Erin Patterson, the woman convicted of poisoning four relatives with death cap mushrooms, will die in prison after a new court ruling by Australian judges. The 52-year-old was sentenced to life in jail last September after being found guilty of killing four of her estranged husband's relatives.
The mushrooms were mixed into a beef wellington she served at a lunch in July 2023. Patterson appealed her conviction, and three judges of the Victoria state Court of Appeal handed down their ruling on Friday, October 30.
Judges reject appeal
The judges ordered Patterson would never be released from prison after agreeing with prosecutors that her 33-year-long non-parole period was inadequate. The decision was passed down in a short hearing, and it has been reported Patterson is likely to die in prison.
The three judges also dismissed Patterson's challenge to her convictions, which stemmed from the family meal she hosted at her rural home in Leongatha. Patterson had insisted she added death cap mushrooms to the meals accidentally.
Sentences and next steps
Prosecutors argued at an appeal hearing in August that she should never become eligible for parole. Patterson was sentenced last year to three life sentences for murder and 25 years for attempted murder.
She can challenge the verdict at Australia's High Court, her final appeal option.
