Australian woman has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her Leongatha home in 2023
court hearsHunt says she has not met Erin in person but got to know her in the online community and they had spoken on the phone several times
She recalls Erin describing Simon as “coercive” and said she described Simon’s parents as “demanding”:
She didn’t like it … she deemed unsettled whenever the kids were away.”
Hunt tells jurors Erin shared challenges about having a different faith to Simon
“She being an atheist and Simon being from a very strong Baptist background
she found that very challenging … is what she shared with us.”
Hunt says she was on a “group call” with Erin after the mushroom lunch but did not speak directly to her
Erin’s estranged husband, Simon, denied asking her “is that what you used to poison them?” in the days immediately after the lethal mushroom lunch. It was alleged he was referring to the food dehydrator, the court heard, although it was not clarified who “them” referred to.
The court was shown a Facebook message Erin wrote in 2023 before the lunch, according to her online friend Daniela Barkley. It read “I’ve been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything. Mixed into chocolate brownies yesterday, the kids had no idea.”
A Facebook friend of Erin recalled her describing her estranged husband, Simon, as “coercive” and her in-laws as “demanding”. The three Facebook friends who gave evidence did not meet her in person but communicated in online true crime groups, online chats and phone calls.
The same witness, Christine Hunt, says Erin was “well regarded” in the Facebook group and known as a good researcher, describing her as a “super sleuth.”
Updated at 08.00 CEST17h ago07.21 CESTFacebook friend says Erin Patterson loved mushrooms
Under cross-examination by Mandy, Hay says Erin “seemed to really like mushrooms.”
She says she gave Erin advice about making a beef wellington dish, suggesting she wrap the pastry as close as possible to avoid it becoming soggy.
Updated at 07.28 CEST17h ago07.18 CESTFacebook friend tells court Erin told her mushrooms came from Asian grocerHay says Erin emailed her on the Monday after the mushroom lunch and asked her to call her.
They later spoke on the phone for about 10 minutes, the court hears.
Hay says Erin told her the mushrooms came from an Asian grocery store.
She also recalls Erin saying she was sick after the lunch, had attended hospital and that her children had been tested after eating some of the meal.
17h ago07.18 CESTErin Patterson never discussed foraging for mushrooms, Facebook friend tells courtThe next witness, Jenny Hay, is also an online friend of Erin Patterson, the court hears.
Hay says she first met Erin in a Facebook group that “stemmed from the ABC documentary about Keli Lane”.
Hay says she and Erin were also part of a separate, smaller Facebook group and a private group chat with five people.
Prosecutor Sarah Lenthall asks if the group chat ever discussed mushrooms and Hay replies “yes”:
We did talk a lot about recipes and things we liked.
She says in February 2023 Erin bought a dehydrator and was using it to dry mushrooms, including for food she gave to her children.
Asked if Erin ever discussed foraging for mushrooms, she says “no”.
Updated at 07.30 CEST17h ago07.17 CESTErin Paterson told Facebook group she loved mushrooms, friend says
Colin Mandy SC is now cross-examining Barkley.
He says there were discussions “long before the lunch” in July about beef wellingtons. Barkley says she can’t recall.
She agrees the dish was loved by other members of the Facebook chat. Barkley says Erin told members of the group that she loved mushrooms.
Asked about her evidence that Erin raised an issue with Simon’s cleanliness, Barkley agrees that Erin had told the group she had to clean her estranged husband’s house at one point.
Updated at 07.23 CEST17h ago07.15 CESTFriend says Erin asked for advice about cooking beef wellington
Two weeks before the lethal lunch, Barkley says Erin asked for advice in the chat about cooking a beef wellington.
She said she later asked for further advice regarding selecting meat for the dish.
Barkley says Erin did not say why she was cooking a beef wellington.
Updated at 07.20 CEST17h ago07.14 CESTFacebook friend says Erin discussed drying mushrooms, mixing them in brownies
Erin discussed the dehydrator in the Facebook chat, Barkley says.
Jurors have been shown a screenshot of a Facebook message Barley says she received from Erin in 2023, before the lunch.
I’ve been hiding mushrooms in everything. Mixed into chocolate brownies yesterday, the kids had no idea.
Another message that Barkley says is from Erin reads:
So, fun fact the dehydrator reduces mushroom mass by 90%. Do you think Woolies would mind if I brought the dehydrator into their vegetable section and dry things before I buy them.”
The screenshots shown are sent from “Facebook user.” Barkley says the messages were sent from Erin.
A photo of a dehydrator with dried mushrooms is also shown to jurors.
Updated at 07.19 CEST18h ago06.56 CESTFacebook friend: Erin Patterson said her husband was ‘so difficult to get along with’
Barkley says the group members would share news articles and true crime podcasts related to the Keli Lane case.
Barkley says another group with 18 members was then created. She says for the first few years Erin was “quite active” in this smaller group.
In the last year or so, the court heard, she barely posted in there.
Asked if Erin spoke about Simon, she says she did so in a Facebook chat group with five members.
Sometimes, about how sad she felt. About how he was just so religious and how it was so difficult to get along with him … some of it was to do with just how he treated [their son].
She felt like he was always favouring [their daughter] for some reason and [their son] would feel very, very hurt.
Asked what else she shared, Barkley says: “Just that he wasn’t a very nice person”, as well as her issues with “his cleanliness”, adding that Erin didn’t want their children to stay overnight at Simon’s house.
Updated at 07.00 CEST18h ago06.44 CESTThe next witness is Daniela Barkley.
Barkley met Erin Patterson through a Facebook true crime group in early 2019, the court hears.
Barkley confirms the group had about 30 to 50 members.
Updated at 06.48 CEST18h ago06.43 CESTFacebook friend says Erin Patterson described estranged husband as ‘controlling’
Patterson’s lawyer Colin Mandy SC is now cross-examining Hunt.
Hunt agrees that Erin appeared to be a devoted mother and would often post information about her two children in the Facebook group.
Mandy then presses Hunt on how Erin characterised Simon in the group.
Hunt says “coercive” and “controlling” were the words Erin frequently used to describe her estranged husband.
Questioned on her previous use of the word “abusive”, Hunt says she used the word because coercive control is a form of abuse.
Mandy then turns to Hunt’s evidence that Erin was an atheist.
Simon puts to Hunt that Erin attended church. Hunt replies that Erin shared that she “did not necessarily” believe in God:
“I knew the kids went to a faith-based school and she was unhappy with that.”
Updated at 06.47 CEST18h ago06.41 CESTErin described estranged husband as 'coercive'
Hunt says people in the second group, with up to 30 members, got to know each other, shared information about their personal lives and supported each other.
She says Erin posted about her kids, Lego and buying her home in Leongatha.
“Just the challenges she was facing, the difficulties she had as a single mum.”
She says Erin was “highly regarded” in the Facebook group and known as a good researcher, describing her as a “super sleuth”.
The group was shut down at the end of 2019, the court hears.
Updated at 06.36 CEST18h ago06.24 CESTChristine Hunt says she first met Erin Patterson in ‘true crime’ group
Christine Hunt says she first met Erin Patterson about six years ago as part of a Facebook “true crime” group focused on former water polo player Keli Lane, who was convicted of killing her newborn baby daughter.
She says it was focused on Lane’s trial, and the first group included about 2,000 people.
“Being large as it was, there was a lot of disagreement and disharmony.”
The Facebook group was then reduced to about 20 to 30 people, the court hears.
Updated at 06.33 CEST18h ago06.19 CESTErin Patterson trial resumes after the lunch break
The second witness of the trial is Christine Hunt
Prosecutor Sarah Lenthall will be examining Hunt
A suburban Australian mom is standing trial on charges of poisoning several of her estranged husband's relatives with death cap mushrooms at a home-cooked meal — killing three of them — in a case that has made headlines around the world
The case against Erin Patterson opened in the Victoria state Supreme Court on Tuesday
a town of less than 6,000 people some 85 miles from Melbourne
who was separated from but on good terms with her husband Simon Patterson
aunt and uncle over for an adults-only lunch
ostensibly to discuss medical issues she was facing
All four of Patterson's lunch guests were hospitalized with gastrointestinal symptoms the day after the meal
all from altered liver function and multiple organ failure due to Amanita mushroom poisoning
Prosecutors accuse Patterson of lying about a cancer diagnosis as a pretense for the lunch
not eating the same dish as them and pretending to suffer similar symptoms afterward as an attempted cover-up
"You do not have to be satisfied what the motive was or even that there was one," prosecutor Nanette Rogers told the jury on Wednesday
"The prosecution will not be suggesting that there was a particular motive to do what she did."
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder
Patterson has repeatedly denied deliberately poisoning her guests
Her legal team says she ate some of the meal herself and did genuinely get sick
just not as severely as the others at the table
"The defense case is that she didn't intend to cause anyone any harm on that day," her lawyer
"The defense case is that what happened was a tragedy and a terrible accident."
Mandy said Patterson admits to lying to police on two instances in the aftermath of the lunch: about owning a food dehydrator and foraging for mushrooms
He said she admits to having foraged for mushrooms
but "denies that she ever deliberately sought out death cap mushrooms."
He said Patterson panicked after the lunch
not because she knew she was guilty of murder — as the prosecution argues — but "because she was so overwhelmed by the fact that these four people had become so ill because of the food that she'd served to them."
"Is it possible that people might do and say things that are not well thought out and might
"Is it possible that a person might lie when they find out that people are seriously ill because of the food that they've served up
The case is so high-profile that the 15-person jury — including three alternates — will be sequestered during deliberations "to protect them from any interference or outside pressure … and to safeguard the integrity of their verdicts," Justice Christopher Beale said on the first day
Beale warned that the case is "likely to continue to attract a high level of media attention," and urged jurors to consider only the evidence presented at trial
Erin and Simon Patterson met while working at the local city council, and got married in 2007. In the first days of the trial, Simon testified that Erin — who previously worked as an air traffic controller — took online classes and mostly worked as a homemaker during their marriage
the two split up and reconciled multiple times over the years before permanently separating in 2015
He described their relationship as strained toward the end
The two shared custody of their two children
saw each other at church and even went on local and overseas family trips together
Patterson also remained on amicable terms with her in-laws
Simon said Patterson and his parents loved each other
a retired schoolteacher with whom she shared a love of science
said Simon noticed a "sustained change" in his relationship with Patterson in 2022: Patterson apparently said she would need to seek child support from him
Their communication declined from that point on over issues related to child support payments
Simon testified on Friday that they discussed the idea of bringing in a mediator in December 2022
Patterson invited Simon and several of his relatives over for lunch: his parents
Patterson said the purpose of the lunch was to discuss some medical issues she was facing and seek advice on how to break it to her kids
according to prosecutors — who say this was a pretense for the adults-only meal
off for lunch and a movie with a friend before her guests came over
Roger said the Wilkinsons were surprised by the invitation because they hadn't yet been to Patterson's house
Simon testified that it was "very rare" for his wife to invite people over
and that family gatherings usually happened at other relatives' homes
Simon texted Patterson the day before the lunch
saying he felt too uncomfortable to attend but was willing to discuss her health issues over the phone
Patterson responded in a text that Simon read from the stand on Thursday
she said she was disappointed and hoped he would change his mind
"I've spent many hours this week preparing lunch for tomorrow which has been exhausting in light of the issues I'm facing and spent a small fortune on beef eye fillet to make beef Wellingtons because I wanted it to be a special meal
as I may not be able to host a lunch like this again for some time," Patterson wrote
"It's important to me that you're all there tomorrow and that I can have the conversations that I need to have."
Prosecutors say Patterson showed her guests around before serving them at the dining room table
She placed individual beef Wellingtons — a steak dish wrapped in pastry
usually with a paste of finely chopped mushrooms — along with mashed potatoes and green beans on four large
Prosecutors say the Wilkinsons finished their portion
while Gail ate approximately half and gave the rest to her husband Donald
"There was banter amongst them about how much they'd eaten," Rogers said
Patterson told the group that she had been diagnosed with cancer after noticing a bump on her elbow
and asked for advice on whether to tell her kids
The group had a discussion and prayed for her
the elder Pattersons and Wilkinsons started to feel sick that evening
with diarrhea and vomiting throughout the night
The couples realized they had the same symptoms after they talked on the phone the next morning
The Pattersons called an ambulance to take them to a hospital
while Simon Patterson took the Wilkinsons to another hospital
Heather Wilkinson raised the subject of the different plates at lunch
He said that his aunt said something to the effect of: "Is Erin short of crockery
Is that why she would have this different kind of colored plate that she served herself with?" He replied at the time that Patterson didn't have many matching plates and might have just run out
The patients were able to talk about their experience immediately after being admitted on July 30
told him about Patterson's cancer diagnosis from his hospital bed
Donald was also able to give his medical history and recount the lunch to doctors
who grew concerned that gastroenteritis was not the sole cause of his symptoms
Multiple doctors and toxicologists discerned that their symptoms were indicative of "serious toxin syndrome caused by ingestion of amanita phalloides mushrooms," also known as death cap mushrooms
Prosecutors say the patients were not immediately given the antidote because there was a lack of evidence to confirm that's what they had ingested
and their conditions deteriorated over the following days even as they were treated
Doctors concluded that the illness was "unsurvivable" for Heather Wilkinson
Heather Wilkinson and Gail Patterson died on Aug
and Donald Patterson died the following day
14 and discharged to rehabilitation on Sept
police and Simon Patterson paint a picture of Erin Patterson's behavior in the hours and days after the lunch turned tragic
Simon said the first he heard of her feeling unwell was the following morning
when she said she'd had diarrhea since the previous night
Prosecutors say Patterson was admitted to urgent care when the hospital learned she had been at the lunch
but that she was adamant she would not stay
She initially resisted treatment and at one point walked out against medical advice
Patterson also pushed back against the idea of bringing her kids to the hospital
which doctors recommended after learning that they had eaten leftovers
Patterson said she had scraped off the pastry and mushrooms because they didn't like the vegetable
Rogers said doctors remembered Patterson becoming emotional when asked to bring her kids in
saying they didn't have symptoms and she didn't want to take them out of school
"They did not eat the mushrooms," a doctor recalled her saying
"I just don't want them to be panicked and stressed."
Simon testified that he brought the kids to the hospital
where they were kept overnight but found not to be ill
He testified on Friday that Patterson "never actually asked" about how his hospitalized relatives were doing
Patterson's doctors determined she was "moderately dehydrated and appeared to have a gastrointestinal-type illness" — but had "no clinical or biochemical evidence of amanita poisoning or other toxicological substance ingestion." She was discharged on Aug
prosecutors had an intensive care specialist
They said Bersten saw no evidence that she suffered an acute illness on July 30
or that she had been diagnosed with cancer in mid-2023 as she claimed
The Victorian Cancer Registry — to which diagnoses are legally required to be reported — also said it has no record of it
Death cap mushrooms — Amanita phalloides — are responsible for 90% of deaths by fungus
"with half a cap or even less enough to kill a person," according to the U.K.'s Woodland Trust
The Victorian government says symptoms — including diarrhea
vomiting and stomach cramps — typically occur six to 24 hours after consumption
usually in temperate forests or urban areas with exotic trees
In April 2023, just months before Patterson had her relatives over for lunch, the Victoria Department of Health issued an advisory warning that death cap mushrooms were growing in the state
a local pharmacist noticed death cap mushrooms growing under oak trees during a walk in the nearby township of Loch
and documented them on a naturalist website
Patterson allegedly purchased an electronic food dehydrator and — according to location data from her seized phones — and traveled to the area of Loch
she denied owning a dehydrator and foraging for mushrooms
In the immediate aftermath of the incident
Patterson told doctors and investigators that she had used two kinds of mushrooms for her dish: fresh from the grocery store and dried from a Chinese grocer in the area
As part of its investigation into the incident
the Department of Health checked all Asian grocery stores in the surrounding suburbs
Prosecutors say the health department was "unable to identify any store in the suburbs … that sold mushrooms as described by" Patterson
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2025Courtesy of HBO.Save this storySaveSave this storySaveIf you know a fan of The Righteous Gemstones
bidding adieu to its cast of stunted but heartfelt televangelists is
Gemstones turns its lens toward a mega-rich cast of characters who are simultaneously larger than life and achingly real: Eli Gemstone (John Goodman)
pastor and family patriarch; his often petulant adult children Jesse (Danny McBride)
and Kelvin (Adam DeVine); and their respective spouses
It joins the legacy of Vice Principals and Eastbound & Down before it—shows produced by McBride
and David Gordon Green about fundamentally flawed but lovable characters
McBride has a talent for creating characters that are ostensibly outrageous—problematic
even maniacal—without ever turning them into caricatures
“Gemstones is really Danny’s baby,” says Hill about his longtime collaborator
It’s a show imbued with a profound humanity; a pain
“Making them see themselves in someone who
they would never assume they would see any traits of themselves in
It’s not about trying to create sympathy for those kinds of people—it’s about making something interesting.”
“You have to ground their circumstances in the real world,” says Walton Goggins
who plays Eli Gemstone’s brother-in-law Baby Billy
Baby Billy is a narcissist…albeit a lovable one
“Danny and the creative team at Rough House [Pictures] are able to walk that line between silly and absurd while keeping the characters grounded,” says DeVine
and the goal is to make people laugh and forget their problems for a little bit.”
The dynamic on set was one of both collaboration and trust. Emmy Award–nominated costume designer Christina Flannery says she rarely got notes on her work, which is as vivid and singular as the show’s writing
like with Teen Demon,” she says of costuming the devil in Baby Billy’s latest endeavor: a television show about Jesus as a teen
we have to have the stilts.’ My crew was like
“But it obviously turned out great.” On another occasion
Hill came up with an Easter egg for Flannery to nestle into her costume design: He suggested that when the Gemstone kids travel by boat to retrieve their missing father
they wear outfits inspired by the Sea Org uniforms worn by Scientologists
But it also doesn’t want to mock or alienate anyone who might see themselves or someone they love in that world
“And I remember [that conversation] on set
‘I don’t like that they’re making fun of her.’ I said
‘Do you know what the literacy rate is in America?’ A lot of people have difficulty reading in this country
It’s part of her reality and it’s part of her humanity
It’s not that she can’t learn—it’s that she hasn’t learned.”
The Righteous Gemstones makes itself a conduit for understanding
“I think it cuts so close to the bone and it is so relatable because it is based in truth,” says Cassidy Freeman
Not because the show believes in one thing or another—but because it brings everybody to the table
no show with this much old dick should have you on the verge of tears every episode
because how else are we going to get through it?”
It would be easy for a show about televangelists to marginalize its female characters—making them the butt of jokes
relegated to positions devoid of both power and complexity
The Righteous Gemstones’ unmistakable superpower has been the way it positions its female characters
Edi Patterson has been in the writers room since season one
and she speaks at length about balancing vulgarity with heart
but I only find ’em funny if they’re smart
I’m not a fan of nasty just for nasty’s sake—that may shock people,” she laughs
“It’s got to have specificity and meaning and uniqueness.”
That attention to detail helps Judy’s crass one-liners about leaving “snail trails” on her chair and “finger dancin’ on [her] snap drags” outrank even her brother’s raunchiest jokes
“She makes me laugh to the point where I mess up takes
Patterson never lost sight of her character’s deep pain—her pent-up anger about the loss of her mother
Judy is always teetering on the edge of seething horniness and suffocating bitterness
and I love how wild she is,” says Patterson
I just root for her.” Whether we want to admit it or not
there’s at least a little bit of Judy in all of us
“We all have a full wild animal inside,” she says
Judy’s counterpart is Amber Gemstone—endlessly measured and patient
particularly toward her buffoonish husband
to be in a bit of an antiquated relationship,” says Freeman
I understood her.” From literally shooting her husband in the rear to offering marital advice to Judy and BJ
Amber is always at the ready with a solution—something she’s able to do because of her keen ability to choose her battles
“She reminds me of my mother if she had actually accepted the church
and she really did not like [the misogyny]
She did not like the way the church treated gay people
But I see parts of Amber in my mom in that no matter what
the relationships between the show’s female characters are fraught; other times
“There are just certain things that happen in a woman’s life
whether we have children or not—there is just something about our energy where we’re just innately better at giving
Innately better at stretching,” Freeman says
In a world where all too often women are still the punch line
“I’ve never been someone who thinks comedy exists for one sex; it’s not something I can even get my head around,” says McBride
whose own sisters and daughter helped inspire Judy
she and my sisters would prank call people all the time
I have two sisters who can relentlessly break my balls
It’s not even something we’re trying to do—it’s just how I see the world.”
the show follows five very different love stories: Jesse and Amber
Navigating his character—a new widower—was initially fraught for Goodman
because everyone else was having fun—of course I was having fun between takes—but I was playing the straight man.” By season four
And while we only see Aimee-Leigh in flashbacks
her lingering presence motivates many of the show’s characters
“It was his great love story,” says Goodman
but I’m pretty sure she was his spiritual awakening.”
their partners are redeemers—and their tethers to reality
‘BJ is the eyes of the audience,’” says Baltz
Despite BJ’s gentle and wholesome demeanor
he never begrudges Judy for being herself; on the contrary
“He is someone with unconditional love for his wife
written in a way I have never seen before,” says Baltz
“One of my favorite lines is at the end of season two
‘I’d love nothing more than to bang your played-out-mother pussy for the rest of my days.’ It’s such a crass thing to say
but it’s so indicative of their relationship.”
Even the most unlikely of couples—the elderly Baby Billy and the much (much) younger Aunt Tiff—have beaten the odds
“Aunt Tiff and Baby Billy’s love is so pure,” says Goggins
“One of the best parts of this experience was getting to shape this relationship with Valyn
Their dynamic is so funny and full of heart…
she imagined what Tiff would do if Baby Billy died
“I came to the conclusion that she would hide the body so they wouldn’t have to do a funeral—because as long as he’s not buried
That’s when I realized she’s not a gold digger.”
Arguably one of the most unique love stories on television is that of youth pastor turned LGBTQ+ church leader Kelvin Gemstone and Keefe
the reformed Satanist he rescued from a life of sin
the loved-up scenes between his character and Kelvin were Cavalero’s favorite
“What’s so beautiful about their relationship is this deep admiration
even as they’re still sorting it out,” the actor says
their will-they-won’t-they plot had reached a fever pitch
‘I’d really love for them to kiss.’ Sure enough
‘Did Danny talk to you about the whole kiss thing
He wants you to fully go for one,’” says Cavalero
“And [after] that take the whole crew was cheering and clapping
For a show that celebrated love in all its forms—for better and worse—it’s fitting that the final season closes with Kelvin and Keefe’s wedding
And it’s hard to deny the statement that Gemstones
is making by letting a gay wedding have the final word—an event that’s fully accepted
and celebrated by the entire Gemstone family
he knew it was probably going to be the end of The Righteous Gemstones
“I didn’t want to even admit it to myself,” he says
“It’s really difficult to create something like this and to then be the person who’s pulling the plug on it
you know?” But he also didn’t want the show to overstay its welcome—and Hill agreed: “I love the idea of ending a show before it gets stale.”
they didn’t tell the cast until days before shooting wrapped
you can kind of see an actor saying goodbye to their character
and it can seem cringey sometimes,” says McBride
“I want you to take those characters with you and kind of in your brain imagine what they do next.” But those who can’t accept that should know that Patterson and Baltz agree hands down that Judy and BJ are endgame
McBride and Freeman feel much the same about Jesse and Amber
as do Goggins and Hall about Billy and Tiff
And while DeVine says it might be interesting to see how Kelvin explores life as a single man one day
Cavalero is resolute that he and Keefe will go all the way as well
It’s not just the show that cast and crew had to part with
McBride famously shoots his projects on his home turf in South Carolina
which everyone agrees he made feel like home—whether it was inviting everyone over to watch Game of Thrones on Sunday nights or taking cast
and their families out on a boat day or to a ball game
Some cast members even bought property nearby
so they’d have a base in South Carolina too
The sum here is greater than the parts—and the parts are pretty fucking awesome,” says Baltz
“After seeing how Danny holds himself and how he leads his cast and crew
When asked what he will miss most about the Gemstones world
Goodman’s answer was simple: “Just being with everybody
There were no jerks on set,” he says with a laugh
“I don’t expect to do anything like it ever again
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Over the course of the HBO comedy’s four stellar seasons—the last of which concluded May 4—the actress’s religious-empire scion has been a bonkers riot
striving to solidify her place in a male-dominated family business at the same time that she clings tightly (and bizarrely) to her submissive weirdo husband BJ (Tim Baltz) and spews filthy insults that would make a construction crew blush
In a show full of deranged true-believers—in the Lord
and pleasure—she’s a lunatic who rises above them all
The Righteous Gemstones saddled Judy with an assortment of new challenges that included coping with a grave (and uproarious) injury to her husband that left him wheelchair-bound and in need of Dr
a service monkey who temporarily replaced her as his BFF
From the start, Judy has been The Righteous Gemstones’ electric wild card, and she goes out in style at its conclusion, solidifying her standing as one of TV’s most likable loons.
Greeting the end with more optimism than sadness, Patterson likes to imagine a promising future for her “maniac” character, and ahead of the series’ finale, we spoke with the actress about wrapping up the Gemstones’ saga, Judy’s unconventional evolution, and whether she and BJ are destined for a happily-ever-after.
This is now, officially, the end for Judy Gemstone. Did you and your castmates have a funeral to say goodbye to the family?
[laughs] There was not a full-on funeral, but we did end the season with a church lunch, so it was a lot of us there and you would have thought someone died. I mean, all of us were full wet faces—like very, very emotional. And at that point, we didn’t even know this is for sure the final season. It was still a little unknowable, although we all felt like maybe that was the case.
It was incredibly emotional, but I don’t think I’ll be having a funeral, even spiritually, for any of them. I have this thing where I feel like the world of the Gemstones is a real world that’s happening at the same time as our world, and they’re in it, all alive, and still kicking ass.
Were you surprised that the show returned for a fourth season after what appeared to be a fitting series conclusion at the end of Season 3?
I’m a writer on the show as well, and every single season we have tried to wrap up the season in a way that felt like you could watch that season on its own. That Season 2 ending, though, did hit in a way. It was us doing what we had been doing, but that one packed such an emotional punch. I’ve seen that finale so many times, and it still makes me cry, with mama (Jennifer Nettles) watching us having fun.
Were you happy with the way Judy and BJ ended up?
I am of the mind, always, that Judy and BJ are meant to be, even when Judy does really screw up things to threaten their well-being. I think they’re cosmically destined.
Honestly, I think every couple on the show is cosmically destined. I think Jesse and Amber are supposed to be together. I think that Kelvin and Keefe are supposed to be together. It is hard to imagine anyone other than their partners who would maybe go for them [laughs]. Because they’re all maniacs! But yes, I think Judy and BJ end up in a good place and I think their baseline truth is true and real love.
Despite its absurdity, The Righteous Gemstones has always treated its characters with empathy—and that’s definitely true with regards to Judy and BJ.
For me, and I think for Tim and almost everyone on the show, we came at it just like you would a drama. Sometimes the things you’re saying, or sometimes the thing your character thinks, is wild, but to just mean it. Just to mean what you say and to have everything be true, I think that makes it more hilarious. It shows that the show has a lot of heart, and there’s a lot of actual emotion going on. I think we always are just really playing that.
For my taste, that way the comedy is just funnier. I’m not a big fan of anything that has a wink in it. It doesn’t ever make me laugh if someone knows they’re being funny. “I’m about to say something funny, wink-wink”—you know, it doesn’t ever work for me. Luckily, that’s not the vibe of the show.
I don’t know if Judy has totally matured over the course of the series, but do you feel like she’s grown in some respect?
Totally. I feel like from the very, very beginning of the show, she was in such a battle to be seen and to be thought of as equal to her brothers. I feel like she achieved some of that and got on equal footing with them and in her father’s eyes, and I think throughout the four seasons, they were all dealing in their own ways with the death of their mother and that absence. I think that plays out in weird ways with all of them, but I do think she’s grown.
In the first season, BJ seemed like he was going to be the butt of endless jokes. But in the end, he turned out to be the series’ most sincere and grounded character, even if he was pole-dancing—which, I admit, had me in tears.
I can’t claim that one was my idea [laughs] I feel like that was either Danny’s or John Carcieri’s, and when it was mentioned, I was like, wow, that’s perfect. And of course, it’s guileless. He’s doing this and wants to get good at it and doesn’t care what anyone thinks. I was like, goddamn, it’s the perfect idea!
Was it important to focus the final season on the kids’ feelings about their parents—since
the show has always been about familial hang-ups
Whenever we can find something that trickles down from our relationship to either our mother who’s passed
Eli dating someone puts every one of the kids on their heels in a weird way that sometimes comes out subconsciously
But it’s really fun and rich when we can get that waterfall coming down off Eli just trying to have a life and be a grownup
and see how that lands on a bunch of crazies
none of you are really like your Gemstone characters
But do you share certain similarities with Judy
I think if we pulled out a few filters we have installed
and if we turned up our emotions to 11 and let them out
I do think she’s an everyman that’s just on loudspeakers
Everything she says and does are things that women
She also says those things exceptionally profanely
we were just going toward making them funny
but when it’s done well and specific and real
And there came a certain point for sure where Judy almost goes harder than the boys with that stuff
Over the course of the show’s six-year history
did you receive any blowback from conservative Christians who didn’t like its portrayal of the church
I grew up in the church—but not a megachurch—and I feel like anyone who’s afraid of it from the commercials they’ve seen or anything they’ve read
let me see—they realized so quickly that it’s not dissing belief or believers
it’s not a show you want to watch if you don’t like cursing or seeing d---s or people in the church maybe murdering people [laughs]
this just happens to be a family of maniacs who are in this world
This isn’t about being an indictment of this world
very rich and we’re taking people’s money [laughs]
I talk to tons of people who either grew up in the church or are currently in the church
and it speaks to them because it’s a world they know and that they’re able to laugh at
what do you envision for Judy and BJ’s future
I honestly also think Jesse and Amber are forever
All three Gemstone kids lucked into their perfect person
And I think they’re continuing to crush it in the metaverse where the Gemstones live
I think she’s probably got some crossover going—maybe she’s pulling some Amy Grant shit where she’s got a big hit
But they’re doing really well and partying and getting into really
really bad trouble without the cops ever catching them
For more, listen to The Righteous Gemstones’ Edi Patterson on The Last Laugh podcast
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here
the Steelers will be examining their roster closely in August
if there is a tie between a returning veteran and a new player
While they have already released some veterans
I think Cordarrelle Patterson is at the greatest risk of not making the Steelers’ 53-man roster in 2025
Many are surprised that he has even lasted this long on their offseason roster
After failing as their kick returner last year
they have also moved on from him in the backfield
Patterson served as the Steelers’ third running back in addition to returning kicks
they have Jaylen Warren and have added Kenneth Gainwell and rookie Kaleb Johnson
The departure of Najee Harris leaves a lot of snaps to distribute
But that doesn’t mean Patterson will still have a spot on the Steelers’ roster
Cordarrelle Patterson rushed for 135 yards
While he actually looked quick and spry on a few carries early in the season
he looked like he lost a step or two otherwise
It’s hard to imagine the Steelers not keeping either Gainwell or Johnson
If the Steelers don’t keep a fourth tight end or a fullback on their roster
But they are also likely to keep more wide receivers than they did last season as well
And while Patterson may have been a receiver in a former life
The Steelers signed Cordarrelle Patterson last year hoping to steal an edge with the NFL’s new kick-return rules
They ended up being arguably the worst team at it in the entire league
But the Steelers don’t need to keep a place for him on their 53-man roster
While releasing him would open a hole at kick returner
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Alleged mushroom killer asked for advice about cooking beef Wellington
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A witness named Daniela Barkley testified that the accused, Ms Patterson, shared the messages and photos after buying a food dehydrator and seemed excited about using it, including sharing a photo of mushrooms drying in the device
Ms Barkley said that Ms Patterson was “a bit excited that she purchased a food dehydrator”
the dehydrator reduces mushroom mass by 90 per cent,” Ms Patterson is alleged to have said in one message
“do you think Woolies would mind if I brought the dehydrator into their vegetable section and dry things before I buy them?”
The jury was also shown a picture said to be Ms Patterson’s dehydrator with mushrooms on the shelves
The witness was given photos of chopped button mushrooms and said that Ms Patterson had shared them in the group chat
Ms Patterson, 50,is on trial for allegedly serving a meal laced with deadly mushrooms that killed three of her former in-laws and left a fourth critically ill
Prosecutors allege that she fabricated a cancer diagnosis to lure her estranged husband’s parents and his uncle and aunt to lunch at her home in July 2023 and poisoned their food
They claim Ms Patterson then disposed of a dehydrator containing traces of the toxic mushrooms at a rubbish site
Ms Patterson, who is from Victoria, denies the charges of murder and attempted murder brought against her.
She insists the poisoning was a tragic accident.
Ms Barkley also said Ms Patterson had asked for advice about cooking beef Wellington, the dish she later served her elderly relatives.
“I just specifically remember the conversation because I didn’t actually know what a beef Wellington was because I’m mostly vegetarian,” Ms Barkley said.
“So I made a joke about it: ‘No, but if I could, I’d make a tofu Wellington.’ And everyone just thought that was awful. So we had a good laugh about that.”
A few days after that online chat, Ms Barkley told the jury, Ms Patterson posted a photo of a cut of meat and asked the group if it was suitable for a beef Wellington. “We all just assumed it was for her and the kids,” the witness said.
The jury also heard that Ms Patterson had told members of the Facebook group on multiple occasions that she loved mushrooms.
On Monday, Ms Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon Patterson, denied ever accusing her of using a dehydrator to poison anyone.
He was questioned by Ms Patterson’s lawyer, Colin Mandy.
Two days after the fatal lunch, Mandy suggested, Mr Patterson confronted his ex-wife while he was alone with her in a hospital room, asking her if she used the food dehydrator to poison his parents.
“Let me suggest that just after the conversation about the dehydrator, you said to Erin: ‘Is that what you used to poison them?’” the lawyer said.
“I did not say that to Erin,” he replied.
Mr Patterson had previously told the court that Ms Patterson never asked after her sick guests after they were taken to hospital.
In a phone call following the lunch, he said, his ex-wife described feeling sick but did not ask after her guests – his parents, Don and Gail Patterson and his aunt and uncle, Heather and Ian Wilkinson – who had fallen seriously ill.
“It intrigued me that she didn't actually ask,” he said, adding that Ms Patterson knew that her guests were ill. “We did not have that conversation, I think, at any time."
Mr Patterson told the jury on Monday that he was puzzled when his former wife invited him to that 29 July 2023 lunch. “I remember feeling puzzled after she invited me to the lunch that although she had communicated it was a serious medical issue that was to be talked about, it was going to be weeks later that the conversation was going to happen,” he explained. “I couldn’t reconcile those two facts.”
Although he was invited, Mr Patterson did not attend the lunch.
Chief prosecutor Nanette Rogers asked Mr Patterson why he had not contacted Ms Patterson after the lunch to find out what the issue was.
The estranged husband said he didn’t feel much urgency.
“I figured that is her news to tell,” he explained. “It’s her timing to tell it.”
A second witness, Christine Hunt, who appeared via a video link, testified about her online friendship with Ms Patterson, which began around six years ago in a Facebook true crime group focused on the Keli Lane case. Later, a smaller offshoot group of 20-30 people formed from the Keli Lane true crime community.
She said Ms Patterson would post about “just the challenges she was facing, the difficulties she had as a single mum”. The witness said Ms Patterson was “highly regarded” in the Facebook group and described her as a “super sleuth”.
She told the court Ms Patterson described Mr Patterson as “controlling” and “coercive” on several occasions. “They are the two words that I really do recall strongly that were used repeatedly,” she said.
jury told","description":"Alleged mushroom killer asked for advice about cooking beef Wellington
Jacory Patterson hopes that being the world’s fastest 400m sprinter so far this year will ultimately allow him to quit his overnight job loading UPS trucks
notched the biggest race win of his life at Grand Slam Track Miami — taking Saturday’s 400m in 43.98 seconds
a personal best and the world’s best time since last August
He finished second overall in the men’s 200m-400m sprints group in Miami
Both races took place in the early evening around times when Patterson
is often sleeping in between training and loading
“The goal was to come out here and make some money so I can just focus on training and quit that job,” he said of working for UPS near his base of Columbia
where he’s coached by three-time Grenada Olympian Alleyne Francique
wakes up around 8:30 on a typical morning training as a professional sprinter
starts his truck-loading job at 10:45 and works that until 4 or 4:30 a.m
he lowered his personal best in the 400m from 44.81 (from 2021) to 43.98 over the last three weeks
He went from ranking outside the top 100 fastest men in U.S
history to becoming the 15th American to ever break 44 seconds
Patterson scales back the overnight shifts to adjust his body
"(Working two jobs) just helps my mental a lot because it just lets me know I can do it,” he said
Patterson hopes the recent success is enough to earn another invite to a future Grand Slam Track meet
The series concludes its 2025 season in Philadelphia (May 30-June 1) and Los Angeles (June 27-29)
Group winners at each meet receive $100,000
He joked Saturday about one day leaving the UPS job
“I’m going to celebrate this for today,” Patterson said
“Then when I get back to Columbia on Tuesday
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Victorian trial hears from online friends who say murder accused discussed her dehydrator and asked for advice on cooking beef wellington
Erin Patterson’s estranged husband has denied asking her “is that what you used to poison them?” in the days immediately after a deadly mushroom lunch
faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to the beef wellington lunch she served at her house in Leongatha in South Gippsland in 2023
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to murdering or attempting to murder the relatives of her estranged husband
She is accused of murdering Simon’s parents
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
Simon gave evidence for a third day in the trial
under cross-examination from Patterson’s lawyer
The court also heard from friends of Patterson who met her via a Facebook group dedicated to the case of convicted baby killer Keli Lane
The friends said Patterson was known to love mushrooms and seemed a devoted mother
including accusing him of coercive control
View image in fullscreen Illustration: Guardian DesignSimon
told the court it was possible he and Patterson were left alone at various times while she was receiving treatment at Monash medical centre on 31 July 2023
Their two children were also being monitored at the hospital at the time
The court heard last week that the family were discussing Patterson conducting a “taste test” on their youngest child with muffins made using mushrooms that she had dehydrated
Mandy asked Simon on Monday whether the two children left Patterson’s hospital room soon after this
and Simon asked her “is that what you used to poison them?”
Mandy did not say who “them” may have referred to
“I did not say that to Erin,” Simon responded
Mandy also put it to Simon that while they were in the hospital
Patterson was “privy” to phone conversations he was having
including in relation to the health of his parents and the Wilkinsons
that Patterson asked Simon about the health of her lunch guests
Simon told the court last week that Patterson had not asked him about their condition
“What I’m suggesting to you is that she asked you how are they going,” Mandy said on Monday
I can’t recall her asking that,” Simon responded
View image in fullscreenSimon Patterson arrives at court in Morwell, Victoria, on Monday for his final day of testimony. Photograph: Diego Fedele/AAPSimon was again asked about a series of messages exchanged between him and Patterson. These messages included some shared on a Signal group chat with his parents.
Mandy said to Simon that the only messages between him and Patterson referring to child support and parenting arrangements uncovered during the police investigation had been put to him during his evidence.
But Simon said the messages he was referring to on Friday, when he described her “extremely aggressive” conduct and “inflammatory” messages to the group chat, had not been read in court.
Read moreUnder reexamination from prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC, Simon said the message was so inflammatory that he was “extremely relieved” his mother had not read it.
He told the court that because his mother, Gail, became anxious after falling ill with encephalitis, Simon and his father instigated a “policy” that she should no longer read messages sent by Patterson to the chat in case they worsened her anxiety.
Simon said the message was in response to concerns he raised about their oldest child appearing “exhausted” during regular weekend visits with him, and him asking Patterson to ensure the child went to bed earlier.
Simon said the message was having a “crack at me” and “accusing me” of things, which he would have been OK about if it was sent directly to him, but “I’m still upset” that Patterson sent it to the group chat.
“I tell you what, if Mum had read that, I don’t know what that would have done to her,” Simon told the court.
Among the messages that were read in court was another exchange in the group chat in early December 2022, when Patterson sent a long message referring to the ongoing dispute between the estranged couple regarding child support.
Simon told the court last week that a miscommunication between himself and his accountant resulted in him being listed as “separated” on his tax return earlier that year.
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Read moreThis had family tax benefit and child support implications, the court has heard. Patterson said in the long message that the benefit had been worth about $15,000 a year.
Simon told the court last week that he was advised by child support authorities not to pay any expenses relating to the children, including school and medical fees, while the amount he had to pay in child support was calculated.
In the message, Patterson starts by saying that she can’t stop thinking about a comment Don made on the phone the previous evening about the financial issues being a “simple” thing to resolve.
She said it was not at all simple, as the estranged couple had been “basically lying to the government”. Of Simon, she said “I foolishly trusted him to do right by me and the kids when it came to the crunch”, and described him as “a bare minimum parent”.
Don replied that he may have misrepresented Simon, and that it was “best to move on”, but Patterson replied that following day that she would continue to update the group about the financial dispute to keep Simon accountable.
Other messages exchanged between the estranged couple show Patterson asking whether Simon could help move a tree off a fence at her property. The fence had been damaged, allowing one of Patterson’s goats into a neighbour’s yard. Patterson was holidaying with her children in New Zealand at the time
“Hey I understand we don’t really have the kind of the relationship where I can ask for a favour right now,” Patterson started her text, on 18 December 2022.
I’m always your husband no matter how we’re doing,” he responded
Simon was also asked during reexamination why he had not contacted Patterson or his parents after the lunch to ask about the “medical issue” she mentioned to him as the reason for inviting him and the other guests to her property
including that his parents would have considered it was Patterson’s news to tell
and that he couldn’t “reconcile” the fact Patterson described it as serious
but the lunch was to be held almost two weeks later
“I didn’t feel completely confident there was a serious medical issue to be discussed,” he told the court
The court previously heard Patterson told her lunch guests she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, but Mandy said she never had cancer
who completed his evidence shortly after midday
spent more than seven hours in the witness box
who met Patterson on a Keli Lane group on Facebook
but also the profile names Erin Erin and Erin Erin Erin in the groups
during their involvement with her dating back to 2019
Hunt said Patterson was regarded as “a really good researcher” and “a bit of a super sleuth” in the group
Hunt added that Patterson described Simon as “controlling” and “coercive”
and shared her challenges in the relationship with the group
including how it was difficult dealing with the religion of Simon and his family given she was an atheist
Barkley said that Patterson also said she was concerned about Simon’s lack of cleanliness
and that she did not want the children spending the night at his house because of it
Patterson frequently posted about her children
Patterson also shared with the group multiple photos of a dehydrator that she had bought
which Barkley said she told them was only being used for mushrooms
“I’ve been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything
Mixed it into chocolate brownies yesterday
the kids had no idea” Patterson said in one message to the group that was shown in court
Patterson asked the group if anyone had cooked beef wellington
The group had particularly been fans of RecipeTin Eats
who had cooked beef wellington before and described it in court as one of her favourite dishes
said she gave advice to Patterson about how to make sure it wasn’t soggy
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[Warning: The following contains spoilers for The Righteous Gemstones' series finale
"That Man of God May Be Complete."]
Of course The Righteous Gemstones had to go out with a literal bang
and the scuffle ends with Jesse fatally shooting Corey
who immediately resigns himself to death and has only one final
sobering request for the siblings: to pray with him
It's the kind of ending that strikes the ideal Gemstones balance between absurdity and sincerity
with the trio using what could be their last breaths to bicker childishly over whether Jesse's "everyday carry bag" is or is not a purse
before elegantly switching gears as they pray over Corey's body
This has always been a show about how the past affects the future
but the final episode takes on a particularly reflective tone as the three are forced to confront their own mortality
ALSO READ: The complete guide to spring TV
Ahead of the series finale, Edi Patterson, who stars as Judy and serves as a writer on the series, caught up with TV Guide to reflect on the final season, discuss the Gemstones' penchant for Gen Z internet lingo, and theorize about what she sees in Judy's future.
John Goodman, Adam Devine, Edi Patterson, and Danny McBride, The Righteous Gemstones
Yeah, they'll get shot in the head.Patterson: Yeah, they will get got. It's not going to end well for them. It's letting it rip when we are doing rips on each other, and to know that the core of it, always, they would never, ever truly throw each other under the bus.
Adam Devine, Danny McBride, and Edi Patterson, The Righteous Gemstones
No one would want that, anyway.Patterson: I wouldn't want that!
I couldn't believe how sad I was to see BJ injured.Patterson: Isn't his accident so shocking? It looks so violent. That day was a lot of moving parts. Tim learned so much pole stuff. He could even do a couple of different inversions. I don't know how he got there in that short amount of time. But that stuff from the competition definitely required an incredible stunt guy and an incredible professional pole athlete.
Well, does she?Patterson: He kind of acted like, "Sometimes." I don't know. None of it was how I wanted it to be. I just wanted to hold her and pet her. She jumped on my leg at one point, and it was just like a feather landing on your leg, and you're like, "Never leave me."
The arc ultimately ends with Judy realizing that she is Dr. Watson. She ends up seeing herself in this animal that she hated.Patterson: That was really cool, to find that. We had some of the monkey scenes, and then we talked about making sure that they had a good amount of the core emotional thing in them. I was really happy that we found that thing. I mean, they're almost us, genetically. You are me, I am you.
If you had to imagine a future for Judy post-finale, what do you think she's getting up to?Patterson: First of all, I think that she and BJ are together forever. I think she's still with the church, and I think she's crushing it. Her music ministry is at another level, and she's probably getting into some pop stuff, too. Maybe pulling an old school Amy Grant. And I think she's probably still out there doing bad things. Bad girls club for life, baby.
The Righteous Gemstones is available to stream on Max.
Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Stephen Coates and Lincoln Feast
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MELBOURNE (AP) — The Australian host of a weekend family lunch is on trial charged with murdering her estranged husband’s parents and an aunt and attempting to murder an uncle with poisonous mushrooms
Prosecutor Nanette Rogers opened her case on Wednesday against Erin Patterson
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges
mashed potato and green beans at her home in the rural town of Leongartha on July 29
Her guests included her parents-in-law Gail and Don Patterson
All four guests were hospitalized the next day with poisoning from death cap mushrooms
that were added to the beef and pastry dish
Ian Wilkinson survived after a liver transplant
was also invited to the lunch but declined
The jury was told on Tuesday that prosecutors had dropped three charges that Erin Patterson had attempted to murder her husband
whom she had been separated from since 2015
Erin Patterson had invited her husband and his relatives to lunch while she was attending a Korumburra Baptist Church service where Ian Wilkinson was the pastor
Simon Patterson initially accepted the invitation
“She said the purpose of the lunch was to discuss some medical issues that she had and to get advice about how to break it to the kids,” Rogers said
“The accused said that it was important that the children were not present for the lunch,” Rogers added
The Wilkinsons were surprised by the invitation because they’d never been to Erin Patterson’s large five-bedroom house
When Heather Wilkinson was taken to the hospital the next morning
she told Simon Patterson she had been puzzled by Erin Patterson eating from a different plate than those served to the guests
“I noticed that Erin put her food on a different plate to us
I’ve puzzled about it since lunch,” said Heather Wilkinson
Simon Patterson told his aunt that his wife might have run out of plates
Rogers told the jury that Erin Patterson fabricated an ovarian cancer diagnosis to explain why her children didn’t attend the lunch
the accused announced that she had cancer and asked for advice on whether to tell the children or to keep it from them,” Rogers said
WATCH: Why carbon monoxide poisoning is on the rise as extreme weather causes more power outages
“They had a discussion about it being best to be honest with the children
They prayed as a group for the accused’s health and wisdom in relation to telling the children,” Rogers added
Defense lawyer Colin Mandy told the jury his client never had cancer and that the guests had been poisoned by mushrooms she had served
“The defense case is what happened was a tragedy
Rogers told the jurors that she she would not provide a motive for the poisonings
“You might be wondering now why would the accused do this
You might still be wondering this at the end of this trial,” Rogers said
“You do not have to be satisfied what the motive was or even that there was a motive.”
Erin Patterson went to the hospital complaining of diarrhea and nausea
medical staff had diagnosed her guests as suffering death cap poisoning
Erin Patterson told authorities that she had cooked with a mixture of fresh mushrooms bought from a supermarket and dried mushrooms bought from an Asian food store
Mandy said his client had lied to police when she said she hadn’t foraged for wild mushrooms
she denies that she ever deliberately sought out death cap mushrooms,” Mandy said
Doctors insisted that Erin Patterson’s two children
be tested because their mother said they had eaten beef Wellington leftovers
Erin Patterson said the children were safe because she had scraped the pastry and mushrooms from the steak
She explained the children didn’t like mushrooms
Rogers said Erin Patterson had not eaten poisonous mushrooms and had not fed her children the lunch leftovers
Mandy said she had eaten the mushrooms but had become less sick than the others
The trial was adjourned until Thursday and is expected to continue for six weeks
She is charged with three counts of murder and one of attempted murder
Murder carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and attempted murder carries a maximum 25 years in prison
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[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Elsbeth Season 2 Episode 19
“I’ve Got a Little List.”
Elsbeth star Carra Patterson is leaving the CBS procedural after two seasons. Patterson has played NYPD officer Kaya Blanke since Season 1 and through most of Elsbeth Tascioni’s (Carrie Preston) cases until she was promoted to detective in Season 2
separating the women who had evolved into very close friends (and roommates
Her statement reiterates that she will be back next season
is embarking on a new adventure as the story continues to unfold
and I am excited to do the same,” Patterson told Deadline
“But we will see Kaya again — fans will find out what she’s been up to in her new role as ‘Detective’ next season when I come back to guest star and play with Carrie and Wendell
Kaya’s promotion was a sudden surprise in the episode, titled “I’ve Got a Little List.” Kaya didn’t apply for the job. It was Captain Wagner (Wendell Pierce) who recommended her for it
“You are joining a special task force in D.C
Next week’s finale will include a celebratory sendoff for Kaya and a musical number featuring past guest stars from Seasons 1 and 2
Showrunner Jonathan Tolins told Deadline
“Kaya just turned out to be this wonderful partner for Elsbeth
and that relationship was one that we all love so much
We’re excited that the character got her promotion and achieved that dream
She’s not leaving the world of the show
She’s just not going to be with us every day
I don’t want to make too much of the change.”
Ethan Slater debuted as Elsbeth’s new accompanying officer in the latter half of Season 2
Could he be more of a presence in Season 3
Sign Up
Simon Patterson tells Victorian court of ‘inflammatory messages’ his wife sent to his parents amid a financial dispute
Erin Patterson was “extremely aggressive” during a financial dispute with her estranged husband about their children
as more message exchanges between the former couple were revealed
faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in Leongatha in South Gippsland in 2023
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to murdering or attempting to murder the relatives of her estranged husband, Simon Patterson.
She is accused of murdering Simon’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, his aunt Heather Wilkinson, and attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, Simon’s uncle and Heather’s husband.
On Friday, Simon gave evidence for a second day in the trial, under cross-examination from Patterson’s lawyer, Colin Mandy SC. The supreme court is sitting in Morwell.
Read moreHis evidence largely centred on a series of exchanges with Patterson over text
either using SMS or the messaging app Signal
Simon was also asked about phone conversations he had with Patterson in the days immediately after the deadly lunch
which Simon said he had a “pretty fuzzy” memory of
involved a discussion about how Patterson was feeling
but the prosecution allege she was not poisoned with death cap mushrooms
Simon said “it intrigued me that she didn’t actually ask” about the condition of the other guests during the conversation
Simon said that it was “quite possible” that Patterson was aware the other guests were unwell
Another message exchange involved two issues: the financial future of their children and how one of their children was going
Simon said he believed this exchange in December 2022 occurred before child support authorities calculated that he only had to pay Patterson $38 a month
Patterson contacted Simon’s parents about the financial issue and made comments in another group chat
View image in fullscreen Illustration: Guardian DesignHe agreed with Mandy that it had clearly become “emotive” and both of them were frustrated and wanted to resolve it.
“Yeah I can remember a couple of very inflammatory messages to Mum and Dad, and to the group that I was in about that,” Simon told the court.
He agreed with Mandy it had descended into pettiness and that he had sought the assistance of a mediator.
“It wasn’t working … From my point of view, Erin was being extremely aggressive.”
Mandy sought instead to characterise her feelings as being upset.
The arrangement of a pub lunch for Gail’s 70th birthday marked another flashpoint in the relationship.
Messages shown to the court from October 2022 show Patterson becoming upset at what she felt was her being invited as an “afterthought”.
Read moreSimon responded that it was “ridiculous” for Patterson to suggest his father had been lying when he said he thought he had invited her days earlier to the lunch
and your response is to say you’re being ridiculous,” Patterson responded
She eventually attended the lunch with the two children
Many of the messages were routine conversations about parenting arrangements or the operation of the live feed for the Sunday service at Korumburra Baptist church
The court heard Simon frequently handled the logistics of the live feed from inside the church
while Patterson assisted on a fortnightly basis with ensuring the feed was properly operating online
Justice Christopher Beale told the jury to rest up over the weekend and ignore anyone who tried to speak with them about the case
which had received “extensive media coverage”
“You have to shut that conversation down,” he said
“You have to tell them: ‘I can’t talk about it’.”
Simon’s evidence is set to continue on Monday
cancer claim and mushroom foraging in week one of the trial of Erin Patterson
five people sat down to lunch in the dining room of a house in Leongatha
a small town in the South Gippsland region of Australia’s south-east
One of the six chairs at the dining table remained empty
It was unusual for Patterson to host the group
but she told them she faced an unusual circumstance: she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer
and wanted their advice on what to tell the two children she shared with Simon
Ian was the pastor at the nearby Korumburra Baptist church
and the rest of the group regularly attended his Sunday service
On the plates in front of them were individual beef wellingtons prepared by Patterson: eye fillet steaks
Three months later, Patterson was charged with murdering Don, Gail and Heather, and attempting to murder Ian. She has pleaded not guilty, and her trial started on 29 April
What is in dispute is whether she meant to poison her four guests
said that Patterson “deliberately poisoned” her lunch guests “with murderous intent”
Justice Christopher Beale said there were two key issues at the heart of the case: whether Patterson deliberately poisoned anyone
and whether she intended to kill or cause serious injury when she did
Patterson watched intently throughout the first week of her trial
often when there was mention of family members or her deceased in-laws
on the second level of the Latrobe Valley law courts
This means Patterson is seated behind most of the public seating
Reporters have to turn around in their seats and look behind them to gauge her reaction to proceedings
The only witness in the first week of the trial was Simon Patterson
Show29 July 2023 Erin Patterson hosts lunch for estranged husband Simon’s parents
and his aunt and uncle Heather and Ian Wilkinson
All four lunch guests are admitted to hospital with gastro-like symptoms.
Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson die in hospital.
Victoria police search Erin Patterson’s home and interview her.
Ian Wilkinson is discharged from hospital after weeks in intensive care
and she is arrested and interviewed. She is charged with three counts of murder relating to the deaths of Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson
and the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson.
Murder trial begins. Jury hears that charges of attempting to murder her estranged husband Simon are dropped
Thank you for your feedback.She worked in the council’s animal welfare area
They were part of the same “eclectic” group of friends at first
The history of their relationship unfolded gradually during his time in the witness box: children arriving in 2009 and 2014
Patterson receiving a $2m share of her grandmother’s estate
a series of separations and reconcilements
though for much of the next eight years Simon felt they could again reconcile
The months between late 2022 and the lunch have taken on a central importance to the case, as they are seen by the prosecution as representing a deterioration in the relationship
and Simon even advised Patterson on the construction of her new property
where the lunch would eventually be hosted
View image in fullscreenSimon Patterson was the only witness in the first week of his estranged wife’s trial
Photograph: Martin Keep/AFP/Getty ImagesSimon agreed to go
but the night before the lunch he texted her to cancel
I feel too uncomfortable about coming to the lunch with you
Heather and Ian tomorrow but I’m happy to talk about your health and implications of that at another time,” he wrote to Patterson at 6.54pm
Patterson then replied at 6.59pm: “That’s really disappointing
I’ve spent many hours this week preparing lunch for tomorrow which has been exhausting in light of the issues I’m facing and spent a small fortune on beef eye fillet to make beef wellingtons because I wanted it to be a special meal
as I may not be able to host a lunch like this again for some time
“It’s important to me that you’re all there tomorrow and that I can have the conversations that I need to have
“Your parents and Heather and Ian are coming at 12.30
He had already told his parents he would not be attending
with Patterson serving herself on a smaller
Patterson also told family and medical staff that she became unwell over the same period
having discovered that food she prepared had resulted in her guests becoming horribly unwell
She lied to police about not owning a food dehydrator
CCTV footage showed her dumping the dehydrator at the local tip
A forensic analysis showed it had traces of death cap mushrooms
Patterson also lied to police when she told them she had never foraged for mushrooms
The prosecution say data from one of Patterson’s phones suggests that she twice travelled to locations that had been publicly identified as having death cap mushrooms
and the posts included exact coordinates and images
It is also alleged that one of the phones regularly used by Patterson in the lead up to the lunch has never been found by police
and that another she handed to them under the false pretence it was the phone she normally used was subject to a “factory reset” while they were searching her house
“The starting point for you is that Erin Patterson is innocent of these charges,” Mandy said towards the end of his opening address
View image in fullscreenErin Patterson’s defence barrister
arrives at the Latrobe Valley magistrates court in Morwell
Photograph: James Ross/AAPHe then stood facing the jury
as if showing off the size of a particularly big catch
“If there’s a scale where innocent is at one end
you’re down here at this end,” he indicated with his right hand
“and what the prosecution has to do is drag you as far up that line as they can before you could consider whether or not Erin Patterson is guilty
the proper place for a jury to start at this point
And they have to pull you from there with evidence
“And it’s only if they get you all the way to the other end that you could return a verdict of guilty
because your oath that you’ve given is to give a true verdict according to the evidence.”
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2025 at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox
Scott (Fiancé Christie Beebe) Patterson
Kay (Tom) Ducett and numerous nieces and nephews
Raymond was preceded in death by his parents
Norman & Rita Patterson (Ward) and brother Edward Patterson in infancy
Raymond was a founding member of the Mokena Burros Youth Football and longtime Coach and Board Member
He retired from Bill’s Drywall in 2020 after 40 years of service
hunting and especially spending time with his grandchildren
Family will receive friends at Kurtz Memorial Chapel
2025 from 9:00 AM until time of the funeral service at 11:00 AM
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ABC NewsThe key people
timeline and evidence in Erin Patterson's mushroom murder trialShare The key people
timeline and evidence in Erin Patterson's mushroom murder trialBy Judd Boaz
Erin Patterson is accused of intentionally poisoning four people during a lunch at her home in 2023. (Supplied: News Corp)
Link copiedShareShare articleErin Patterson has been charged with the murders of three people and the attempted murder of another, following a lunch held at her home in 2023.
Ms Patterson's parents-in-law, Donald and Gail Patterson, along with relatives Ian and Heather Wilkinson, became violently ill due to a meal consisting of beef Wellington that contained death cap mushrooms.
Donald and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson died from their illnesses, while Ian Wilkinson survived.
Erin Patterson has maintained her innocence since her arrest in November 2023, with her defence making the case that the poisonings were a "tragedy and a terrible accident".
A six-week trial is currently underway at the Latrobe Valley Law Courts in Morwell, with global media descending on regional Victoria to cover the case.
Erin Patterson is accused of killing three people and attempting to murder a fourth person at a lunch at her home on July 29, 2023.
She has maintained her innocence, stating that although she lied to police, she did not deliberately seek out death cap mushrooms and did not intend to harm or kill anyone.
She is a university graduate and a qualified air traffic controller. She met her husband Simon Patterson when they both worked at Monash City Council.
She remains married to Simon Patterson, with whom she shares two children.
Her estranged husband described Erin as "very intelligent" and "quite witty".
He says she was an atheist before meeting him, and has struggled with depression and self-esteem issues over the years.
The court has heard that Erin has been financially stable for many years, and was the benefactor of an inheritance from her grandmother in 2006.
In 2019, Erin began making connections with other people online via a Keli Lane true crime Facebook group.
Simon Patterson is the estranged husband of Erin Patterson, from whom he has been separated since 2015.
His parents, Donald and Gail, and aunt and uncle, Heather and Ian, attended a lunch hosted by his wife Erin on July 29, 2023.
Simon says his relationship with Erin was mainly characterised by her leaving him multiple times.
In his testimony, Simon Patterson told the court Erin had said the way they related to each other was "toxic".
Their relationship deteriorated in late 2022 over disagreements regarding child support payments.
Donald Patterson is the father of Simon Patterson, and father-in-law to Erin Patterson.
He and Gail Patterson married in 1973 and had four children together.
The couple settled in Korumburra in 1984 and lived there until their deaths in August 2023.
The court has heard that of all her guests at the lunch in question, Donald was the one that Erin Patterson was closest to, sharing a love of science, knowledge and books.
Donald was a high school teacher before retiring in the early 2000s.
Donald died at 11:30pm on August 5, from multiple organ failure secondary to altered liver function due to clinically diagnosed Amanita mushroom poisoning.
Gail Patterson is the mother of Simon Patterson, and mother-in-law to Erin Patterson.
She and Donald Patterson married in 1973 and had four children together.
The trial heard that Gail had suffered from encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) a few years prior to her death, and had been struggling with issues around her recovery.
Gail died at 5:55pm on August 4, with multiple organ failure, resulting from altered liver function due to clinically diagnosed amanita mushroom poisoning.
Ian Wilkinson was the husband of Heather Wilkinson, with whom he had four children.
He has served as the pastor at the Korumburra Baptist Church since 1999.
Ian is the only member of the lunch party aside from Erin to have survived, and received a liver transplant after falling ill.
He is expected to give evidence during the trial.
Heather Wilkinson was the younger sister of Gail Patterson, and was married to Ian Wilkinson with whom she had four children.
She helped out at a local school as a teacher's aide.
During the trial, Simon Patterson revealed that after guests began to fall ill, Heather had asked him about the crockery used at the lunch.
"We didn't have much conversation but [Heather] looked a bit puzzled and she said, 'I noticed Erin served herself her food on a coloured plate, which was different to the rest'," Mr Patterson told the court.
Heather was the first of the lunch guests to die, passing away at 2:50am on August 4 from altered liver function and multiple organ failure, with a clinical diagnosis of Amanita mushroom poisoning.
Three friends that Erin Patterson met online have been called as witnesses in the trial.
Christine Hunt, Daniela Barkley and Jenny Hay were all members of a Keli Lane true crime Facebook group along with Erin Patterson.
This group eventually crystallised into a five-person private group chat, where members would talk about their personal lives.
Ms Hunt told the jury that Erin had described her marriage to Simon as "controlling" and "coercive", and that she had major concerns about leaving the children with him due to his lifestyle.
Cooking and recipes from RecipeTin Eats were also favourite discussion topics in the group.
Ms Barkley and Ms Hunt described Erin posting to the group chat about her new purchase of a dehydrator and her use of it to dry mushrooms for use in food.
They also detailed Erin asking the group about making a beef Wellington in the weeks before the lunch, and her difficulties in finding an appropriate cut of meat.
A Sunbeam food lab electronic dehydrator owned by Erin Patterson was a subject of the police investigation.
Police say they found a Sunbeam food dehydrator with Ms Patterson's fingerprints on it dumped at the Koonwarra tip soon after the lunch.
Defence lawyers for Ms Patterson say she admits she panicked and lied to authorities, claiming in her initial police interview she had never owned a dehydrator.
Facebook friends of Ms Patterson told the court that Erin had posted about purchasing and using a dehydrator to a private group chat in the months before the lunch, explaining that she had been using it to dehydrate mushrooms.
Text message communication between Erin Patterson and her estranged husband Simon Patterson, both via SMS and the messaging app Signal, has been tendered as evidence.
Mr Patterson was asked to read many of these messages aloud to the court, including an exchange where he declined an invitation to the July 29 lunch.
Simon: Sorry, I feel too uncomfortable about coming to the lunch with you, Mum, Dad, Heather and Ian tomorrow but I'm happy to talk about your health and implications of that at another time. If you'd like to discuss on the phone, just let me know.
Further messages on Signal regarding childcare arrangements, financial matters and logistics around live-streaming from the local church were a focus for much of the first few days of the trial.
The prosecution alleged in its opening argument that Erin Patterson was using two phones and two separate SIM cards in the weeks before and after the lunch on July 29.
Police conducted a search warrant at Ms Patterson's home on August 5, taking her mobile phone.
Around this time, the prosecution alleges Ms Patterson conducted factory resets on her phone repeatedly.
It is alleged a second phone was in use by Ms Patterson, and this phone has never been recovered by police.
Both the prosecution and defence agree that medical testing of the poisoning victims showed it was death cap mushrooms that caused the deaths.
The death cap mushroom — or Amanita phalloides — is estimated to be responsible for nine out of every 10 mushroom poisoning deaths.
While just one mushroom can kill an adult, death caps are said to taste pleasant and look similar to edible mushrooms used in cooking.
The innocuous look, feel and taste of a death cap mushroom means it can be hard for someone who has eaten one to even know they've been poisoned.
In its opening argument, the prosecution said all four lunch guests tested positive for toxins found in death cap mushrooms, or had autopsy findings consistent with pathology typically seen from ingesting death cap mushrooms.
In its opening arguments, the prosecution introduced the website iNaturalist.org to the jury.
It was described as a website dedicated to "recording observations and citizen science uploads of plants, animal and fungi".
The court heard of two posts made to the iNaturalist site, logging the sighting of death cap mushrooms in the Loch and Outtrim areas.
The prosecution argues that Erin Patterson travelled to both of these areas soon after the posts were made to the site.
The plates used by Erin Patterson to serve her guests at the July 29 lunch have become a focus of questioning from both the prosecution and defence.
The court has heard Heather Wilkinson mentioned shortly before her death that Ms Patterson ate from a different-coloured plate than the rest of her guests.
On cross-examination from the defence, Simon Wilkinson told the court that Erin did not own much crockery, which may have explained the discrepancy.
During the opening arguments, the prosecution charted the history of Erin and Simon Patterson's marriage, and her relationship with her four lunch guests.
This is the timeline of events in 2023 before and after the lunch, as set out by the prosecution:
Erin allegedly starts using two mobile phones, known as Phone A and Phone B, using a SIM card with the number 04XX XXX 783.
Erin is told she has tested negative for cervical cancer after a self-administered screening test.
A user on iNaturalist, a website for tracking plants and fungi, finds death cap mushrooms in the Loch area and posts about them online.
The prosecution says Erin’s mobile phone data suggests she travels to Loch before returning to Korumburra.
Two and a half hours later, Erin allegedly purchases a Sunbeam food lab electronic dehydrator from a Leongatha store.
Erin allegedly starts posting about dehydrating mushrooms in a true crime Facebook group, detailing how she put powdered mushrooms into different foods.
An iNaturalist user posts a photo and location of death cap mushrooms in Outtrim.
The prosecution says Erin’s mobile phone data suggests she travels to Loch and Outtrim.
Erin allegedly tells Donald and Gail that she has an appointment with St Vincent's Hospital on this date, and tells Gail the next day a biopsy was taken of a lump in her elbow.
Erin allegedly connects a new SIM card with the number 04XX XXX 835.
Erin attends a service at Korumburra Baptist Church and invites Don, Gail and Simon Patterson and Ian and Heather Wilkinson to lunch on July 29.
Simon messages Erin, saying he will not be attending the lunch due to feeling too "uncomfortable".
Erin Patterson serves a lunch of beef Wellington to four guests at her home in Leongatha.
Don and Gail ring Simon, complaining of serious illness. They travel via ambulance to Dandenong Hospital.
Simon picks up Heather and Ian, taking them to Korumburra Hospital, then Leongatha Hospital.
Erin allegedly tells one of her children she feels unwell, and spends the day running errands with her children before serving them a meal she says is leftovers from the lunch.
Doctors at Leongatha and Dandenong Hospital confer about the poisonings. Don, Gail, Heather and Ian are transferred to the Austin Hospital in Melbourne.
Erin drops her children to school, then texts Simon and asks him to take her to hospital, but he tells her to get there herself.
Erin presents to Leongatha Hospital around 8am, but allegedly declines a full examination and checks herself out. Erin returns to the hospital around 9:48am. She is transferred to Monash Medical Centre, and meets Simon and her children there.
Heather and Ian arrive at Austin Hospital.
Despite escalating medical treatment, Donald, Gail and Heather continue to deteriorate.
Erin is assessed by a doctor at Monash, who says she appears clinically well and all her vital signs are within normal limits. She is discharged from hospital about 1pm.
The Department of Health interviews Erin about the lunch. She says she bought dried mushrooms from an Asian grocer in Melbourne's south-east.
Erin allegedly conducts a factory reset on Phone B, which she had been using before February 12.
She allegedly drives to Koonwarra Transfer Station and Landfill, and deposits items into an e-waste bin.
Monash Council begins visiting Asian-style grocery stores in Melbourne's south-east to find products matching Erin's description.
A Victoria Police investigation is launched into the July 29 lunch.
Erin allegedly moves her SIM card with the number 04XX XXX 835 into Phone B.
Police travel to Koonwarra Transfer Station and find a black Sunbeam dehydrator in an e-waste bin.
A search warrant is executed at Erin's Leongatha house, where police seize Phone B with SIM card number 04XX XXX 835.
Erin is taken to Wonthaggi Police Station and interviewed.
Erin allegedly remotely conducts a factory reset of Phone B, which is still held by police.
Erin allegedly continues to use Phone A with number 04XX XXX 783. Police say they never recover this phone.
The Department of Health concludes its investigation, and is unable to find any store selling mushrooms matching Erin's description.
Ian Wilkinson is moved into a rehabilitation ward after a successful liver transplant.
Police arrest Erin and charge her with three counts of murder.
AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
Link copiedShareShare articleErin Patterson's Facebook friends took to the witness box in her murder trial over a lunch served to her in-laws containing death cap mushrooms.
Look back at how the hearing unfolded in our live blog.
Live updatesLatestOldest16h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 5:54amThat's all for today's coverageJBy Judd Boaz
Thank you for joining us for Monday's proceedings in the Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial.
To catch up on all the day's events in court, ABC court reporter Kristian Silva has produced this wrap with all the major moments from the trial.
Join us tomorrow for more coverage from the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court.
Copy link17h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 5:45amMore Q+A with the Mushroom Case Daily podcast teamKBy Kristian Silva and Stephen Stockwell
The ABC’s Mushroom Case Daily podcast team are on the ground in Morwell
bringing you episodes every day of the trial
We’ve had loads of questions from listeners and we’re answering a few here on the live blog today
If you have a question, you can send it to: mushroomcasedaily@abc.net.au.
Q: Why aren't proceedings livestreamed? What are the court's reasons for not doing that?
A: We don't recall ever seeing a criminal trial being live streamed in Australia. What we have seen in recent years are civil trials being live streamed, such as in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation trial.
But criminal cases aren't shown, and you can understand why. Some of these cases are pretty horrible. They could be about murders or sexual assaults, and they don't want that sort of stuff broadcast. It's obviously very private.
In the US, there's things like court TV, but in Australia we are a little bit more conservative and judges here are less open to broadcasting court proceedings.
Of course, you can go into court and sit in the courtroom — there is a fundamental legal principle of open justice — but that doesn’t extend to open broadcasting.
Q: Was Erin Patterson required to pass a lie detector test? - Joyce
A: That's not something that the jury has been told by either the prosecution or defence. Lie detector tests haven’t been used in any recent big criminal trials. It's not really the done thing.
Q: Did Erin vote in the federal election over the weekend? - Sarah and Luke
A: We’ve been in touch with the Australian Electoral Commission who have confirmed that she was certainly eligible to.
However, we don't know for sure if she did.
Q: How has the town of Morwell received the trial? Are locals happy to see the business or is it bringing a negative energy? - Jess
A: People are lovely and very welcoming of us. It's been nice to get some good feedback. People say journalism is a glamourous gig and it has its moments. Other times people see you filing a story while literally sitting in a gutter, but that's the reality of it. We’re enjoying bringing you the podcast.
Copy linkKey Event17h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 5:38amSix things we learned todayJBy Judd Boaz
Proceedings have finished for the day in Courtroom 4.
We saw the end of Simon Patterson's testimony, as well as the introduction of three new witnesses in the form of Erin Patterson's Facebook friends.
Christine Hunt, Daniela Barkley and Jenny Hay provided their testimony about Erin Patterson's online correspondence in the weeks and months leading up to the July 29 lunch.
Copy link17h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 5:23amCourt adjournsJBy Judd Boaz
The three Facebook friends are the final witnesses for today, and Justice Beale adjourns court for the day.
Copy link17h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 5:16amDefence questions Erin's online friend Jenny HayJBy Judd Boaz
Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC is up next to question Erin Patterson's online friend Jenny Hay.
He has Ms Hay reaffirm many parts of her and the other Facebook friends' testimonies.
This includes Erin's passion for mushrooms, Erin's diligence as a mother and the advice Ms Hay gave for a non-soggy beef Wellington.
"[I suggested she] wrap the pastry as close as possible to putting it in the oven," Ms Hay tells the court.
It concludes after just a minute or two, and Ms Hay is dismissed.
Copy link17h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 5:15amPhone coversation between Jenny Hay and Erin Patterson after the lunchJBy Judd Boaz
On the Monday following the poisonous lunch, Ms Hay says she spoke with Erin Patterson for about 10 minutes over the phone.
"Erin emailed me on the Monday morning, via my work email, and asked for me to call her," she says.
"I don't think she answered, I think she called me back but I ended up speaking with her on the phone."
Prosecutor Sarah Lenthall asks if Erin mentioned where the mushrooms came from.
"She said that they came from an Asian grocer store," Ms Hay says.
Ms Lenthall asks if Erin said anything about her illness.
"She said she was sick and was in hospital."
Ms Lenthall asks if Erin said anything about her children eating the meal.
"Yes, she said that they ate some of the meal."
Copy link17h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 5:12amJenny Hay questioned by the prosecutionJBy Judd Boaz
Jenny Hay is asked about her connection to Erin Patterson.
"I've never met her in person but I've known her online" she says.
She explains how they initially connected through the Keli Lane Facebook group, before joining the smaller, five person chat group around the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ms Hay confirms that Erin's Facebook name was changed to Erin Erin, and then Erin Erin Erin.
Copy link17h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 5:12amErin's focus on mushrooms discussedJBy Judd Boaz
"Did you ever discuss mushrooms?" prosecutor Sarah Lenthall says.
"In particular, did Erin Patterson ever talk about mushrooms in that group?" Ms Lenthall asks.
"Around February/March '23, Erin had bought a dehydrator and seemed to be using it particularly to dehydrate mushrooms," Ms Hay says.
Ms Hay describes Erin's process of powdering mushrooms and putting them in food.
However, she says there was no mention about foraging mushrooms.
Ms Hay says towards the end of July, Ms Patterson discussed making a beef Wellington.
Copy link17h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 5:05amErin Patterson cleaned estranged husband's house, court hearsJBy Judd Boaz
In his final question, Mr Mandy again raises the issue of Simon Patterson's cleanliness.
Colin Mandy SC: Did she also tell you ... that she'd been to his house to clean it?
Daniela Barkley: She reluctantly told us that.
Ms Barkley is dismissed, and the final witness of the day, a Facebook friend called Jenny Hay, is called to give evidence via video link.
Copy link17h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 5:02amMore on beef WellingtonJBy Judd Boaz
Mr Mandy asks about Erin Patterson as a mother.
"Her life appeared to revolve around her children," Ms Barkley says.
"Absolutely it did, that's all she appeared to care about ... I thought she was a wonderful mother."
Ms Barkley says the cookbook RecipeTin Eats was a prominent feature of the online group's discussion.
She says other members of the group had made beef Wellington before and it was a loved dish for the group.
Ms Barkley tells the court that Erin had mentioned her love of mushrooms to the group.
"I always knew that about her, yep," she says.
Copy link17h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 4:58amThe defence begins questioning Daniela BarkleyJBy Judd Boaz
Colin Mandy SC begins his cross-examination of Daniela Barkley.
Copy linkKey Event17h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 4:57amErin Patterson discussed beef Wellington with online friendsJBy Judd Boaz
Ms Barkley says the group would often discuss cooking, as it was a main topic of discussion.
She tells the court that beef Wellington was raised by Erin Patterson in the weeks before the lunch.
"Erin asked the group if anyone had cooked beef Wellington before and if they had any advice," Ms Barkley says.
"When was that question asked?" Ms Lenthall asks.
"I believe it was two weeks before the lunch."
Ms Barkley says she specifically remembers the conversation because she's mostly vegetarian and didn't know what beef Wellington was.
She says she joked about making a tofu Wellington, which several people in the group thought would be "awful".
She says the last time the group heard about the beef Wellington was towards the end of July, when Erin expressed difficulty in finding a cut of meat due to the expense.
Copy link17h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 4:57amMore Facebook screenshots shown to courtJBy Judd Boaz
More comments from Erin Patterson are shown to the court, with Erin expressing amazement over how much the dehydrator would shrink the mass of mushrooms.
Ms Barkley tells the court that the messages were sent to a private Facebook group in the months preceding the July 29 lunch.
Copy linkKey Event17h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 4:53amErin told friends 'I've been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything', court hearsJBy Judd Boaz
Ms Barkley tells the jury that Erin Patterson had felt "excited" that she had bought a food dehydrator, and had shared images of her drying mushrooms into a private group chat with her.
"Did she say what she had been using the dehydrator for?" Ms Lenthall asks.
A screenshot of a Facebook comment is shown to the court. It reads:
"I've been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything. Mixed it into chocolate brownies yesterday, the kids had no idea."
Copy linkKey Event17h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 4:49amFacebook friend questioned over Erin and Simon's marriageJBy Judd Boaz
Ms Barkley is asked about the relationship between Erin and Simon Patterson.
She tells the court that Erin would tell a small Facebook group of five people about her marriage.
"Just sometimes about how sad she felt, about how he was just so religious and how it was so difficult to get along with him," she says.
Ms Barkley says Erin would describe how Simon would favour one of his children over another.
"[She would post] that he wasn't a very nice person," she says.
"She didn't want the kids to sleep over [at his house] just because she wasn't very happy with the way he lived."
Ms Barkley says Erin described times when she felt Simon prioritised the church over his children.
Copy link18h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 4:45amFacebook friend Daniela Barkley gives testimonyJBy Judd Boaz
Another Facebook friend of Erin Patterson, Daniela Barkley, is called as a witness via video link.
Ms Barkley tells the court she first became aware of Erin Patterson in 2019 in a true crime Facebook group.
She confirms that Ms Patterson initially had an account named Erin Patterson, then Erin Erin, then finally Erin Erin Erin.
As mentioned by Christine Hunt, their initial true crime group dissolved and reformed with a smaller number of members.
The group shared news articles and current affairs with each other.
She says a final group of 18 to 20 people including herself, Christine Hunt and Erin Patteron eventually formed.
"For the first few years, [Erin] was quite active in there," Ms Barkley says.
"In the last year or so, she barely posted in there."
Ms Barkley says when she did post, she would comment on news articles on certain true crime cases.
Copy linkKey Event18h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 4:39amErin told internet friends she was atheist, court hearsJBy Judd Boaz
Erin Patterson's Christian beliefs have been raised by the defence.
We've heard during the trial Erin was a frequent visitor to the Korumburra Baptist Church where Ian Wilkinson served as pastor.
She also helped livestream church services, along with her father-in-law Don, the court has heard.
However, Erin's online friend Christine Hunt says Ms Patterson had told the group that she was an atheist.
"I think she was two-sided on that ... she went to church because of the family situation," she tells the court.
"She was saying to us publicly that she didn’t necessarily believe in God."
Copy link18h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 4:36amMore from Ms HuntJBy Judd Boaz
Ms Hunt tells the court that Erin Patterson gave the impression of a loving and devoted mother.
She says words such as "controlling" and "coercive" were words that were used by Erin to describe Simon.
Ms Hunt says the term "abusive" may have been her own term to describe what she knew of the relationship.
"That may be my term from the fact that coercion is an abuse, sir," she says.
Copy linkKey Event18h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 4:35amFacebook friend says Erin described 'coercive' relationship with SimonJBy Judd Boaz
Ms Hunt is asked to characterise the relationship between Erin and Simon Patterson.
She says Erin had painted a negative picture of their relationship.
"There were challenges, she didn't like it … she seemed unsettled whenever the kids were away," Ms Hunt says .
"The terms of' coercive' and 'abuse' … was the sort of sense we were given.
"She never seemed happy with his follow-up and his commitment with what was happening."
Copy link18h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 4:34amKeli Lane Facebook group explainedJBy Judd Boaz
In her opening argument, prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC made particular mention of a true crime Facebook group that Erin Patterson had joined and made friends through.
The group centred around Keli Lane, a woman convicted of killing her baby daughter in one of Australia's most notorious criminal cases.
The court heard that Ms Patterson participated in the group using Facebook profiles named Erin Patterson, Erin Erin and Erin Erin Erin.
"Over time, some of the participants of the group formed closer connections and began separate Facebook groups with one another, with discussions extending to news, current affairs and their personal lives," Dr Rogers said.
prosecution says30 April 2025SummaryAustralian woman Erin Patterson is on trial accused of killing three relatives and seriously injuring another by serving a lunch containing poisonous mushrooms
Ms Patterson had previously written on Facebook that she had been using a food dehydrator to cook mushrooms and "hiding powdered mushrooms in everything"
The defence says it accepts death cap mushrooms were in the meal but that the poisoning was a "terrible accident" and Ms Patterson "didn't intend to cause anyone any harm"
Ms Patterson, 50, is facing three murder charges and one count of attempted murder - all of which she denies
both died as well as Gail Patterson's sister
BBC outside court as toxic mushroom lunch trial begins
Edited by Francesca Gillett and Tiffanie Turnbull
with Katy Watson and Simon Atkinson at court in Victoria
We've now had the opening of the much-anticipated trial of Erin Patterson
the 50-year-old Australian woman accused of cooking a fatal mushroom meal for her relatives in July 2023
Ms Patterson is charged with three counts of murder and one of attempted murder over a beef wellington lunch at her house in July 2023
Prosecutors say Ms Patterson deliberately poisoned her guests to kill them
The defence told the jury the meal was a "tragedy
a terrible accident" and she did not mean to hurt anyone
The defence team say the prosecution are trying to cast her behaviour in the days after the lunch as "incriminating"
but that she "panicked because she was overwhelmed"
Three people died in hospital days after the meal
including Ms Patterson's former in-laws
A single lunch guest - local pastor Ian Wilkinson - survived
after weeks of intensive treatment in hospital
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingKey things we heard on day one of trialpublished at 07:49 British Summer Time 30 April07:49 BST 30 AprilHelen SullivanLive reporter
The prosecution and defence have finished their opening statements on the first day of Erin Patterson's trial
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingWho were the alleged victims?published at 07:25 British Summer Time 30 April07:25 BST 30 AprilHelen SullivanLive reporter
Three people died in hospital in the days after the lunch - Ms Patterson's former in-laws
survived after weeks of treatment in hospital
The prosecution said today that Ian and Heather Wilkinson each ate all of the portions of beef wellington Ms Patterson served them
Gail Patterson ate half and gave the rest to her husband Donald
the prosecution said - he ate his portion and the rest of Gail's
He later vomited 30 times in the space of a few hours
Ms Patterson invited her estranged husband Simon to the lunch
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingJury will be sequestered during deliberationspublished at 07:13 British Summer Time 30 April07:13 BST 30 AprilHelen SullivanLive reporter
Camera crews and journalists outside court today
Justice Christopher Beale explained that when the jurors start their deliberations
It means that once the jury has heard all the evidence
they "will be bussed to a hotel at an undisclosed location
where they will stay overnight and be bussed back to the court the next morning to continue their deliberations," he said
they will be able to go home at the end of each day in court
to protect the jury "from any interference or outside pressure" and to "safeguard the integrity of their verdicts"
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingIntent is the overarching issue in this case - judgepublished at 07:00 British Summer Time 30 April07:00 BST 30 AprilAs the defence finishes up
Judge Christopher Beale recaps the thrust of the trial for the jury as he sends them home for the day:
The overarching issue is whether she intended to kill or cause very serious injury."
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDefendant admits she told some lies
court hearspublished at 06:59 British Summer Time 30 April06:59 BST 30 AprilSimon AtkinsonAustralia producer
"She lied about getting rid of the dehydrator
Ms Patterson also admits that she lied to police about having never foraged for mushrooms
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingErin Patterson was 'generous and kind' to her family - defencepublished at 06:56 British Summer Time 30 April06:56 BST 30 AprilSimon AtkinsonAustralia producer
The court is being told a bit more about Erin Patterson
"She was comfortable financially," Mr Mandy said
"She was generous and kind to the wider Patterson family including being generous with her money."
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDefence says 'incriminating' behaviour after lunch was 'panic'published at 06:55 British Summer Time 30 April06:55 BST 30 AprilTiffanie TurnbullLive reporter
Defence barrister Colin Mandy says while the prosecution will try to cast Erin Patterson's behaviour in the days after the lunch as "incriminating"
jurors should consider how someone might react in that situation
"Might people say or do things that are not well thought out..
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDefence warns jury to ignore media coverage and 'theories'published at 06:50 British Summer Time 30 April06:50 BST 30 AprilSimon AtkinsonAustralia producer
"You would be aware that the media is fascinated by this case," says Mr Mandy
reminding the jurors that their judgement can’t be influenced by anything they’ve heard outside of the courtroom - in the news
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'What happened was a terrible accident' - defencepublished at 06:44 British Summer Time 30 April06:44 BST 30 AprilTiffanie TurnbullLive reporter
Mr Mandy says the defence accepts that the three alleged victims died
because of death cap mushrooms in the meal Ms Patterson served them
"She didn’t intend to cause anyone any harm on that day..
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDefence begins opening statementpublished at 06:41 British Summer Time 30 April06:41 BST 30 AprilSimon AtkinsonAustralia producer
The prosecution's opening statement has finished and the defence is beginning theirs
tells the jury: "That address was detailed because it has to be
"It is the way the prosecution expects the evidence will unfold
The actual evidence is what you’ll hear through the trial."
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'We will not be suggesting a motive' - prosecutorpublished at 06:24 British Summer Time 30 April06:24 BST 30 AprilTiffanie TurnbullLive reporter
‘What is the motive?" Nanette Rogers says
“You might still be wondering this at the end of this trial.”
She explains that the prosecution will not be suggesting a particular motive for Ms Patterson's alleged actions
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingProsecution: It is our case Erin Patterson deliberately poisoned guests to kill thempublished at 06:24 British Summer Time 30 April06:24 BST 30 AprilSimon AtkinsonAustralia producer
Dr Rogers also says Erin Patterson lied about her children eating leftovers from the meal
lied about buying the dried mushrooms from an Asian grocery store
and dumped the food dehydrator she used to make the meal to hide the evidence
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingProsecution alleges Erin Patterson lied about cancerpublished at 06:12 British Summer Time 30 April06:12 BST 30 AprilTiffanie TurnbullLive reporter
Earlier, the prosecution said Erin Patterson asked her relatives to the lunch because she had medical condition to discuss - and claimed at the lunch that she had cancer.
Nanette Rogers says it is the prosecution's case that Erin Patterson did not ingest toxic mushrooms
and that she was never diagnosed with cancer
"It is the prosecution case that the accused used the false claim..
to ensure and explain why the children would not be present at the lunch."
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDefendant's fingerprints found on dumped food dehydrator - prosecutionpublished at 06:07 British Summer Time 30 April06:07 BST 30 AprilSimon AtkinsonAustralia producer
The jury is being shown a CCTV photo showing Erin Patterson at her local tip on 2 August
Bank transactions show she paid $13.50 to dump some items
Among the things she was seen disposing of was a large black box
a staff member found a black Sunbeam dehydrator
Fingerprints were found on the dehydrator and compared to Ms Patterson's
It also tested positive for death cap mushrooms
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingErin Patterson said she was hiding powdered mushrooms in everything
court hearspublished at 06:05 British Summer Time 30 April06:05 BST 30 AprilTiffanie TurnbullLive reporter
Prosecutor Nanette Rogers tells the jury Ms Patterson had posted in Facebook groups about using a food dehydrator to reduce the size of mushrooms to use in cooking
She said online she had been “hiding powdered mushrooms in everything"
including chocolate brownies fed to her children
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingErin Patterson 'travelled to town where death cap mushrooms grew'published at 06:01 British Summer Time 30 April06:01 BST 30 AprilTiffanie TurnbullLive reporter
The court is being told about a website where concerned local people had been posting pictures and warnings about death cap mushrooms
The prosecutor says mobile phone transmission data suggested Patterson travelled to one of the nearby towns
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDeath cap mushrooms grow in Victoria near oak trees
jury toldpublished at 05:57 British Summer Time 30 April05:57 BST 30 AprilTiffanie TurnbullLive reporter
The jury's now being given a little overview of where poisonous death cap mushrooms grow
They're reliant on tree hosts for nutrition
so are only found amongst or very near to the roots of certain trees
the mushrooms are most commonly observed in the month of May
or once picked survive a few weeks if refrigerated
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingHealth officials could not find similar mushrooms for sale
court hearspublished at 05:41 British Summer Time 30 April05:41 BST 30 AprilTiffanie TurnbullLive reporter
We're just back from the lunch break and the prosecution is explaining that authorities in Victoria were concerned about the public health risk after Ms Patterson said she'd brought the mushrooms - not foraged them
The court heard the 50-year-old said some were bought fresh from her local Woolworths
but the rest were brought dried from an Asian grocery in a Melbourne suburb - though she couldn't remember exactly which one
The prosecutors say health investigators set out to visit any Asian groceries or fruit and veg sellers in the suburbs Ms Patterson suggested
The accused had said they had been in clear packaging
and were unbranded with a white handwritten label
She could not find any evidence on her bank statement for the purchase and told officials she had probably used cash
Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingSmall courtroom for such a major trialpublished at 05:30 British Summer Time 30 April05:30 BST 30 AprilSimon AtkinsonAustralia producer
Court 4 - where the trial is being held - is smaller than would usually be used for major trials
For example there are only six seats allocated each day for the media - and these are being allocated by ballot
The rest of us are sitting in an overflow courtroom where we can see the barristers and judge on a TV screen - and hear all of the proceedings
Murder accused urged Simon Patterson to change his mind about not attending ‘special meal’
Erin Patterson said she spent a “small fortune” on buying eye fillet steak for her “special meal” of beef wellingtons, and was really disappointed that her estranged husband cancelled the night before the lunch, a Victorian court has heard.
Simon Patterson has started his evidence in Patterson’s murder trial in the supreme court, detailing the deterioration in their relationship about the paying of child support.
Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in Leongatha in South Gippsland in 2023.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to murdering or attempting to murder the relatives of her estranged husband.
Read moreSimon started his evidence in Patterson’s case by answering the question: “In what way do you know her?”
What followed was an unspooling of the history of their relationship
from meeting while part of an “eclectic” group of friends who worked together at the Monash city council in the early to mid 2000s
to driving across the Nullarbor to Perth as a newly married couple
leaving her a share of the estate worth about $2m
This was slowly “dribbled” to her by the estate executors over about eight years until 2015
The couple had two children born in 2009 and 2014
But there were numerous separations during the course of their relationship
View image in fullscreenSimon Patterson (left) leaves the court in Morwell on Thursday
Photograph: James Ross/AAPSimon said the couple remained amicable
until a dispute over child support in late 2022
sparked by his accountant accidentally lodging a tax return that listed him as “separated” from Patterson
This had the ramification of Patterson having to apply for child support
and him being advised by child support authorities to cease paying for other expenses he had previously contributed to
There was a cooling of their relationship after this
which Simon said became clear when their previously “chatty” text exchanges
including banter and political discussions
They continued to share responsibility for their children
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During a service at the church on 16 July 2023
but am happy to talk about your health and implications of that at another time if you’d like to discuss on the phone,” he wrote to Erin at 6.54pm
Patterson then replied at 6:59pm: “That’s really disappointing
I’ve spent many hours this week preparing lunch or tomorrow which has been exhausting in light of the issues I’m facing and spent a small fortune on beef eye fillet to make beef wellingtons because I wanted it to be a special meal as I may not be able to host a lunch like this again for some time
“It’s important to me that you’re all there tomorrow and that I have the conversations that I need to have
Your parents and Heather and Ian are coming at 12:30
View image in fullscreenSimon’s parents
Don and Gail Patterson.Simon became emotional several times during his evidence
including when detailing how unwell Don looked when he visited him in hospital the morning after the lunch
struggling to … speaking was an effort … and his voice was strained in a way that was
Erin also appeared emotional when Simon detailed the closeness of her relationship with his parents
they shared a lot of knowledge and learning and interest in the world
and I think she loved his gentle nature,” Simon said
“Mum and Dad were really active in maintaining a good relationship with Erin [despite the separation]
Simon also detailed conversations he had with Erin about her also falling ill after the lunch
including when she said multiple times to him that she feared she would “poo her pants” because of diarrhoea she suffered
He spoke about a conversation the couple had with their children at Monash hospital
where Erin and the children had been taken for treatment after the lunch
when they discussed that Erin conducted a blind taste test with muffins cooked using dehydrated mushroom
She said it was interesting their youngest child
preferred a muffin with dried mushroom in it
The prosecution allege Patterson was not unwell because of the lunch
The court was also told on Tuesday that the prosecution would not be suggesting there was not a particular motive for the alleged murders and attempted murder
says she accidentally poisoned her lunch guests
Simon said Erin provided loans worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to each of his three siblings and their partners in order for them to purchase houses
and interest was only indexed to inflation
He also said the couple enjoyed travel together with their children after their 2015 separation
he was involved in the design and speaking with a builder about the house Patterson intended to construct in Leongatha
where the lunch was hosted about three years later
View image in fullscreenThe exterior of the Leongatha home where Erin Patterson allegedly served four death cap mushroom-laced beef wellingtons in July 2023
Photograph: James Ross/AAPSimon considered that while the design of the house focused on it being ideal for the children to grow up
it also reflected the prospect of him and Patterson having a future together
Simon agreed that Patterson had put on weight during their relationship
but did not think she had said she was embarrassed about that
“Do you accept she wasn’t happy with the way she looked?” Mandy asked
“I think Erin is not particularly happy with how she is
including probably most aspects,” Simon replied
Simon confirmed that the child support payment he had to make to Erin was $40 a month
which created some “friction” as it was clear it was not enough
View image in fullscreenKorumburra’s Baptist church
Photograph: James Ross/AAPSimon also spoke about attending Korumburra Baptist church with Patterson during a trip to South Gippsland with friends before the pair were in a relationship
He said that although he knew Patterson was an atheist she appeared moved by the service
“She was moved by what was happening during the communion part of the service
“By a religious or spiritual aspect of what was happening on that date?” Mandy asked him
with Simon’s evidence expected to conclude on Friday
Melissa Humphries receives funding from the MRFF
own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article
and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment
University of Adelaide and University of Sydney provide funding as members of The Conversation AU
View all partners
The world has been gripped by the case of Australian woman Erin Patterson
who was charged with the murder of three people after allegedly serving them a lunch of beef wellington containing poisonous death cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides)
A new element of the sensational story emerged in court this week, when prosecutors reportedly alleged Patterson used iNaturalist to locate and visit places where death cap mushrooms were known to grow
And how is this 17-year-old citizen science project being used to better understand our world
iNaturalist is an app that allows users to take photos of plants
and identified using a combination of crowd-sourcing and artificial intelligence
When a user uploads an image, they can also choose to make the location public, so others can see where it was found. iNaturalist’s database holds more than 240 million observations wordlwide. More than 10.6 million of these are in Australia
iNaturalist might turn out to be an important part of Patterson’s trial
Real people usually collect images for iNaturalist as part of their everyday life, rather than systematically as part of their job. That means there are patterns to the data that is collected
Observations tend to be recorded on weekends and in good weather
and to involve life forms people find strange
iNaturalist had recorded 1,382 sightings of domestic cats in Australia
But cataloguing the rare and wonderful can be useful
One key use of iNaturalist is understanding the native range of plants and animals
Australia invests a lot of resources in preventing species from entering the country. But we still see incursions frequently. Observant citizen scientists can be really important for finding species outside their native range. In Australia
if observations of biosecurity threats are made
alerts are automatically sent to biosecurity teams for further investigations
species commonly found in the pet trade can be quickly observed and captured to prevent the spread of invasive species
iNaturalist added more features to protect geoprivacy – which allows locations of observations to be obscured
and collectable insects could be found by looking at location data on iNaturalist
There is previous evidence this has occurred
species of concern for poaching automatically have their locations obscured
preventing them from being illegally poached or collected
This can also be helpful to prevent people crowding popular endangered animals when they have been sighted
anything listed as endangered will automatically have an obscured location on iNaturalist
and taking photos of plants and animals in their native environment
can give us a much better understanding of where they naturally live and grow
Aside from being fantastic for conservation reasons, this has potential use for forensic investigation of crimes. The use of insects, animals and plants in forensic cases is well established. For example the Sarcosaprophagous Beetle is used in Australia to help understand the time since death when bodies are found
This sort of science is underpinned by an understanding of where insects naturally live
their lifespans and the sort of environments they thrive in
which are all features iNaturalist can help with
Observing nature has huge benefits to understanding our natural world
But these observations do collect a lot of personal data in terms of where and when the observation occurred
Although iNaturalist doesn’t sell users’ information, and users can obscure their precise location
the pictures a person shares can still contain enough information to figure out where they are
This could be used for forensic intelligence to locate plants and animals of interest
and to place people with them at the time the photo was taken
If you’re lucky enough to see a rare or threatened species
consider taking a photo that has little background information that can give away the precise details of the locations
particularly when observing immobile organisms like such as plants and fungi
iNaturalist is a fantastic resource for observing nature
More data points to understand where plants
and mushrooms can be found is vital for understanding their ecology
It also has huge ramifications for biosecurity
and even understanding movements that may have occurred during an alleged crime
So it’s really worth getting out in nature and taking photos of interesting things you see
As the trial over the deadly 2023 beef wellington lunch continues in the Victorian supreme court
here’s what you need to know about the people involved
A fatal family lunch in regional Victoria is at the centre of a high-profile murder trial that is under way in the state’s supreme court
Erin Patterson is accused of murdering her estranged husband Simon Patterson’s parents
by feeding them a meal of beef wellington laced with death cap mushrooms in July 2023
She is accused of attempting to murder Heather’s husband
who also attended the lunch at Erin’s home in Leongatha
Wilkinson recovered after spending weeks in hospital
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to the murder and attempted murder charges. The trial began on 29 April in Morwell and is expected to run for up to six weeks
View image in fullscreen Illustration: Guardian DesignErin PattersonThe jury has heard Erin Patterson
served the four guests individual beef wellingtons when they attended her home for a family lunch on 29 July 2023
Three later died from death cap mushroom poisoning
Patterson has denied deliberately poisoning them
Patterson invited her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, and his relatives to her house to discuss “medical issues” she had and how to break the news to her and Simon’s two children, the court heard
Erin invited the group to lunch during a service at the Korumburra Baptist church, where Ian was the pastor, on 16 July 2023. The night before the lunch, Simon texted Patterson that he “felt uncomfortable” attending
but that he would be happy to discuss her health with her another time
The court has heard Patterson told her lunch guests she had ovarian cancer. Both the defence and prosecution agree that she had not been diagnosed with the disease
met in the early 2000s she was working as an RSPCA representative at the Monash city council
Erin had worked as an accountant and qualified as an air traffic controller at Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport
Simon told the court Erin enjoyed studying and undertook a veterinary science and legal course during their relationship
Thank you for your feedback.Simon PattersonSimon Patterson
is Erin’s estranged husband and the father of their two children
became ill but recovered after weeks in hospital
Simon met Erin while part of an “eclectic” group of friends who worked together at the Monash city council in the early to mid 2000s
Simon worked as a civil engineer at the council
View image in fullscreenSimon Patterson arrives at the Latrobe Valley magistrates court in Morwell
Photograph: James Ross/AAPThey married in 2007
Simon said during the couple’s relationship they shared a love of travel
There were numerous separations during the course of their relationship
They had an amicable relationship until November 2022
Simon had maintained hope that the couple would reconcile
View image in fullscreenDon and Gail Patterson
Photograph: SuppliedGail lived with Don in Korumburra
which is a 14-minute drive from where the lunch was held in Leongatha
He died seven days after the lunch was served
Simon remembered Gail and Don as “very much a team”
adding: “The fact they died on consecutive days reflected the togetherness they had.”
Simon spoke about overseas trips with his father
Younger climbers were struck by his father’s fitness when he was then in his 60s
told the court his father had a love of knowledge and learning and an “interest in the world” – which he shared with Erin
Heather was a former school teacher and was remembered by her son at her memorial service as a wonderful mother
View image in fullscreenRev Ian Wilkinson (right) survived the mushroom lunch
but his wife Heather Wilkinson (left) did not
Photograph: FacebookIan WilkinsonRev Ian Wilkinson
Wilkinson was the pastor at the Korumburra Baptist church
View image in fullscreenThe Korumburra Baptist church where Ian Wilkinson served as pastor
Photograph: Cait KellyHe was married to Heather for almost 45 years
He spent weeks in hospital before being discharged in September 2023
faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in South Gippsland in 2023
Erin Patterson panicked and lied to police about having never foraged for mushrooms or owning a food hydrator because she was overwhelmed that her lunch guests died after eating food she had cooked
told the court on Wednesday during his opening submission that it was also not in dispute that Patterson had never been diagnosed with cancer
The court previously heard Patterson told her lunch guests she had ovarian cancer
But Mandy said an issue in the trial would be how Patterson acted after her lunch guests fell ill
and whether that was reasonable in the circumstances
especially given the “extreme” public health
“Three people died because of the food Erin Patterson served that day,” Mandy said
“How did she feel [about that] … and how might that have impacted on the way she behaved
“Is it possible that people might do and say things that are not well thought out
and might in the end make them look bad … is it possible a person might lie when they find out people are gravely ill because of food they served up.”
who cried a number of times during Wednesday’s hearing
again became emotional when Mandy started speaking about her relationship with her children
and their closeness to the grandparents who died after eating the lunch
View image in fullscreenDon and Gail Patterson died in hospital after eating the beef wellington lunch that contained deadly mushrooms
Photograph: SuppliedMandy said it was not in issue that death cap mushrooms caused the deaths; rather
the main issue was that Patterson did not deliberately serve poisoned food to her guests
“She did not intend to cause any harm to anyone on that day
The defence case is this was a tragedy and terrible accident,” Mandy said
Mandy said that Patterson had also become sick from eating the same meal as her other guests
He said she lied to police about never foraging mushrooms
but denied ever having deliberately sought out death cap mushrooms
The court earlier heard that the prosecution will allege Patterson’s phone records suggest that she twice visited areas where death cap mushrooms had been reportedly discovered
Her visits corresponded with public posts on the iNaturalist website
which contained images of the mushrooms and information about their respective locations in the towns of Loch and Outtrim
Mandy also said Patterson lied about the dehydrator
said in her opening submissions that Patterson told police she had never owned a food dehydrator nor dehydrated food
but then said she may have owned one years ago
been sharing photos of the dehydrator and her habit of using it to dehydrate mushrooms with Facebook friends she met on a group dedicated to discussing the case of convicted baby killer Keli Lane
CCTV footage later showed her dumping a dehydrator at a local tip
Forensic analysis later revealed it had her fingerprints on it and contained traces of death cap mushrooms
The disposal of the dehydrator had been done to conceal her actions
Rogers also said that police never recovered a phone used by Patterson at the time of the deadly mushroom lunch
and another phone seized during their investigation was subject to a “remote factory reset” while they were searching her house
Rogers said Patterson concocted the story regarding medical issues and her cancer to ensure the children were not present for the lunch
Simon was also invited to the lunch at Leongatha on 29 July 2023
Patterson served individual beef wellingtons to her lunch guests
three of whom died from death cap mushroom poisoning
Rogers said the prosecution also alleged that Patterson had not eaten the same lunch as her guests
but pretended she had the same type of illness to cover this up
had not fed the leftovers to her children and lied about where she had sourced the mushrooms
The prosecution “will not be suggesting there was not a particular motive” for the alleged murders and attempted murder
“You might still be wondering this at the end of the trial
“But motive is not something that has to be proven by the prosecution … you do not have to be satisfied what the motive was
Rogers said in her opening submissions in the case that Patterson had invited Simon and his relatives to her house to discuss “medical issues” she had
and how to break the news to her and Simon’s two children
She invited the group to her lunch during a service at the Korumburra baptist church
View image in fullscreenErin Patterson invited the group to the beef wellington lunch during a service at the Korumburra baptist church
Photograph: Cait KellyThe night before the lunch
Simon texted Patterson that he “felt uncomfortable” attending
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Rogers said Patterson responded five minutes later saying she was disappointed
and emphasising the effort she had put into the lunch
which was a “special meal” of the kind she may not be able to have for “some time”
The Wilkinsons had been puzzled about the lunch invite
as they had never visited Patterson’s home before
which had six seats and ran parallel to a kitchen island bench
Patterson served individual beef wellingtons
consisting of a piece of steak covered in mushrooms and encased in pastry
with mashed potato and green beans on four large grey plates to her guests
with Gail finishing half of hers and Don eating all his and the rest of Gail’s
and asked whether she should tell the children
Patterson had earlier discussed with Gail that she had a biopsy and other tests taken regarding a lump she had found on her elbow
The group agreed she should be honest with them and they prayed together about Patterson telling the children
All the lunch guests started to fall unwell about 11 or 12 hours later
before being transferred to local hospitals and then to intensive care at hospitals in Melbourne
Rogers said Patterson had an amicable relationship with her husband
She said at that time Patterson asked why Simon had referred to himself as “separated” on his tax return and although he said he was willing to amend it she said she would instead be seeking child support payments
About four weeks before the beef wellington lunch
After the subsequent beef wellington lunch
when all the guests became increasingly unwell
medical experts eventually came to the conclusion the symptoms were in line with death cap mushroom poisoning
View image in fullscreenCrown prosecutor Nanette Rogers outside the Latrobe Valley magistrates court in Morwell, Victoria, where Erin Patterson is on trial. Photograph: James Ross/AAPPatterson also went to Leongatha hospital, saying she was suffering diarrhoea.
Rogers said Patterson was asked on multiple occasions by medical professionals and others, including Don and Gail’s son Matthew, where the mushrooms for the meal had been sourced. She said half were fresh from Woolworths and the other half were dried mushrooms bought from an Asian grocer in the Melbourne suburb of Oakleigh or Glen Waverley.
She further specified in these conversations that she had bought a 500g pack of pre-sliced fresh mushrooms from Woolworths and that the dried mushrooms had been removed from their packaging and placed in a plastic container after they were bought in April 2023.
Patterson said she made a paste with these mushrooms for the meal, and that she had used all the dried mushrooms and not cooked with them previously, Rogers said.
Rogers said Patterson initially resisted treatment at Leongatha hospital and signed a “discharge against medical advice form” before leaving. The jury was shown a still from CCTV footage of Patterson leaving the hospital.
Rogers said a doctor at the hospital, Dr Christopher Webster, was so concerned she had left that he called the police, asking if they could attend her house to force her to return.
Patterson returned about 45 minutes later.
Patterson told Webster her children, aged 9 and 14, had eaten the leftovers, but that she had scraped the mushroom off. When he insisted they be taken from school and assessed, she became upset, Rogers said.
Patterson asked Webster “is this really necessary, they don’t have symptoms, they didn’t eat the mushrooms, I don’t want them to be scared or panicked”, to which Webster replied: “They can be scared and alive, or dead”.
Soon after, Rogers said, the police who had been called by Webster to check on Patterson arrived at her house.
One officer spoke to Patterson via mobile phone, and she directed him to where he could find the leftovers of the meal, in a brown Woolworths bag in an outside bin.
Read moreBeale said in his instructions to the jury on Tuesday that Patterson was no longer accused of attempting to murder her estranged husband
World-renowned author James Patterson has awarded Bethune-Cookman University a generous $75,000 grant! Fifteen lucky Wildcats received this incredible gift to help further their education
Please view the Wildcat Report video, and peruse through the press release for more information.
this year’s Hall of Fame class honors the icons who turned purple pride into something unforgettable
They’ll be aimed at the past — at the names
and legends who built TCU’s story long before the first snap of the football season
as football roars back to life in Fort Worth
the real headline belongs to the 58th TCU Athletics Hall of Fame class — a group of giants whose impact echoes far beyond the box score
This year’s class is anchored by two coaching giants: Gary Patterson
the winningest football coach in school history
and longtime swim and dive head coach Richard Sybesma
Both are entering the Hall as Special Contributors
the induction feels less like a ceremony and more like a coronation
a final confirmation of what TCU fans have known for decades — that the man in the black visor transformed TCU football into a national force
Patterson’s resume is staggering: 181 wins
Patterson was the face of Fort Worth football
It’s fitting that the Hall recognizes him now
a few years removed from his 2021 departure
when TCU turned the page mid-season after a rocky start
offering his football mind to Texas and later to Baylor
As former TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati said in 2021
“The story of Gary Patterson and the rise in the fortunes of the TCU football program over the last 20 years is clearly one of the most remarkable in the history of college football.”
spent 39 years building TCU Swimming & Diving from the ground up
becoming the winningest coach in program history
he and Patterson represent something bigger than wins and titles — they’re symbols of loyalty
and the kind of cultural imprint that doesn’t fade with time
The Hall’s newest class also includes eight former athletes who defined their eras across baseball
It’s a class that blends generations and disciplines
but every name on the list shares a common thread: they didn’t just play for TCU
“As we celebrate the announcement of TCU Athletics' 58th Hall of Fame class
I'd like to thank our Block T Association membership and screening committee
as well as our executive and advisory boards for the time they all put into this process,” said Jill Kramer
“Each member of our 58th class had significant impact on TCU Athletics
whether it be within their own respective teams
or waving the TCU flag proudly all over the world following their time as a Horned Frog.”
Fort Worth will gather to look back and cheer once more—for the coach who built a dynasty
the outfielder who became a big-league hero
Sign-up for Fort Worth Magazine's newsletters to stay up to date with what is happening around town
former T-Mobile SVP of Product Marketing and CMO of T-Mobile Prepaid
has left the company and joined Amazon’s Project Kuiper as CMO
Patterson was with T-Mobile for over 11 years, working his way up from Senior Director of Consumer & Business Communications to SVP at the time of his leaving. In a post on LinkedIn, Patterson reflected on his journey at T-Mobile
It has taken a few weeks to de-magentaize and reflect
It’s an understatement to say that T-Mobile was an epic ride
I joined when the Un-carrier movement was just getting started
and T-Mobile was fourth out of four in US wireless
and after dozens of Un-carrier moves and one massive telco merger
T-Mobile US is the world’s most highly-valued telco
It was a privilege to be a small part of that journey
it was a brilliant experience made so by brilliant
And it’s been such a joy to work alongside them and build something meaningful with them – especially the incredible PR
Patterson then goes on discuss his next job as CMO of Amazon’s Project Kuiper
I was drawn to T-Mobile by the powerful combo of great people on a compelling mission to “change wireless for good.” I’m fortunate to have found another group of great people on a compelling mission of their own at Amazon’s Project Kuiper
watching the first tranche of satellites launch
touring Blue Origin’s astounding facility and getting to know the remarkable sales and marketing leadership team in Cape Canaveral
After years of development and billions of dollars, Project Kuiper recently launched its first group of satellites as the company ramps up to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink
Patterson should bring a wealth of experience to the company in his role as its new CMO
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Simon tells courtJurors have been shown messages between Simon and Erin between 14-15 October 2022 exchanged on the app Signal
Simon says there was “a lot of tension” in his relationship with Erin at this point
He says her relationship with his parents was also tense
Erin says she is “very very hurt” she was not invited to Simon’s mother’s 70th birthday
Simon says this was due to a misunderstanding with his father
Hey are you coming to mum’s Birthday lunch
to which Simon replies he thought his father had invited her
But says his father may have gotten mixed up
I’m not too sure how your dad could have been confused....
Seems that my invite tomorrow is a bit of an afterthought and not even from your parents so I might pass thanks..
What I recon is everybody forgot to actually invite me to this thing and I feel very very hurt about that.
Simon says Erin is free to “choose to think whatever you want”
But he says the birthday event is “very important” to his mother
Erin later messages that she’ll attend the lunch and will bring their children
I’m sorry for shouting at you this afternoon
Simon says “thanks for that” and says he is “sorry I raised my voice and tone too”
Here’s a recap of what the court heard today:
1. The court was shown text messages where Simon and Erin communicated about her “forgotten” invitation to her mother-in-law’s 70th birthday. Simon said at this point in time there was “tension” in Erin’s relationship with his parents and between the pair.
2. Simon told the court Erin had “struggled” with mental illness and postnatal depression after the birth of their first child.
3. Simon said his estranged wife “hates” hospitals as he was asked about her discharging herself from Leongatha hospital against medical advice.
We’ll be back on Monday morning to live blog day five from 10.30am.
Updated at 05.35 CEST4d ago05.14 CESTErin Patterson trial adjourned for weekend
the court will finish at around 1pm on Fridays
Justice Christopher Beale KC tells the jurors that over the weekend they may see people who know they are on the jury who may be “extremely interested to chat to you about the case”
“You have to shut that conversation down,” he says
Beale reminds the jurors his instructions from earlier about not searching for any information about the case online or in newspapers
“You’ve got to ignore those things,” he says
He tells the jurors to “have a good weekend and come back refreshed”
Simon says at this point Erin was being “extremely aggressive” and he believed a mediator would help the pair communicate.
Mandy says “aggressive” is not a correct characterisation and says she was “upset”.
The cross-examination then turns to the disagreement over child support payments.
Simon says the advice from child support authorities was he would be paying child support and should not pay Erin additional payments outside of that.
Mandy says child support payments of $38 a month over a year is “something less than $500”.
Simon replies “absolutely” and agrees it would not cover their children’s school fees.
He says on this date he didn’t know his required child support payment would only be $38.
Updated at 05.28 CEST4d ago05.05 CESTSimon wanted a mediator for his and Erin’s communication, messages showThe jury is being shown further Signal messages between Simon and Erin.
On 6 December 2022, Simon writes to his estranged wife:
Mum and Dad told me you asked them over to yours for a discussion yesterday, I understand there are two many issues. 1. How [our son] is going and 2. Finances for our kids.
I have read the messages you sent them in our Signal group chat since, and dad’s responses.
I am keen to talk to you about [our son] and how we can best work together to help him with where he’s at now, and for the future.
I am also keen to talk to you about the financial arrangements to try to come to an understanding and agreement between us.
Reading all the messages, the financial issues are very emotive now, and would likely be very difficult....
Three days later on 9 December Simon messages Erin:
I’ve learned more about the financial stuff this week and I think we can probably fairly easily sort that out, along the lines of what you’ve been messaging to mum and dad. I intend to ask a mediator to help you and me communicate about that
The children cannot be named in media reports for legal reasons.
Updated at 05.15 CEST4d ago04.32 CESTErin said she was given fentanyl at hospital, messages showThe court has been shown messages between Erin and Simon on 31 July – two days after the lethal lunch.
They’re arguing with me now saying I might have to go to Dandenong... this doctor is not listening to me and being a bit mean about it.
Simon says this related to Erin wanting to be at the same hospital as her children.
Nice work. We’re on our way there now, too. Kids are in good spirits.
I feel nauseous and sore tummy but they have given me ondansetron and saline and fentanyl.
Updated at 05.08 CEST4d ago04.26 CESTAs the trial over the deadly 2023 beef wellington lunch continues in the Victorian supreme court, here’s what you need to know about the people involved.
The court is being shown more Signal messages between Simon and his estranged wife
between 21 November 2022 and 15 August 2023
The first message in November 2022 is Erin writing to Simon about their son’s surgery and an anaesthetist bill
The department of human services instructed me not to pay you anything for the kids from now on
Erin replied that the payment is not to her but to the anaesthetist
Simon says this is “exactly the kind of thing they explicitly instructed me not to pay for”
Simon is being questioned about Erin’s actions at Leongatha hospital after the mushroom lunch.
Under cross-examination by Mandy, he agrees Erin “hates hospitals” when asked about her leaving the hospital against medical advice.
Mandy also tells Simon there was “some sensitivity” about the need for their children to attend the hospital.
Simon agrees, saying his two children both had past experiences with hospitals which were “difficult”.
Updated at 03.58 CEST4d ago03.21 CESTSimon Patterson says he didn’t ask his father ‘lots of questions’ about what he remembered about the lunch
Mandy questions Simon about a conversation he had with his father
on 30 July when he was hospitalised after the mushroom lunch
Mandy says at this point Don had been “distressed
“You couldn’t and didn’t ask him lots of questions about what he remembered about the lunch,” Mandy says
Mandy puts to Simon that Don told him about Erin’s potential cancer diagnosis rather than a “certainty.”
Simon says his understanding was that Don said Erin had been diagnosed with cancer
how to treat it is where the uncertainty was.”
Mandy reiterates that Don told Simon about Erin’s “suspected diagnosis” rather than a “confirmed diagnosis”
Simon disagrees and says this is highly unlikely
Simon saysMandy says Simon did not contact Erin after the lunch to inquire about the “medical issue” she had mentioned
“Is it not the case over the years that Erin often complained about medical issues and thought she was unwell for various reasons?” Mandy asks
Simon says Erin told him she struggled with a heart condition which affected her sleeping
“I have no reason to disbelieve that,” he says
Simon says this required hospitalisation at times
Mandy says in October 2021 Erin expressed concern about having ovarian cancer
“Erin has never told me she had ovarian cancer,” Simon says
Mandy points to Simon’s evidence yesterday that Erin had informed him she had “important” and “serious” medical news to share when she invited him to lunch.
“Let me put this to you, Erin did not say the words ‘important’ or ‘serious’ when she spoke to you that day,” Mandy says.
Simon replies that he can’t remember the exact words she said but that “important and serious are reasonable descriptions of what she communicated”.
Mandy suggests that the words “important” and “serious” were not used in his police statement.
Updated at 02.57 CEST4d ago02.45 CESTMandy begins by asking Simon about the relationship between his parents and children.
He shows the courtroom a video, showing Simon’s son and his father, Don, playing with a rocket-propelled car in the back yard. Mandy says it was captured on 17 July 2023 – weeks before the fateful mushroom lunch.
As he’s shown the video, Simon wipes away tears from his eyes.
Updated at 02.48 CEST4d ago02.39 CESTSimon Patterson returns to witness stand
Simon Patterson is back in the witness stand in the courtroom
is continuing his cross-examination of Simon
Our reporter Nino Bucci was in the courtroom yesterday on day three of Erin Patterson’s murder trial, when her estranged husband Simon Patterson started his evidence.
Here’s Nino’s report filed from Morwell in Victoria’s Gippsland region:
here’s a recap of what the jury heard yesterday:
1. Text messages shown to the court on Thursday revealed Erin had texted Simon on the eve of the mushroom lunch, saying she had spent a “small fortune” on buying eye fillet steak for her “special meal” of beef wellingtons. She said she hoped Simon would change his mind after he turned down the invitation.
2. Simon recalled Erin saying she had conducted a “blind taste test” with her daughter by putting dehydrated mushrooms in muffins. He told the court Erin remarked it was “interesting” that their child preferred the muffin that contained mushrooms given she didn’t like mushrooms.
3. Jurors also heard details about Erin’s relationship with Simon’s parents. He told the court Erin was particularly close with his father, Don.
4. Asked about Erin’s self-esteem, Simon said his estranged wife was “not particularly happy with how she is”.
“I don’t think she has high self-esteem,” he told the court.
5. Simon recalled Erin’s mixed plate collection at her home in Leongatha. Under cross-examination, he described her collection, saying there were some plates that matched and a single colourful plate.
Updated at 02.38 CEST4d ago02.08 CESTWelcome to day four of the trialWelcome to day four of Erin Patterson’s murder trial
We’re expecting the trial to get under way at 10.30am
Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in Leongatha, regional Victoria
The defence’s case is that the events were an accident and Patterson never intended to harm her lunch guests
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Carra Patterson has made the difficult decision to leave her position as a series regular on the CBS series Elsbeth after two seasons
The actress has played NYPD Officer Kaya Blanke for the first two seasons and she will return in season three as a guest star
Carra‘s character Kaya received a promotion at the end of season two to become an undercover detective and she’ll be moving to Washington
We’ll see her again in the upcoming season two finale
“My character, Kaya Blanke, is embarking on a new adventure as the story continues to unfold, and I am excited to do the same,” Carra told Deadline
“But we will see Kaya again – fans will find out what she’s been up to in her new role as ‘Detective’ next season when I come back to guest star and play with Carrie and Wendell
Executive producer Jonathan Tolins told Deadline
We’re excited that the character got her promotion and achieved that dream
She’s just not going to be with us every day
I don’t want to make too much of the change.”
Just last week, there was a significant death in an episode of Elsbeth
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she’s doing something very un-Judy-like: reflecting
The secret sauce to fostering that kind of on-set community is a great leader and natural chemistry
both of which Patterson found in Danny McBride
Patterson had worked with McBride on his previous show Vice Principals and called their comedy partnership “a revelation.” “I was a fan of his
but not until we were doing Vice Principals did I totally know
Something else is happening here,” Patterson recalled
“I don’t know if this is some past-life brother-sister shit or what.” Whatever it is
they’ve created the most compelling sibling trio this side of Succession
While it hasn’t been easy to say good-bye to the Gemstones
Patterson takes heart in the idea that they’re still out there putting together the silliest
most vile strings of words you’ve ever heard
“The world that they’re in that you watch is a world that I think exists
“And I think that they’re in there just crushing it.”
How does it feel now that the final season is airing and it’s out in the world
It was really sort of sad initially to know that it was done
but then seeing the episodes and knowing that we went out with a bang just makes me so happy
I have nothing but excitement and happiness when I watch it
How was it being the only woman in that writers’ room
I never felt weird because it’s almost like I’ve always just been in there with a bunch of creatures
and we’re just always trying to find the best thing
It always felt just like fun creatures trying to make the best thing possible
There’s just something about the way [McBride’s] brain works that I see and it really
and luckily he finds my writing really funny
If I make myself laugh when I’m writing something
I love knowing that it’s crazy enough that it’s probably going to make him laugh
What are you going to miss most about playing Judy?Oh
Mostly the ability to just move through a world at full speed with no filters and to sort of shoot from the hip and ask questions later
I feel like it’s always a little bit of a delayed reaction for her with
If you were doing that kind of acting-school exercise where you had to embody an animal
which animal would Judy be?Some kind of wildcat
but the one that the other wildcats are a little leery of
Okay, let’s do the Taste Test questions
Where do you get your best culture recommendations from
We try to send each other albums and stuff and go
“You gotta check this guy out.” For food stuff
All my friends in the food industry there know about food all over
They know about the cool spots in New York and L.A
So it sounds like you’ve just got a bunch of cool friends
Is Danny the person in the Gemstones cast with the best cultural recommendations
Or is John Goodman sneaking in with an amazing movie recommendation
John Goodman will hand you a book that you’ve never read and it will be something that you love
he’s the one who gave me A Confederacy of Dunces
very well read and fun to talk about that stuff with
If you could invite five celebrities — dead or alive — to a dinner party
I don’t know why this is coming to my head
I got to do a story on his Liberation Day audiobook
That’s a lot of intense people.That’s right
What were you obsessed with as a kid?Anything funny
I actually used to make horror movies at my house
I’d make my sister and the neighbors and my cousins be in them
Depending on what kind of scenes we’re doing there’s times when I know I can still be focused and I can have Below Deck on in my trailer
then I just need silence or some music just to kind of stay in it
Below Deck was just weirdly on a lot as we were filming this season
I would say I’m more of a Housewives person
I like the ones where they’re really going for it
What’s the best piece of gossip you’ve ever heard?So many spring to mind
and a woman we knew came over to talk to my mom and dad
She maybe had been told by a therapist or someone counseling her
“You need to tell this to two other people
just so two other people know this.” I don’t think I knew that part
but I knew she had to come over and tell them something
So they went in the living room and they closed both doors
and I stood there like a little asshole and had my ear to the door
That woman came over to tell them that this other man we knew
It was super scandalizing and I couldn’t quite hide that I had heard this scandalous thing
My face was all wide-eyed after and my mom and dad were like
“Were you listening to that?” I had to tell them immediately
What’s the last book you couldn’t put down?It was either All Fours or Big Swiss
The thing I liked about All Fours was how inside the character’s head [Miranda July] got
I see the inside of this person’s brain.” Obviously it’s a very horny book and it’s very sexy and fun in that way
but I was very into the decorating of the motel room
so I was super into the audacity of all that
and my friend Rebecca Lowman is one of the readers on it and she’s so good
It was like hanging out with my friend and reading an awesome book
What’s your interior-design philosophy?I want to feel stoked every time I walk into my house
I would say I’m kind of aesthetically driven
I’ve found that the only movies that I really like to rewatch are movies where it’s
I’ll always rewatch Dazed and Confused because it’s that kind of thing: They’re getting ready for the party that night
I’ll always rewatch Friday because it’s the same kind of thing
but my comfort thing is watching things where it’s just a small amount of time
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity
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Patterson giving his speech about his plans for the university once he takes office
The ceremony ended with a standing ovation to welcome Murray State's 15th president
He laid out his plans to meet with everyone he can to hear their hopes for the university's future
also outlining his goals for completing certain projects
15th president elect for Murray State University
met with students and the community for the first time on Thursday at the welcoming ceremony
but the opportunities are even greater,' Patterson said during his speech
but the opportunities are even greater," Patterson said during his speech
He shared his vision and priorities for Murray State University ahead of taking office on July 1 and answered questions about current federal and state policies affecting college students
For background, Patterson takes office on the heels of controversy. Earlier this week, a flyer circulated on campus that criticized university leadership — specifically
its response to President Donald Trump's executive orders banning diversity
Last week, students penned an open letter in support of international students
The letter came after the Department of Homeland Security revoked at least one student's visa at Murray State
College Democrats used the letter to call on current president Bob Jackson and incoming president Patterson to make public statements about their commitment to the safety of all members of the MSU community
Patterson responded to a reporter's questions about those topics and more
He laid out his plans to meet with everyone he can to hear their hopes for the university's future
and outlined his goals for completing certain projects
Patterson answered questions about how he'll support students when efforts like diversity
I look forward to working with the students
DEI is going to look different — diversity
inclusion — but we continue to provide those support services
we're going to always be here for our students," he said
In recent weeks there have been protesting
all of it criticizing a lack of transparency by Murray State's leadership
Patterson said he recognizes how important it is to be open
I wouldn't have a job if it wasn't for the students
Patterson announced his plans to launch a strategic plan student committee to include representation from all corners of the campus community as they continue to make progress on several university projects
"I hope that he works on our facilities more
I think that that'd be the more beneficial area he'd be able to work in," said Ty Farmer
Bodie Russell is a sophomore who attends Murray State
He's hoping for more transparency so students like him can make more informed decisions
then it just changed to becoming a leadership scholarship
I know that not everybody after my class is going to get the same amount of money or money at all because of the things that have been going on," Russell said
the students who spoke Thursday shared excitement about the changes in leadership at Murray State
They also said they recognize that Jackson brought positive changes to the school
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