The mushroom mystery gripping Australia began to become clearer on Monday, with a mother saying she accidentally put lethal fungi in a beef Wellington dish now linked to three deaths.
Rumours are swirling around a close-knit community in rural Australia after the family lunch ended with three people dead and a local clergyman fighting for his life.
Police believe the dish was tainted with death cap mushrooms, which grow wild in the foothills around Leongatha, a small town about two hours’ drive south-east of Melbourne.
The meal was cooked by Erin Patterson, a community newsletter editor, who has been named as a suspect because she appeared to remain in good health despite her four guests falling violently ill.
The investigation has fuelled intense speculation as police try to separate clumsy cooking from an alleged act of malice.
Ms Patterson stressed on Monday she had unwittingly bought the mushrooms from an Asian grocery store and that the poisonings were accidental.
“I am now devastated to think that these mushrooms may have contributed to the illness suffered by my loved ones,” she reportedly said in a statement provided to Australian media.
“I really want to repeat that I had absolutely no reason to hurt these people whom I loved.”
Ms Patterson prepared the beef Wellington for her estranged parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson on the afternoon of Saturday July 29.
She is married to Don and Gail’s son Simon but they have been living separately for some time.
Ms Patterson’s sister Heather, and her husband, Ian Wilkinson, a local baptist pastor, rounded out the guest list.
Later that night, the two couples started experiencing food poisoning symptoms and went to their local hospitals.
Heather and Gail died the following Friday, with Don dying a day later. Mr Wilkinson, 70, is still in hospital. He is in a critical but stable condition.
“We are hopeful and continue to pray for his recovery,” Mr Wilkinson’s family said in a statement over the weekend.
“We are deeply moved by the outpouring of kindness, prayers, and support from family, friends and the broader community.”
Forensic experts have been testing a food dehydrator that was found at a rubbish dump nearby to see whether it contains traces of the toxic death cap mushrooms.
According to Australian media, Ms Patterson has admitted dumping the dehydrator, saying she panicked and was worried about losing custody of her two children.
She reportedly said she bought the mushrooms from a local grocery store in Melbourne and that she too had fallen ill after eating them alongside her guests.
Ms Patterson has forcefully protested her innocence, tearfully telling reporters last week: “I didn’t do anything, I love them and I’m devastated they are gone.”
She has not been charged and police have provided no evidence of wrongdoing.
Death cap mushrooms sprout freely throughout wet, warm parts of Australia and are easily mistaken for edible varieties.
They reportedly taste sweeter than other types of mushrooms but contain potent toxins that slowly poison the liver and kidneys.
