The recent conviction of Erin Patterson in Australia has sent shockwaves far beyond the quiet Victorian town of Morwell where her crime unfolded. In one of the most bizarre and chilling domestic murder cases in recent memory, a woman was found guilty of deliberately serving a meal laced with deadly mushrooms, killing three of her relatives and nearly ending the life of a fourth. The setting could not have been more ordinary ~ an intimate family lunch in a suburban home in southeast Australia.

The dish: beef Wellington, a classic comfort food. But hidden within was one of nature’s most lethal toxins ~ death cap mushrooms, which Patterson allegedly foraged and prepared herself. The guests, including her former in-laws and an elderly couple who had long been part of her extended family, began showing symptoms within days.........

© The Statesman