June 5, 2025
Death Caps & Deception: Inside the Mushroom Murder Trial Cross-Examination
The player is loading ...
Erin Patterson faces cross-examination in the Supreme Court of Victoria after pleading not guilty to triple murder charges in the mushroom poisoning case. The prosecution showed Ms Patterson evidence of lies about her dehydrator ownership, mushroom foraging activities, and alleged cancer diagnosis.
• Ms Patterson admits lying to police about owning a dehydrator and foraging for mushrooms
• Evidence includes photos of mushrooms, the dehydrator, and of Ms Patterson disposing of the appliance at a local tip
• Ms Patterson denies knowing she had dehydrated death cap mushrooms
• Direct contradiction between Ms Patterson and survivor Ian Wilkinson about the lunch and cancer claims
• Ms Patterson denies telling lunch guests she had cancer to create a pretext for the gathering
• Prosecution suggests Ms Patterson disposed of the dehydrator to eliminate suspicion
• Court told the trial may continue for several more weeks
Visit
mushroommurdertrial.com
to subscribe to our free newsletter and access upcoming exclusive content. Find us on social media through links in the show notes, and if you'd like to support our extensive coverage, you can join our
Buy Me A Coffee
membership for $5.
Instagram @Erin_Podcast
Twitter @lisapodcasts
Mushroom Murder Trial
Website
Facebook
page
.
Erin Patterson Mushrooms
Here it is in summary.
WEBVTT
00:00:01.481 --> 00:00:04.310
Hello and welcome to the Mushroom Murder Trial podcast.
00:00:04.310 --> 00:00:08.143
My name is Lisa and I am a podcaster and journalist.
00:00:08.143 --> 00:00:16.347
Most weekdays we deliver detailed coverage of one of Australia's most closely watched legal dramas Erin Patterson's murder trial.
00:00:16.347 --> 00:00:19.821
Now a quick reminder before we launch into today's update.
00:00:19.821 --> 00:00:26.134
Head to my website, mushroommurdertrialcom, to subscribe for my newsletter Now.
00:00:26.134 --> 00:00:33.033
It's free, so if you haven't yet, please get on there, because I'm going to be releasing a whole lot of material later on.
00:00:33.033 --> 00:00:43.853
I don't want you to miss out, so make sure you're on that list and if you haven't yet, please subscribe to this podcast on your preferred platform so you never miss an episode.
00:00:44.740 --> 00:00:48.811
Now it looks like we still have a few weeks to go in the so-called mushroom murder trial.
00:00:48.811 --> 00:00:56.325
There's no definitive date, but the judge told the jury today that trial may still have some time to go.
00:00:56.325 --> 00:01:07.343
Anyway, moving right along, accused triple murderer Erin Patterson was today facing cross-examination in the Supreme Court of Victoria in Morwell.
00:01:07.343 --> 00:01:18.370
Crown Prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers SC was cross-examining Ms Patterson for most of the day and the prosecutor launched straight into her questions.
00:01:18.370 --> 00:01:31.344
She put to the mother of two who, by the way, as we know, has pled not guilty to all charges of two who, by the way, as we know, has pled not guilty to all charges.
00:01:31.344 --> 00:01:38.784
She put to the mother of two that she lied to police about owning a dehydrator, that she lied about dehydrating food and about foraging for mushrooms.
00:01:38.784 --> 00:01:40.808
Ms Patterson admitted it.
00:01:40.808 --> 00:01:42.352
Yes, she did lie.
00:01:43.334 --> 00:01:51.149
Now the prosecutor refers to Ms Patterson's police interview and she says okay, can we go to question 264?
00:01:51.149 --> 00:01:54.375
No, okay, do you own a dehydrator?
00:01:54.375 --> 00:02:00.272
Answer no, no Response all right, okay, were those lies, said the prosecutor.
00:02:00.272 --> 00:02:01.802
Yes, said Ms Patterson.
00:02:01.802 --> 00:02:06.292
And why did you tell the police those lies on 5th of August?
00:02:06.292 --> 00:02:18.173
Well, I had disposed of it a few days earlier, in the context of thinking that maybe mushrooms that I'd foraged or the meal that I prepared was responsible for making people sick.
00:02:18.173 --> 00:02:24.913
And then on the Saturday, detective Eppingstall told me that Gail and Heather had passed away.
00:02:24.913 --> 00:02:33.209
And it was this stupid knee-jerk reaction to just digging deeper and keep lying.
00:02:33.209 --> 00:02:35.978
I was just scared but I shouldn't have done it.
00:02:35.978 --> 00:02:38.937
All right, says the prosecutor.
00:02:39.430 --> 00:02:46.478
In relation to foraging mushrooms, you were asked questions in the record of interview, question 159 on page 8.
00:02:46.478 --> 00:02:51.521
Question okay, is that something you've done in the past, foraging for mushrooms?
00:02:51.521 --> 00:02:54.097
And your answer was never.
00:02:54.097 --> 00:02:58.818
And then question was or anything like that never.
00:02:58.818 --> 00:03:00.521
And your answer was never.
00:03:00.521 --> 00:03:01.670
That a lie too.
00:03:01.670 --> 00:03:03.175
Yes, they were both lies.
00:03:03.175 --> 00:03:06.302
And was that lie told for the same reasons?
00:03:06.302 --> 00:03:06.883
Yes.
00:03:08.227 --> 00:03:12.278
Dr Rogers then moved on to a series of exhibits.
00:03:12.278 --> 00:03:30.513
There were photos found on Miss Patterson's tablet of mushrooms and a dehydrator, an invoice showing that she'd bought the dehydrator on April 28, 2023, and more photos of her disposing of the device at the local tip on August 2.
00:03:30.513 --> 00:03:34.241
Dr Rogers said quote you rushed out to get rid of the evidence.
00:03:34.241 --> 00:03:38.437
You lied to the police because you knew you'd use the dehydrator.
00:03:38.437 --> 00:03:41.854
Ms Patterson replies no, I didn't know that.
00:03:41.854 --> 00:03:48.953
Dr Rogers presses again you knew if you told police it would implicate you in the deliberate poisoning.
00:03:48.953 --> 00:03:53.342
And Ms Patterson stands firm no, it's not correct.
00:03:54.122 --> 00:03:57.616
And then the state moved on to the disposal of the dehydrator.
00:03:57.616 --> 00:04:07.122
The day after the accused left hospital, you took the dehydrator to the transfer station because you'd been using it to dehydrate mushrooms, hadn't you?
00:04:07.122 --> 00:04:12.599
Erin replies yes, and not just any old mushrooms, death cap mushrooms, in fact.
00:04:12.599 --> 00:04:12.961
Correct?
00:04:12.961 --> 00:04:18.057
I didn't know that I'd done that and you knew that there were death cap mushrooms that you had been dehydrating, correct?
00:04:18.057 --> 00:04:20.276
No, I didn't know that I'd done that and you knew that there were death cap mushrooms that you had been dehydrating, correct?
00:04:20.276 --> 00:04:29.817
No, I didn't know that, and you were very keen to dispose of any evidence that might connect you with the possession of death cap mushrooms.
00:04:29.817 --> 00:04:33.384
No, I didn't know they'd been in it.
00:04:33.384 --> 00:04:41.673
That's why you rushed out the day after your release from Monash to get rid of the evidence, correct, miss Patterson?
00:04:41.673 --> 00:04:53.172
No, prosecutor, you lied to police about never owning a dehydrator because you knew you'd used a dehydrator to prepare death cap mushrooms to include in the lunch answer.
00:04:53.172 --> 00:04:55.857
No, I did not do that, prosecutor.
00:04:55.857 --> 00:05:03.720
You lied because you knew if you told the police the truth, it would implicate you in the deliberate poisoning of your four lunch guests, correct?
00:05:03.720 --> 00:05:04.341
No?
00:05:04.341 --> 00:05:06.012
No, it's not true.
00:05:07.154 --> 00:05:14.012
From the witness box, erin Patterson also tells the court she did not tell her Facebook friends she was an atheist.
00:05:14.012 --> 00:05:25.125
She denies being especially close to Christine Hunt, a previous witness, and she denies using emojis to mock the Pattersons, her in-laws, as they prayed for her.
00:05:25.125 --> 00:05:39.305
In addition, ms Patterson also rejects telling her lunch guests that she had cancer, a claim that directly contradicts the earlier testimony of the lunch's sole survivor, ian Wilkinson.
00:05:39.305 --> 00:05:41.572
Quote this is the prosecutor.
00:05:41.572 --> 00:05:53.362
So to sum up, in relation to your so-called cancer diagnosis, your claim to various people that you'd been diagnosed with cancer before the lunch was deliberately false.
00:05:53.362 --> 00:05:56.358
Yes or no, ms Patterson?
00:05:56.358 --> 00:05:58.463
I didn't make that claim, ms Patterson said.
00:05:58.463 --> 00:06:07.591
Dr Rogers says the Leangatha woman told this lie to create a pretense for the lunch and to explain why her children would not be present.
00:06:07.591 --> 00:06:21.593
Erin rejected these propositions, quote I suggest that you never thought you'd have to account for this lie of having cancer because you thought the lunch guests would die and your lie would never be found out.
00:06:21.593 --> 00:06:24.619
Dr Rogers said that is not true.
00:06:24.619 --> 00:06:27.790
So that's what I've got for you today.
00:06:27.790 --> 00:06:33.391
I'll be back in the morning with a bit more of the transcript, because so much news, it's a lot to take in.
00:06:33.391 --> 00:06:34.774
So thank you for listening.
00:06:34.774 --> 00:06:36.959
For more information, visit my website.
00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:37.800
So thank you for listening.
00:06:37.800 --> 00:06:40.387
For more information, visit my website mushroommurdertrialcom.
00:06:42.836 --> 00:06:49.279
Make sure you subscribe to the newsletter and make sure you get in line for the new content that I have that will be coming out.
00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:56.658
Plus, I'm on the socials well, most of them, except I'm not on TikTok because it frightens me, quite frankly.
00:06:56.658 --> 00:07:00.678
But I'm on the rest of them and you'll find the links in the show notes.
00:07:00.678 --> 00:07:07.812
And if you're feeling like rewarding me for the hours that I've spent on this work.
00:07:07.812 --> 00:07:19.199
I have a Buy Me A Coffee membership which allows you to pay $5 as a thanks and I get a coffee, but only if you want to, only if you can afford it, and you should sign up for the newsletter.
00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:20.754
I mean it because it's free.
00:07:20.754 --> 00:07:22.831
It's another bonus Plus.
00:07:22.831 --> 00:07:30.040
There's exclusive membership material on the site for the Buy Me A Coffee people and I love them.
00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:31.214
I love you all actually.
00:07:31.214 --> 00:07:32.855
So thank you for listening.
00:07:32.855 --> 00:07:38.480
I appreciate it so much, and tomorrow, another day of cross-examination in court.
00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:45.846
Thank you so much for your time and for listening, and I will be back very, very soon.
00:07:45.846 --> 00:07:46.711
Bye.
00:00:01.481 --> 00:00:04.310
00:00:04.310 --> 00:00:08.143
00:00:08.143 --> 00:00:16.347
00:00:16.347 --> 00:00:19.821
00:00:19.821 --> 00:00:26.134
00:00:26.134 --> 00:00:33.033
00:00:33.033 --> 00:00:43.853
00:00:44.740 --> 00:00:48.811
00:00:48.811 --> 00:00:56.325
00:00:56.325 --> 00:01:07.343
00:01:07.343 --> 00:01:18.370
00:01:18.370 --> 00:01:31.344
00:01:31.344 --> 00:01:38.784
00:01:38.784 --> 00:01:40.808
00:01:40.808 --> 00:01:42.352
00:01:43.334 --> 00:01:51.149
00:01:51.149 --> 00:01:54.375
00:01:54.375 --> 00:02:00.272
00:02:00.272 --> 00:02:01.802
00:02:01.802 --> 00:02:06.292
00:02:06.292 --> 00:02:18.173
00:02:18.173 --> 00:02:24.913
00:02:24.913 --> 00:02:33.209
00:02:33.209 --> 00:02:35.978
00:02:35.978 --> 00:02:38.937
00:02:39.430 --> 00:02:46.478
00:02:46.478 --> 00:02:51.521
00:02:51.521 --> 00:02:54.097
00:02:54.097 --> 00:02:58.818
00:02:58.818 --> 00:03:00.521
00:03:00.521 --> 00:03:01.670
00:03:01.670 --> 00:03:03.175
00:03:03.175 --> 00:03:06.302
00:03:06.302 --> 00:03:06.883
00:03:08.227 --> 00:03:12.278
00:03:12.278 --> 00:03:30.513
00:03:30.513 --> 00:03:34.241
00:03:34.241 --> 00:03:38.437
00:03:38.437 --> 00:03:41.854
00:03:41.854 --> 00:03:48.953
00:03:48.953 --> 00:03:53.342
00:03:54.122 --> 00:03:57.616
00:03:57.616 --> 00:04:07.122
00:04:07.122 --> 00:04:12.599
00:04:12.599 --> 00:04:12.961
00:04:12.961 --> 00:04:18.057
00:04:18.057 --> 00:04:20.276
00:04:20.276 --> 00:04:29.817
00:04:29.817 --> 00:04:33.384
00:04:33.384 --> 00:04:41.673
00:04:41.673 --> 00:04:53.172
00:04:53.172 --> 00:04:55.857
00:04:55.857 --> 00:05:03.720
00:05:03.720 --> 00:05:04.341
00:05:04.341 --> 00:05:06.012
00:05:07.154 --> 00:05:14.012
00:05:14.012 --> 00:05:25.125
00:05:25.125 --> 00:05:39.305
00:05:39.305 --> 00:05:41.572
00:05:41.572 --> 00:05:53.362
00:05:53.362 --> 00:05:56.358
00:05:56.358 --> 00:05:58.463
00:05:58.463 --> 00:06:07.591
00:06:07.591 --> 00:06:21.593
00:06:21.593 --> 00:06:24.619
00:06:24.619 --> 00:06:27.790
00:06:27.790 --> 00:06:33.391
00:06:33.391 --> 00:06:34.774
00:06:34.774 --> 00:06:36.959
00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:37.800
00:06:37.800 --> 00:06:40.387
00:06:42.836 --> 00:06:49.279
00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:56.658
00:06:56.658 --> 00:07:00.678
00:07:00.678 --> 00:07:07.812
00:07:07.812 --> 00:07:19.199
00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:20.754
00:07:20.754 --> 00:07:22.831
00:07:22.831 --> 00:07:30.040
00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:31.214
00:07:31.214 --> 00:07:32.855
00:07:32.855 --> 00:07:38.480
00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:45.846
00:07:45.846 --> 00:07:46.711
