Australia's 'mushroom murderer' got a life sentence. Prosecutors say it's not enough

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A month after an Australian judge sentenced Erin Patterson to life in prison with a 33-year non-parole period, prosecutors have appealed the sentence, calling it "manifestly inadequate."

The Supreme Court of Victoria confirmed to reporters on Monday that Victoria's Office of Public Prosecutions had appealed Patterson's sentence. Details of the appeal have not been publicly released.

Patterson, a 50-year-old mother of two, was sentenced in early September, weeks after she was convicted of killing three of her estranged husband's elderly relatives with poisonous mushrooms in a home-cooked meal.

In July, after a nine-week trial, a jury found Patterson guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Justice Christopher Beale eventually sentenced her to three life sentences plus another 25 years for attempted murder. She will be eligible for parole in 33 years — in 2056, when she would be 82.

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During the sentencing hearing, which was broadcast live from the Supreme Court of Victoria, Beale delivered a summary of the case against Patterson and concluded: "The gravity of your offending warrants the imposition of the maximum penalties for your crimes."

In July 2023, Patterson hosted four guests for lunch at her home in the small town of Leongatha, about 85 miles from Melbourne. They were her husband's parents, Donald and Gail Patterson, as well as his aunt and uncle, Heather and Ian Wilkinson.

It is undisputed that she served them individual portions of home-made beef Wellington, a steak dish wrapped in pastry, usually with a paste of finely chopped mushrooms. And, as Patterson herself acknowledged during the trial, that paste contained death cap mushrooms, which are among the most poisonous in the world.

All four guests were hospitalized with gastrointestinal symptoms the following day, and three of them died the following week from altered liver function and multiple organ failure due to Amanita mushroom poisoning. The sole survivor, Ian Wilkinson, recovered after weeks in intensive care and went on to testify against Patterson at her trial, which featured over 50 witnesses and eight days of testimony from Patterson herself.

The main question facing the jury: Did Patterson knowingly put death cap mushrooms in the dish with the intention of killing her guests?

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