A normal family dinner in the quiet town of Leongatha, South Australia, when a pair of grandparents stopped to dine at the home of their bride, Erin Patterson, with their grandchildren and two other guests, ended in tragedy. Unfortunately, the dish that the woman cooked based on wild mushrooms proved fatal for some customers. Four were hospitalized with symptoms of poisoning: three died, and a fourth was hospitalized, still in very serious conditions. In an event that shocked the country, the police are now investigating the bride who cooked mushrooms for the whole family.
The disturbing lunch took place on July 29: since then, the case has become a national arena with the media questioning the role of women. According to the information revealed by the police, mushrooms belonging to the phalloid Amanita species, which is a very poisonous species that causes very serious damage to the liver and can lead to death if not treated adequately and in a timely manner. The woman, who has so far denied any accusations, reiterated that she did not know what could happen and that she always loved every member of her family very much, in a statement to local television: “I would never have done such a thing,” she said. in tears – I have nothing against them. I really didn’t do anything. I love them.”
A few hours after lunch, the alarm sounded when the four intoxicated people started showing the first signs of severe gastroenteritis. The four people were immediately rushed to the hospital, but their condition was already so serious that they had to be urgently rushed to a Melbourne hospital, two hours away. A race that turned out to be useless: the woman’s husband is in serious condition and awaiting a liver transplant, while the latter’s grandfather, grandmother, and sister have died.
Those who did not suffer the consequences were his daughter-in-law and children, who ate a different meal, not the killer mushrooms. “The deaths are unexplained at this time – It could have been something really random and unintentional, but we can’t say yet,” said Dean Thomas of local police. From the initial findings, it appears that the deadly mushrooms were actually in the dish served by the bride, but it was unclear whether the bride acted willingly or without knowing that these mushrooms could be deadly. The private life of the woman who separated from her husband, the son of poisoned grandparents, is being investigated. According to Erin Patterson, a “friendly” separation was also evidenced by the intimate relationships she maintained with her ex-husband.
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Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.