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Woman convicted of mushroom poison murders in Australia ordered to never be released from prison
CBS News • • world
Key Points:
- An Australian appeals court has ordered Erin Patterson, convicted of poisoning four relatives with deadly death cap mushrooms, to never be released from prison, overturning a previous 33-year nonparole period and mandating life imprisonment without parole.
- The court described Patterson's crimes as "extraordinarily cold and calculated," emphasizing the elaborate deception involved, including falsely claiming a cancer diagnosis to lure victims to a fatal family lunch in July 2023.
- Patterson is only the second woman in Australia sentenced to life without parole, joining Katherine Knight, and she maintains the mushrooms were added to the meal accidentally; she can still appeal to Australia's High Court.
- The case attracted intense global media attention, inspiring podcasts, books, and a forthcoming six-episode drama series starring Melanie Lynskey, which chronicles the 97 days from the deadly lunch to Patterson's arrest.
- Patterson's estranged husband, Simon Patterson, who declined the fatal lunch invitation out of fear, testified about previous suspicions that she had tried to kill him, highlighting the premeditated and dangerous nature of her actions.
