Overview

• Erin Patterson faces charges of murdering her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, after they allegedly consumed a beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms in July 2023.
• The attempted murder charges related to Patterson's estranged husband, Simon Patterson, have been dropped, leaving her on trial for three murder charges and one attempted murder charge involving Ian Wilkinson, who survived the meal.
• The trial is being held at the Latrobe Valley Law Courts in Morwell, Victoria, and is expected to last five to six weeks, with opening statements scheduled for April 30, 2025.
• A jury of 15 has been selected from the Gippsland region, with 12 jurors ultimately deciding the verdict after deliberations.
• The case has attracted significant national and international media attention, with limited courtroom access and a daily ballot determining the six media seats available.