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Australian court orders Erin Patterson never to be released from prison for mushroom poisonings
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- An Australian appeals court ruled that Erin Patterson, convicted of poisoning four relatives with death cap mushrooms, will never be released from prison due to the "shocking criminality" of her actions.
- The Victoria state Court of Appeal dismissed her appeal and overturned her original 33-year nonparole sentence, ensuring she will spend life behind bars without parole eligibility.
- Patterson was convicted of three murders and one attempted murder after a 2023 family lunch where her parents-in-law and an aunt-in-law died, while one survivor, Ian Wilkinson, was hospitalized but recovered.
- The court highlighted Patterson's calculated and deliberate actions, including fabricating a cancer diagnosis and destroying evidence, describing the offense as a "cruel breach of trust."
- Patterson may still appeal to Australia’s High Court, but meanwhile remains in high-security detention, with the trial judge noting a likelihood of prolonged solitary confinement due to her notoriety and risk status.
