Australian police on Thursday arrested the woman at the heart of the deadly beef Wellington lunch, laced with poisonous mushrooms, which led to the deaths of three people and left a pastor in critical condition.
Erin Patterson, 49, was arrested Thursday morning and police began searching her home with dogs capable of smelling electronic devices such as USB drives.
Once the search is complete, she will be questioned, said Inspector Dean Thomas of Victoria Police’s Crime Squad.
“Today’s arrest is only one step in this complex and in-depth investigation carried out by inspectors from the criminal brigade, and which is not yet complete,” Mr. Thomas told the press, without answering the questions.
The investigation had attracted “incredible” media and public interest in Australia and overseas, he added.
“I think it’s particularly important to keep in mind that at the heart of this case, three people lost their lives,” Mr. Thomas said.
This arrest is the latest twist in a saga that has the country in suspense and shines the spotlight on the small rural town of Leongatha, located 110 km southwest of Melbourne.
Ms. Patterson, who has not been charged, has always maintained her innocence.
On July 29, she prepared her recipe for beef Wellington, a specialty of English cuisine, for her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson. She was married to their son Simon, but the couple had been living apart for some time.
A Baptist minister, Ian Wilkinson, and his wife Heather completed the guest list.
“Cruel rumors”
The fact that her four guests quickly fell ill, unlike her, who remained in good health, fueled the rumors, designating her as suspect.
The pastor’s in-laws and wife died a few days later, after suffering symptoms of food poisoning. Only Pastor Wilkinson, aged 69, survived after being hospitalized for almost two months.
Released from hospital on September 23, he first appeared in public in early October, at a memorial service for his wife, and a newspaper said he appeared “fragile” and walked with assistance. of “a walker”.
Their symptoms matched those caused by the ingestion of Amanita phalloides, said police, who named Ms. Patterson as a suspect shortly after the fatal meal.
She has always maintained her innocence, asserting in August that she bought these mushrooms in an Asian grocery store and that it was an accident.
“I am devastated to think that these mushrooms could have contributed” to the fatal outcome. “I want to reiterate that I had absolutely no reason to harm these people that I loved,” she continued.
At Don and Gail Patterson’s funeral, the Rev. Fran Grimes said the community was trying to “protect the family from cruel speculation and rumors.”
Phalloid Amanitas, also known as Green Oronge and Chalice of Death, can be easily confused with edible species.
Its powerful toxins seriously damage the liver and kidneys. There is currently no real antidote for phalloidin poisoning.