Brisbane, Australia —
One of Australia’s most high-profile murder cases is back in court where a possible retrial, or an even longer prison sentence, awaits the home cook who used toxic mushrooms to kill three lunch guests.
Erin Patterson was convicted last year of deliberately lacing a beef wellington meal with death cap mushrooms to murder her children’s grandparents and the wife of the local pastor. She was also found guilty of attempted murder for almost killing the pastor with the same meal.
Her 10-week trial was held in a small town in rural Victoria that was inundated with media crews and curious members of the public who queued for hours each day for a seat in the public gallery.
The intense interest in the case is one reason why her lawyers are pushing for a retrial – the town was so crowded that at one stage jury members shared a hotel with the prosecution team and an informant.
