Police arrest woman who cooked fatal mushroom lunch
A woman at the centre of an investigation into a suspected mushroom poisoning in Victoria that left three people dead and another critically ill has been arrested.
Heather Wilkinson (left) and Don and Gail Patterson (right) died in hospital after eating a meal suspected to have contained poisoned mushroom. Composite image: AAP
Erin Patterson was arrested by homicide squad detectives at her home in Leongatha in South Gippsland just after 8am on Thursday.
A search warrant was executed at the 49-year-old’s Gibson Street home with assistance from Australian Federal Police detector dogs.
Police say she will now be interviewed and the investigation remains ongoing.
Heather Wilkinson, 66, her sister Gail Patterson and brother-in-law Don Patterson, both 70, died after falling ill following a lunch at Ms Patterson’s home in Leongatha in July.
Wilkinson’s husband Ian, 68, spent close to two months in hospital critically ill.
No charges have been laid.
Police believe the symptoms the four diners experienced were consistent with being poisoned by death cap mushrooms.
Homicide detectives previously named the Pattersons’ daughter-in-law Erin Patterson as a suspect as she cooked the lunch that is believed to have led to the deaths.
She has previously been interviewed by police and was released without charge.
In a statement to police, Patterson said she made a Beef Wellington using button mushrooms from a major supermarket and dried mushrooms bought at an Asian grocery store.
The 46-year-old said she ate a serving and later suffered bad stomach pains and diarrhoea, contrary to the suggestion of detectives that she did not fall ill.
She has previously denied any wrongdoing.
Victoria Police have not commented on Patterson’s statement other than to say it was not one taken by officers.
-with AAP
