June 13, 2025

Phones, Facts, and Factory Resets: Key Moments from Erin Patterson Mushroom Trial

Phones, Facts, and Factory Resets: Key Moments from Erin Patterson Mushroom Trial
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Phones, Facts, and Factory Resets: Key Moments from Erin Patterson Mushroom Trial

Dive into a bonus transcript reading episode examining the Erin Patterson case with detailed questioning about two phones and their usage patterns which the prosecution said could reveal crucial evidence.

• Focus on "Phone A" and "Phone B" with Dr Nanette Rogers (chief prosecutor) questioning Erin Patterson who pleads not guilty
• Ms Patterson's phone usage timeline examined through meticulous questioning about web searches related to death cap mushrooms
• Prosecution said evidence showed Ms Patterson's phone lost network connection during police search
• Prosecutor's claim that Ms Patterson deliberately concealed her phone from police during investigation
• Phone records showing Ms Patterson's device disconnected precisely during her private consultation with a lawyer

Ms Patterson is pleading not guilty to all four charges and has the resumption of innocence.

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Erin Patterson Mushrooms

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Erin Patterson Mushrooms

Here it is in summary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

00:00 - Introduction to Erin Patterson's case

01:42 - Phone A usage timeline questioned

04:12 - Phone factory reset controversy

06:25 - Phone records examination

09:33 - Mystery of the disconnected phone

10:59 - Closing comments and newsletter signup

WEBVTT

00:00:00.700 --> 00:00:04.490
Hello and welcome to the Mushroom Murder Trial podcast.

00:00:04.490 --> 00:00:12.829
This is a bonus edition of the transcript from yesterday in the Erin Patterson case.

00:00:12.829 --> 00:00:26.981
Now, what I'll be talking about is phone A and phone B, and there are two people here, so there is Dr Rogers, who's the chief prosecutor, nanette Rogers and, obviously, erin Patterson herself, who is pleading not guilty to all charges.

00:00:26.981 --> 00:00:28.905
So shall we go?

00:00:28.905 --> 00:00:34.335
This is Nanette Rogers and this phone is phone A.

00:00:34.335 --> 00:00:38.088
Is this the phone you'd used since February 23, correct?

00:00:38.088 --> 00:00:39.651
Yes, that's Erin.

00:00:39.651 --> 00:00:41.822
Sorry, I just got a quick question.

00:00:41.822 --> 00:00:48.012
Did you say I used that phone until August 14, or that number until August 14?

00:00:48.012 --> 00:00:49.395
The number?

00:00:49.395 --> 00:00:52.067
Okay, thank you, yep.

00:00:52.067 --> 00:00:55.048
Do you need to ask me the question?

00:00:55.048 --> 00:00:57.252
Do you need the question asked again?

00:00:57.252 --> 00:01:03.692
Erin, yes, please, you continued to use that phone number, that is the 783.

00:01:03.692 --> 00:01:09.412
Yep says Erin, right through until the 14th of August 2023,.

00:01:09.412 --> 00:01:12.284
Yep, and up until the 2nd of November.

00:01:12.284 --> 00:01:21.006
In fact, I think it's still connected, and this phone A is the phone you had used since February 2023.

00:01:21.006 --> 00:01:24.051
Did you just answer that question or did you?

00:01:24.051 --> 00:01:27.615
No, no, I didn't, but you're right, I did.

00:01:27.615 --> 00:01:28.462
That was Erin.

00:01:28.462 --> 00:01:35.762
Yes, this is the phone you used as your primary communication device from February 2023.

00:01:35.762 --> 00:01:38.486
Yeah, that's right, yep, erin again.

00:01:38.486 --> 00:01:45.835
And you used it to send and receive texts, phone calls and to take photos Correct, amongst many other things.

00:01:45.835 --> 00:01:52.632
Erin said yes, I suggest you use the phone to research death cap mushrooms.

00:01:52.632 --> 00:01:54.155
Agree or disagree?

00:01:54.155 --> 00:01:55.962
Erin replies disagree.

00:01:55.962 --> 00:02:02.989
I suggest you also use phone A to look up iNaturalist in 2023.

00:02:02.989 --> 00:02:04.792
Agree or disagree?

00:02:04.792 --> 00:02:18.566
Erin replies disagree, and I've already put this to you previously, but I want to make clear that I suggest you saw the post by Tom May on the 21st of May 2023 on this phone.

00:02:18.566 --> 00:02:21.189
Erin replies disagree.

00:02:21.189 --> 00:02:24.093
Phone A, says the prosecutor.

00:02:24.093 --> 00:02:25.836
Erin, disagree.

00:02:25.836 --> 00:02:32.688
And that's how you saw the post by Christine McKenzie that she posted on the 18th of April 2023.

00:02:32.688 --> 00:02:35.540
Erin replies I didn't see that post.

00:02:35.540 --> 00:02:37.804
You didn't see.

00:02:37.804 --> 00:02:42.991
You didn't use that phone to do that, erin, I didn't see the post.

00:02:42.991 --> 00:02:44.995
Is that what I have said?

00:02:44.995 --> 00:02:47.106
You didn't see the post.

00:02:47.106 --> 00:02:51.072
Phone A was not recovered by police on the 5th of August.

00:02:51.072 --> 00:02:51.794
Agreed?

00:02:51.794 --> 00:02:52.919
Erin, agreed.

00:02:52.919 --> 00:02:57.348
I suggest it's because you deliberately concealed this phone from police.

00:02:57.348 --> 00:02:59.774
Agree or disagree, disagree.

00:02:59.774 --> 00:03:04.006
And in fact, I suggest the police never recovered phone A.

00:03:04.006 --> 00:03:05.866
Agree or disagree.

00:03:05.866 --> 00:03:09.034
I think that's true, said Erin.

00:03:09.475 --> 00:03:18.819
Your evidence to this jury was that on the 2nd of August 2023, you quote, realised that phone A was just not cutting it anymore.

00:03:18.819 --> 00:03:22.111
Do you remember giving that evidence, erin?

00:03:22.111 --> 00:03:23.375
I do so.

00:03:23.375 --> 00:03:28.144
Is that your explanation about why you factory reset phone B on that day?

00:03:28.144 --> 00:03:31.997
Um, I think that was the explanation.

00:03:31.997 --> 00:03:32.680
That's, erin.

00:03:32.680 --> 00:03:38.840
And just on that, I remember you asking me did I do that factory reset on the 2nd of August?

00:03:38.840 --> 00:03:41.895
At that time, and I said the date looks about right.

00:03:41.895 --> 00:03:46.091
I'm not sure about the time, and I remember doing the factory reset.

00:03:46.091 --> 00:03:48.496
I thought I did it the same day.

00:03:48.496 --> 00:03:51.682
I put the SIM in it, which was the 3rd of August.

00:03:51.682 --> 00:03:55.102
In any event, this is a prosecutor.

00:03:55.102 --> 00:04:00.640
You agree that it was on the 2nd of August that you realised that phone A wasn't cutting it anymore?

00:04:00.640 --> 00:04:04.695
Erin, yeah, or 3rd of August, I'm not sure which day.

00:04:04.695 --> 00:04:11.602
I suggest to you that there was nothing wrong with phone A and that this is another lie.

00:04:11.602 --> 00:04:12.985
Agree or disagree.

00:04:12.985 --> 00:04:14.010
Disagree.

00:04:14.010 --> 00:04:20.242
You had purchased this phone brand new in February 2023, correct, erin?

00:04:20.242 --> 00:04:22.954
Correct, and it was less than six months old.

00:04:22.954 --> 00:04:25.098
Correct, correct, said, erin.

00:04:25.540 --> 00:04:31.721
Now I want to take you to Exhibit 77, the call charge records, and I want to start at page 55.

00:04:31.721 --> 00:04:35.295
And please say, if you're unable to see the screen, erin.

00:04:35.295 --> 00:04:37.117
No, I can see it, thank you.

00:04:37.117 --> 00:04:39.803
So the date is on the left-hand column.

00:04:39.803 --> 00:04:45.516
It is replied Erin, and these questions are about the 2nd of August.

00:04:45.516 --> 00:04:51.841
Yep, so you use phone A on the 2nd of August with the phone number 783 all day.

00:04:51.841 --> 00:04:57.913
Is this the CCR for 783 and 835?

00:04:57.913 --> 00:05:04.124
No, said the prosecutor, it's the CCR for phone number ending 783.

00:05:04.124 --> 00:05:07.355
Thank you, I just couldn't see that anywhere, said Erin.

00:05:07.355 --> 00:05:11.184
We can, I can take it back, erin, I trust you.

00:05:11.184 --> 00:05:15.031
Said Erin, we can, I can take it back, erin, I trust you.

00:05:15.031 --> 00:05:15.653
It's just I couldn't see.

00:05:15.653 --> 00:05:16.194
So I wanted to clarify.

00:05:16.194 --> 00:05:18.500
Okay, here's on her, in the fourth column, you can see the number.

00:05:18.500 --> 00:05:20.444
Oh, thank you.

00:05:20.444 --> 00:05:28.892
Yeah, said Erin, dr Rogers, so you used phone A with this phone number 783 on the 2nd of August all day, erin?

00:05:28.892 --> 00:05:30.136
Well, it was on.

00:05:30.136 --> 00:05:34.331
Yeah, you used it for data phone calls, smss.

00:05:34.331 --> 00:05:37.838
I can see the data and SMS on this page.

00:05:37.838 --> 00:05:38.819
This is Erin.

00:05:39.581 --> 00:05:46.435
So that's page 55, yeah, then there's page 56, yep, and it's still on the 2nd of August.

00:05:46.435 --> 00:05:49.319
Yes, if that can be blown up.

00:05:49.319 --> 00:05:50.480
Page 57,.

00:05:50.480 --> 00:05:52.103
This is a prosecutor, erin.

00:05:52.103 --> 00:05:55.509
Yeah, still on 2 August, erin.

00:05:55.509 --> 00:05:59.158
Hmm, page 58, still 2nd of August, erin.

00:05:59.158 --> 00:06:04.533
Correct, page 59, still 2nd of August, yep, and this is a prosecutor.

00:06:04.533 --> 00:06:13.451
And then at page 60, almost two thirds down the page, the records end for the 2nd of August, until about 11pm or thereabouts.

00:06:13.672 --> 00:06:24.737
Yep, so the records, these records show your use of that phone continued to be frequent until about 11pm that night of the 2nd of August.

00:06:24.737 --> 00:06:27.142
Erin, um, yeah, there was use.

00:06:27.142 --> 00:06:36.737
Yeah, and this is the day, or this is a possible day on your evidence, that you realised phone A was not cutting it anymore.

00:06:36.737 --> 00:06:47.862
You said just a minute ago it was either the 2nd or 3rd of August, erin, right, can I take you now to the 3rd of August, which is down the bottom of page 60?

00:06:48.161 --> 00:06:54.790
Erin, yep, we see from page 60 there that you continue to use phone A with the phone number 783.

00:06:54.790 --> 00:06:57.458
Erin, yeah, it's on anyway.

00:06:57.458 --> 00:07:01.379
Yep, sorry, I said well, it shows the phone was on.

00:07:01.379 --> 00:07:03.915
That's from the prosecutor.

00:07:03.915 --> 00:07:09.934
Well, there's a column called yes, that's true, you used it for data phone calls and SMSs.

00:07:09.934 --> 00:07:14.165
I'm happy to take you over the page through to 61.

00:07:14.165 --> 00:07:15.410
Yep, says Erin.

00:07:15.410 --> 00:07:23.281
I can see SMSs 62, yep, erin, 63, yep, 64, yep and 65, yep.

00:07:23.281 --> 00:07:30.242
So those records now this is the prosecutor for 3rd of August continue from page 60 to 65.

00:07:30.242 --> 00:07:31.653
I think we've been over that.

00:07:31.653 --> 00:07:38.694
Erin replies they do, and the records show frequent use of phone A throughout that day of 3 August.

00:07:38.694 --> 00:07:42.161
Do you accept that it definitely shows use?

00:07:42.161 --> 00:07:47.533
Yes, now I want to go to the 4th of August, which starts down the bottom of page 65.

00:07:47.533 --> 00:07:53.858
Erin, yep, we can see you continue to use phone A with the phone number 783.

00:07:53.858 --> 00:07:57.500
Erin, I did Data phone calls, smss.

00:07:57.500 --> 00:08:05.107
Erin, yeah, happy to take you through from 66, 67, yep and 68, yep.

00:08:05.107 --> 00:08:11.812
And you accept that the records show frequent use of phone A throughout the day?

00:08:11.812 --> 00:08:14.497
It does show use.

00:08:14.497 --> 00:08:16.620
Yes, I want to go to the 5th of august.

00:08:16.961 --> 00:08:19.750
And the 5th of august was the day of the search warrant.

00:08:19.750 --> 00:08:25.194
It was, and we heard evidence that police arrived at your house at 11.40am.

00:08:25.194 --> 00:08:29.377
Yeah, yes, erin said Up until 11.40am.

00:08:29.377 --> 00:08:35.301
And this time I'm on page 68 of the exhibit you were using phone A.

00:08:35.301 --> 00:08:36.942
Um, this is Erin.

00:08:36.942 --> 00:08:41.164
I can't see any actual like SMSs or phone calls by me.

00:08:41.164 --> 00:08:45.129
But yes, some people did send me SMSs Data.

00:08:45.129 --> 00:08:50.562
Well, erin replies um, that doesn't mean I'm doing anything on the phone.

00:08:57.870 --> 00:08:58.432
Dr Sorrell did say that.

00:08:58.432 --> 00:08:59.216
Beg your pardon, says the prosecutor.

00:08:59.216 --> 00:09:00.139
I just said because there's data entries.

00:09:00.139 --> 00:09:00.883
It doesn't mean I'm using the phone.

00:09:00.883 --> 00:09:02.089
And did you refer to someone's evidence?

00:09:02.089 --> 00:09:03.291
Yeah, I said.

00:09:03.291 --> 00:09:05.556
Didn't Dr Sorrell say that?

00:09:05.556 --> 00:09:06.597
Prosecutor?

00:09:06.597 --> 00:09:09.750
Yes, but I'm not asking you about Dr Sorrell's evidence.

00:09:09.750 --> 00:09:10.753
I'm asking you.

00:09:10.753 --> 00:09:12.758
Sorry, I'm asking about you.

00:09:12.758 --> 00:09:16.471
Did you use data on the 5th of August up until 11.40am?

00:09:16.471 --> 00:09:17.511
Erin?

00:09:17.511 --> 00:09:18.413
I have no idea.

00:09:18.413 --> 00:09:19.193
I doubt it.

00:09:21.176 --> 00:09:35.538
Prosecutor, suddenly, at an unknown time, between 12.01pm on 5th of August and 1.45pm, your mobile service number, ending in 783, which was inside phone A, lost connection with the network.

00:09:35.538 --> 00:09:37.763
That's been the evidence in this matter.

00:09:37.763 --> 00:09:38.671
You agree with that?

00:09:38.671 --> 00:09:48.676
I do, erin, and it's an agreed fact in this case, exhibit 84, paragraph 5, and I'm happy to bring that up for you.

00:09:48.676 --> 00:09:50.799
Erin, there's no need that.

00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:56.986
This lost connection this is the prosecutor could be due to A the SIM card being removed from the handset.

00:09:56.986 --> 00:10:00.376
B the battery being removed without turning the handset off or.

00:10:00.376 --> 00:10:09.942
C the handset being damaged in such a way that it would disrupt power of the handset or disrupt the handset's connection to the network.

00:10:09.942 --> 00:10:16.826
Yes, so that's the agreed fact between the parties, says the prosecutor.

00:10:17.226 --> 00:10:28.182
Erin, yes, I suggest that you remove the SIM from phone A between 12.01 and 1.45pm on the 5th of August, agree or disagree, erin, disagree.

00:10:28.182 --> 00:10:32.503
I suggest you had physical possession of this phone when you did that.

00:10:32.503 --> 00:10:34.807
Agree or disagree, disagree.

00:10:34.807 --> 00:10:42.197
I suggest you removed SIM from phone A when you were afforded privacy to speak with a lawyer while police were at your home.

00:10:42.197 --> 00:10:44.442
Agree or disagree, disagree.

00:10:44.442 --> 00:10:46.907
That happened at 2pm, said Erin.

00:10:46.907 --> 00:10:54.508
I suggest that your claim that the black item on the window sill in the lounge room is phone A is simply nonsense.

00:10:54.508 --> 00:10:56.980
Agree or disagree, erin, disagree.

00:10:57.760 --> 00:10:59.784
So that's what we've got today.

00:10:59.784 --> 00:11:01.735
I'll be reading this through to you.

00:11:01.735 --> 00:11:10.442
At the moment, the judge is giving instructions to lawyers, so we haven't had any more news today, so I'll keep these sort of bubbling through.

00:11:10.442 --> 00:11:11.184
So you have them.

00:11:11.184 --> 00:11:12.995
So thank you for your time.

00:11:12.995 --> 00:11:14.099
I appreciate it.

00:11:14.099 --> 00:11:37.705
Make sure you sign up for my newsletter, and that is at mushroommurdertrialcom, and I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to listen and I will get back to you very soon and let me know what you think through the website or, however, through socials, because all my socials are there as well, as you can donate me a coffee, which is $5.

00:11:37.705 --> 00:11:38.787
That's there as well.

00:11:38.787 --> 00:11:39.607
Buy me a coffee.

00:11:39.607 --> 00:11:40.529
I'd love that.

00:11:40.529 --> 00:11:43.244
Thank you, and thank you to everyone who has done that.

00:11:43.244 --> 00:11:47.907
It is really needed when you've on what, the seventh week of a trial.

00:11:47.907 --> 00:11:49.139
It's been a lot, hasn't it?

00:11:49.139 --> 00:11:53.278
But thank you so much and I will speak to you very, very soon.

00:11:53.278 --> 00:11:53.799
Bye.