Erin Patterson, the sole survivor of a deadly luncheon that poisoned three guests, was due to appear in court this week. On the outside, she donned a pale pink striped blouse and kept a stoic expression throughout her trial. Patterson has been charged with three counts of first degree murder for the murders of her ex-mother- and father-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, and daughter-in-law, Heather Wilkinson. Further, she’s charged with trying to kill Ian Wilkinson. She has entered a plea of not guilty on all counts.
The trial has been a media circus, absorbing the attention and sympathy of the American public. Much more information about the disastrous lunch hosted by Patterson on July 29, 2022 has come to light. An unexpected turn to the family reunion song circle was the presence of Ian Wilkinson, his wife Heather, and Patterson’s ex–in-laws. The beef Wellington served as the meal had death cap mushrooms, which are one of the deadliest species in the mushroom kingdom. Whether from the lunch or not, all four attendees subsequently became severely ill.
The prosecution presented some very powerful evidence. They were the ones who proved that Patterson had asked for tips on making beef Wellington in a true crime Facebook group weeks before the lunch. Patterson couldn’t be happier with her new dehydrator! She posted images of wild mushrooms air-drying on the quirky appliance’s metal racks. She disclosed that she had been “hiding powdered mushrooms in everything,” including recipes for brownies.
Ian Wilkinson, Disability Link testimony on his experiences with Patterson At first, he thought she was a regular gal. He characterized their relationship dynamic as “friendly … but not a whole lot of intimacy.” Our relationship was friendly, amicable, I would say. It did not have much depth. We were more like acquaintances. Wilkinson noted that Heather had frequently engaged with Patterson. Yet, he did not view their connection as very intimate.
Wilkinson remembered vividly the day he found out that Patterson had been diagnosed with cancer, an error that the defense now concedes was wrong. He reflected on his initial thoughts during that time: “I thought it was some sort of ovarian or cervical cancer – something like that.”
In the days after that lunch, Wilkinson tried to process his response to the moment. He remembered asking his loved ones, “Do I let the children know that this is potentially going to take my life or do I try to protect them from that information? Which one should I do?”
Patterson’s defense team contended she “panicked” after accidentally dispensing poison to people she cared about. They asserted that they did not mean to kill anyone and characterized the deaths as the result of a tragic accident.
At the trial, Patterson testified that he hand plated every sample served at lunch. This was everything from the beef Wellington to our mashed potatoes and green beans. Wilkinson pointed out the difference in presentation between the guests. While Patterson savored his meal from a bright orange plate, his colleagues ate off muted grey plates.
Wilkinson shared his impressions of being welcomed to the convening. “We were very happy to be invited. It looked like possibly our relationship was going to get a lot better,” he said. Later, he described a pattern of condescension and hostility from Patterson when her health-related conversations turned to advocacy. She told her she was extremely worried because she thought it was really bad, life-threatening,” he emphasized.
As the trial advances, Patterson’s movements in the days before—and directly on the date of the lunch—are still raising eyebrows and sparking public speculation. The difference between her public shows of emotion and the terrible consequences incurred that day cast a cloud of suspicion over her motives.
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