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Both of her in-laws died, while two others fell ill after Erin Patterson allegedly served them lunch; while Patterson was released, police say she's still a suspect.
An Australian woman broke down in tears while speaking with reporters about the mysterious deaths of three people who fell ill after she hosted them for lunch last month.
48-year-old Erin Patterson had her two in-laws -- Gail and Don Patterson, both 70 -- as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian over for a meal on July 29. Later that evening, all four of them "became ill," say police, with Detective Inspector Dean Thomas from Victoria Police’s Homicide Squad adding they presented "symptoms of some type of food poisoning."
Both Pattersons and Heather Wilkinson died over the weekend, while Ian remains hospitalized and, per the BBC, is awaiting a liver transplant.
According to authorities, all three died from "suspected mushroom poisoning," with Thomas saying in a press briefing Sunday their symptoms were consistent with eating death cap mushrooms. As the name suggests, they are deadly if ingested.
Erin's two children were also present at the lunch, but are believed to "have had a different meal" and are fine, said Thomas. At this point, it's unclear what Patterson cooked or whether she ate it herself, though she did not get sick herself. Police also have not shared the sourcing of the potentially deadly fungus.
Following the deaths, the homicide squad executed a search warrant of Patterson's home; she was also interviewed by investigators and released that evening, "pending further inquiries." When asked whether she was a suspect, Thomas said she was, "because she cooked those meals for those people that were present." He added, "Now, again, she hasn't presented with any symptoms but we have to keep an open mind in relation to this, that it could be very innocent, but again we just don't know at this point."
Thomas also revealed that Erin and her husband, the son of the two deceased Pattersons, are separated -- but added, "we've been advised their relationship is amicable."
The detective also explained that just because the homicide unit is involved, it doesn't mean the deaths are "suspicious," just "unexplained." He added, "we are working as hard as we can to identify why these deaths happened," before warning the public against eating mushrooms they've foraged themselves. "If you haven't purchased them from a supermarket, perhaps stay clear of them," he said.
No charges should be expected just yet, as investigators "still have a lot of work to do" to pinpoint what exactly caused the deaths, said Thomas. "It's a very complex matter," he concluded.
Over the weekend, before Don Patterson passed, Erin was seen speaking with reporters outside her home, breaking down in tears over the "tragedy what's happened."
"I'm devastated by what's happened," she said, calling Heather and Gail "some of the best people that I've ever met." She said her late mother-in-law was like the mother she "didn't have" after her own died four years ago, adding that she's "never been anything but good and kind to me."
"They never did anything wrong to me," she said of the Wilkinsons. "I'm so devastated what's happened and the loss to the community and to the families and to my own children who have lost their grandmother."
When asked about the lunch, she told reporters, "What I can tell you is that I just can't fathom what has happened. I just can't fathom what has happened ... I pray that [Don] pulls through, because my children love him. I'm devastated, I loved them, I can't believe this has happened and I'm so sorry they have lost their lives. I just can't believe it. I just can't believe it."
One reporter also asked about Thomas saying she was still considered a suspect.
"I say I didn't do anything. I loved them and I'm devastated that they're gone and I hope with every fiber of my being that Don pulls through," she said, before going inside and avoiding any questions about where the mushrooms came from.
WMAR / Harford County Sheriff's Office
