Mushroom poisoning: Australian woman arrested on suspicion of death cap poisoning

CNN
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Australian police have charged a woman who served lunch with murder earlier this year It led to the death of three people Death cap mushroom poisoning is suspected.

Victoria Police confirmed a 49-year-old woman was charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder after she was arrested in connection with the case on Thursday morning.

Local mediaincluded CNN regional affiliates And ABC National RadioThe woman was identified as Erin Patterson, 49, who police previously identified as the person who cooked and served the meal that ended in the deaths. When asked to confirm the woman’s identity, Victoria Police declined to comment.

CNN affiliate Nine News said Patterson was arrested at her home in the town of Leongatha in southern Victoria.

Detective Inspector Dean Thomas described the charges as the “next step” in a long investigation.

“Over the past three months, this investigation has been subjected to incredibly intense levels of public scrutiny and curiosity. I cannot think of another investigation that has generated this level of media and public interest, not only here in Victoria but,” he said in a statement released by Victoria Police on Thursday. Also at the national and international levels.”

“I think it’s especially important to keep in mind that at the heart of this, three people lost their lives. These are three people who were by all accounts very much loved in their communities and are deeply missed by their loved ones,” Thomas added.

Patterson served a beef meal in late July to her former parents-in-law, her mother-in-law’s sister and her husband, who were guests at her Leongatha home, according to police.

A few days after the meal, her former mother-in-law Jill Patterson, 70, Jill’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, and Jill’s husband Don, 70, died in hospital.

The fourth attendee, 68-year-old Reverend Ian Wilkinson, became seriously ill and He reportedly needs a liver transplant But I made enough of it Recovering from leaving Austin Hospital in Melbourne in September.

Patterson has previously denied any wrongdoing, telling local media that she had no idea how dangerous the mushrooms she used in the recipe were.

“I am now devastated to think that this fungus may have contributed to the illness that my loved ones are suffering from. I really want to reiterate that I had absolutely no reason to harm these people that I loved.” He said in the statement She gave it to the police Quoted by ABC Public Broadcasting Corporation.

In the same statement, she claimed that she had purchased the mushrooms used in the meal from two separate stores.

When news of the investigation emerged in early August, Detective Inspector Dean Thomas of Victoria Police’s homicide squad said Patterson was a suspect because she had cooked the meal and was the only adult who did not fall ill at lunch.

The symptoms experienced by Patterson’s guests were consistent with death cap mushroom poisoning (Amanita phalloides), Thomas said in August, although no toxicology reports have been published showing exactly what they consumed.

He said Patterson had separated from her husband, Simon, whose parents died after the meal. But he described their relationship as “friendly.”

“We have to keep an open mind regarding this. “It could be very innocent,” Thomas said at the time. “But again, we don’t know at this point… four people show up and three of them have died, and one other person’s condition is in good condition.” “It’s critical, so we have to work on this.”

A search warrant was executed at the Gibson Street address where the woman was arrested, including the use of technology detector dogs from the Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police. He said in a statement.

Police said that after the arrest, the investigation is still ongoing.

“I know people will undoubtedly have many unanswered questions about this matter, but I urge people to be particularly mindful of unnecessary speculation and not share misinformation,” Thomas said in the statement released by Victoria Police on Thursday.