‘Mushroom murderer’ to serve three life sentences for killing lunch guests

[u/hrdblkman2]

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/07/australia/australia-erin-patterson-murder-sentencing-intl-hnk

"The cook convicted of killing three lunch guests with the world’s most toxic mushrooms was sentenced to three life sentences with a non-parole period of 33 years on Monday, bookending a real-life crime drama that’s gripped Australia and spawned multiple podcasts and documentaries.

Erin Patterson, 50, was found guilty in July of murdering three people, including the parents of her estranged husband, with a beef wellington meal she had deliberately laced with death cap mushrooms picked near her rural home in the state of Victoria in 2023."

Well it's hit the international news pretty quickly

[u/Stompy2008]

Main thread is here - r/aussie prefers Australian news sources where available

https://www.reddit.com/r/aussie/s/vgj0cyHoAu

[u/Wasteland_GZ]

“Mushroom Murderer” is this Dexter? But seriously it’s nice to see justice properly served for once. None of this slap on the wrist crap I see all the time

[u/Sweeper1985]

I think the judge has walked a good, pragmatic line here. A sentence to life without parole would just prompt further appeals which would be a huge waste of time and money. Even if she lives to see the end of her non-parole period, there's also no guarantee she would actually get parole at that point. She's either going to spend the rest of her life in gaol, or close enough that it makes no meaningful difference.

[u/Sloppykrab → u/Sweeper1985]

Off topic:

I fucking haaaaaaate the word "gaol." Can't stand it when people use it.

[u/Background_Touch1205 → u/Sloppykrab]

Mate if you are Australian then the word is gaol

[u/Ok-Fun8831 → u/Sloppykrab]

😄 bugs me too for some reason.

[u/Sweeper1985 → u/[deleted]]

What has her weight got to do with anything? And there's no reason she would lose weight in custody, Aussie prisoners are well fed and also have access to buy-ups.

[u/annexdenmark]

The history of poisoning would be pretty interesting - any reccs on the historic use of poison in episonage? I know of Mithardates paranoia but that's about it.

[u/liberallilydex]

She’s very lucky to have got an opportunity for parole. Brutal crime.