Beef Wellington mushroom poisoning: Identities of victims revealed as Erin Patterson releases statement regarding three deaths 

The three people who died from eating Beef Wellington with mushrooms in Australia’s Leongatha earlier this month have been identified as Gail Patterson, Don Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson. Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, a pastor, was also critically ill but somehow survived.

Their mysterious death has made national headlines in Australia after the lethal meal on July 29. Dean Thomas, the Detective Inspector of Victoria Police’s Homicide Squad, confirmed on August 7, 2023, that Gail and Don’s former daughter-in-law, Erin Patterson, is being treated as a prime suspect.

Erin prepared the meal with death cap mushrooms in her home in Leongatha for Gail and Don Patterson and Ian and Heather Wilkinson. These mushrooms are highly poisonous fungus that typically grows near oak trees. Erin’s Beef Wellington led to all four of them falling sick the next day, July 30, and subsequently getting admitted to a hospital, where it was initially thought that they were suffering from gastrointestinal problems.

After their conditions deteriorated, they were transferred to healthcare facilities in Melbourne. On August 4, Heather and Gail died in the hospital. Don died the next day.

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Erin Patterson's statement about her fatal Beef Wellington meal

After the three deaths, Erin Patterson wrote her detailed account of the Beef Wellington meal she prepared and sent it to Victoria Police. Earlier, she was reluctant to cooperate with the police investigation and said it was a terrifying experience that provoked her anxiety.

In her written statement, Erin said she also consumed the same meal and had to go to the hospital after becoming unwell. She added that while she was in the hospital, Simon Patterson, Erin’s former husband, accused her of poisoning Gail and Don.

Erin recounted that she and Simon were talking about the food dehydrator that she used for preparing the meal when he asked her if she used the dehydrator to poison his parents.

After the sudden question, Erin Patterson claimed she panicked and got rid of the food dehydrator. These dehydrators are commonly used to dry out fruits and vegetables before using them.

Erin admitted in her statement that she initially lied to the police about the exact time she disposed of the dehydrator. At first, she told them that she dumped it a long time ago, but in the statement, she revealed that she did it after her guests fell ill and Simon accused him. Authorities are checking the CCTV footage from the landfill to find the accuracy of Erin Patterson’s statement.

Later in the statement, the 48-year-old said that she let her guests choose their serving of the meal first, then she served her own plate. Her two children also had the Beef Wellington the following day, but they removed the mushroom from their portions since they do not like the vegetable.

During lunch, Erin’s children were at the movies. She said that she suffered diarrhea and severe stomach pains after eating the meal and was given a saline drip at the hospital and medicine to protect her liver.

She added that the mushrooms used in the meal were a mixture of dried mushrooms purchased months ago from an Asian supermarket in Melbourne and button mushrooms from a local supermarket. Erin did not provide further details about the Asian store.

Erin Patterson claimed in her police statement that it was causing her a lot of distress and devastation to think that the mushrooms she used in the Beef Wellington might have contributed to the deaths of her former in-laws. She addressed Don, Gail, Heather, and Ian as her “loved” ones and repeatedly asserted that she had no reason or intention to hurt them.