Jury Begins Deliberation in Australia Mushroom Murder Trial

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Photo: AP

The jury in the case of an Australian woman accused of killing three family members using poisonous mushrooms was told on Tuesday to make their decision without being affected by feelings like sympathy or prejudice.

The trial of 50-year-old Erin Patterson has gone on for eight weeks and is being followed by people around the world. Now, the judge is giving final instructions before the jury begins to decide if she is guilty or not.

Patterson is charged with the murder of her estranged husband's parents and his aunt. She is also accused of trying to kill a fourth person, her husband’s uncle, who got very sick but survived after being in the hospital for a long time.

The deadly lunch took place in July 2023. Prosecutors say Patterson served beef Wellington (a beef dish wrapped in pastry) at her home in Leongatha, a quiet farming town in Victoria. They believe she added death cap mushrooms—one of the most poisonous mushrooms in the world—on purpose to kill the guests.

The people who died were Don and Gail Patterson, who were her former in-laws, and Heather Wilkinson, her husband's aunt. Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, also became very sick but was lucky to recover.

Justice Christopher Beale, the judge in charge, reminded the jury that their job is not to decide if Patterson caused the lunch or was involved by mistake, but if the prosecution has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that she committed the crime on purpose.

"Your decision must not be based on emotions like sympathy or bias," Judge Beale said during the final part of the trial, held in Morwell, a town southeast of Melbourne.

The jury has heard from over 50 witnesses during the trial. Once the judge finishes his instructions, the 14 jury members will be reduced to 12 by a random draw. These 12 people will be the ones who make the final decision.

Prosecutors believe Patterson picked the death cap mushrooms herself and secretly put them in the meal. They say she pretended to be sick after the lunch so that no one would suspect her.

However, Patterson has always said she is innocent. She says it was a terrible accident and that she never meant to hurt anyone.

Her defense lawyer said she lied to police about where the mushrooms came from because she was scared people would blame her.

Patterson had invited her estranged husband Simon to join the family lunch. But the court heard that Simon said no at the last minute because he felt uneasy about it. Even though they were no longer living together, the two were still legally married.

The trial has shocked many people and is being watched closely in Australia and around the world. Now, the jury will soon decide if Erin Patterson is guilty of murder or not.