’ in mushroom murder case

JUSTICE Beale has set aside a whole day of a two-day plea hearing later this month just to hear “a lot” of witness impact statements arising out of the murders of three Korumburra family members, and the attempted murder of a fourth. On Friday...

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Michael Giles

08 Aug 2025

News

Video shows the moment police almost lost the mushroom case

HANDS up who knows the access code for their mobile phone? Silly question really! It might as well be tattooed on your forehead. It’s something you’d never forget and if there’s any risk you might forget the access code for your phone...

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Michael Giles

05 Aug 2025

Sentinel-Times Comment

Letters to the Editor

Just what the doctor ordered

By Michael Giles A COUPLE of things caught my eye in the past week; one of them being the decision by Leongatha medico Dr Chris Webster to make public comment on the impact of the mushroom murders on the local community, and in particular, on the...

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Michael Giles

15 Jul 2025

News

Cold hands warm hearts for visiting media at Korumburra Baptist Church

THE first Sunday church service at the Korumburra Baptist Church, on Sunday, July 13, after the verdict the previous Monday, was always likely to attract some media attention. However, given the 252 journalists and media outlets recorded on the...

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Michael Giles

13 Jul 2025