Mushroom poisoning deaths: Mystery thickens in Australia as three people die after eating death cap
Australia has been rocked by a Mushroom poisoning case that has claimed three lives.
Three persons died after they ate death cap, stated to be one of the deadliest known mushrooms to humans.
A 48-year-old woman Erin Patterson, who hosted the lunch at a palatial country home in the state of Victoria is under police scanner.
Erin Patterson is said to have invited her former partner Simon Patterson to her home for the meal on July 29 with his parents Gail and Tom Patterson, 70, along with Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian, 68, Daily Mail said.
Simon was mean to come but could not make it 'at the last minute', Daily Mail Australia revealed today. Police said the couple had split 'amicably' - suggesting the lunch would not have been unusual. Simon lived with his parents for a year after the split before moving out. Exactly when the separation happened is unclear, Daily Mail added.
The Pattersons' two children were also present at the lunch but ate different meals to the adults and did not experience any illness. They've reportedly been taken into care, the report noted.
The Washington Post quoted Detective Inspector Dean Thomas as saying that the host is a suspect “because she cooked those meals for the people.” But he added, “we have to keep an open mind in relation to this that it could be very innocent.”
A statement issued by the Victoria Police on August 6 said, "Four people were taken to hospital on July 30 after they became ill following a meal at a private residence in Leongatha the previous day. Two Korumburra women, aged 66 and 70, passed away in hospital on 4 August. A third person, a 70-year-old Korumburra man, passed away in hospital yesterday."
The statement further said that a 68-year-old Korumburra man remains in hospital in a critical condition. Investigators executed a search warrant at a residence in Leongatha yesterday. Detectives also interviewed a 48-year-old Leongatha woman who was released pending further enquiries.
The investigation surrounding the exact circumstances of the incident remains ongoing and police are liaising with the Department of Health in relation to the matter, the statement added.
Approached by reporters outside her Leongatha home this week, Patterson, according to The Washington Post, said she’d made the meal for “the best people I’ve ever met” and was devastated by their deaths. “I just can’t fathom what has happened.”