Erin Patterson arrested over fatal mushroom lunch that killed three in Gippsland, Victoria
Woman at centre of mushroom poisoning probe arrested
Erin Patterson alleged to have cooked the killer beef Wellington
Erin Patterson - who cooked a poisonous mushroom meal that led to the death of three people in Leongatha, eastern Victoria - has been arrested by police.
Patterson was arrested at her home about 8am on Thursday morning and taken to Wonthaggi police station for questioning. No charges have been laid.
Heather Wilkinson, 66, her sister Gail Patterson and brother-in-law Don Patterson, both 70, all died after eating a beef Wellington served at the meal.
Heather's husband, Baptist church pastor Ian Wilkinson, 68, was the sole survivor but was left critically ill and spent almost two months in hospital.
A police team of investigators are currently searching her home in Leongatha where the fatal family lunch took place on July 29.
Detectives have brought in specially-trained 'technology detector dogs' - who can sniff out USB memory keys and sim cards - to help scour the property.
Five cars including Ms Patterson’s were parked in her driveway on Thursday morning as a man who appeared to be a detective was spotted on his phone outside her house before returning inside.
Ms Patterson's empty bins remained uncollected outside her property.
Her arrest comes after pastor Wilkinson was said to be helping police with the investigation after he was allowed to return home on September 22.
Police believe the symptoms the four diners experienced were consistent with the effects of eating death cap mushrooms.
Ms Patterson - who was the estranged daughter-in-law of Gail and Don Patterson - was the focus of the police investigation after it was revealed she cooked the meal.
She has strongly denied any wrongdoing.
Deathcap mushroom contain deadly amatoxin which catastrophically attacks a person's body and essentially 'melts down a person's liver', one medical expert told Daily Mail Australia.
It is so potent that you do not even need to eat part of the mushroom for it to be lethal.
Simply consuming liquid the mushrooms were cooked in can be enough to kill.
On Thursday morning, Victoria Police confirmed they had made an arrest in the case.
'Homicide Squad detectives have arrested a woman this morning as part of their investigation into the deaths of three people following an incident in Leongatha earlier this year,' a statement said.
'Four people were taken to hospital on July 40 after they became ill following a meal at a private residence in Leongatha the previous day.
'Two Korumburra women, aged 66 and 70, passed away in hospital on August 4.A third person, a 70-year-old Korumburra man, passed away in hospital on August 5.
'A 69-year-old Korumburra man was released from hospital on 23 September.
'A 49-year-old Leongatha woman was arrested at her home address shortly after 8am on November 2.
'A search warrant has been executed at the Gibson Street address, with assistance from the AFP's technology detector dogs.
'The woman will now be interviewed by police and the investigation remains ongoing.'
Daily Mail
