FATAL LUNCH
New details emerge on killer mushroom suspect Erin Patterson whose relationship with ex ‘went south’ before deadly lunch
NEW details have emerged on the killer mushroom lunch suspect whose relationship with her ex "went south" before she hosted the fatal get-together.
Erin Patterson, 48, invited Gail and Don Patterson, her former in-laws, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian to her home in Leongatha, Australia.
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The mum-of-two reportedly held the deadly gathering on July 29 in a bid to try and win back her estranged ex-husband Simon Patterson.
After eating the meal on July 29, the guests became violently ill and Gail and Don, both 70, and Heather, 66, later died.
Cops said their symptoms were consistent with having eaten death cap mushrooms.
Homicide detectives confirmed Erin is a suspect in the case as the mum-of-two cooked the meal at her home but did not get sick.
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She has denied any wrongdoing and cops have cautioned that the incident could be "very innocent".
While police have described Erin and Simon's split as "amicable" - several residents told The Australian their relationship had "gone south" before the lunch.
Simon was supposed to join the lunch - but reportedly pulled out at the last minute.
They had lived separately but maintained co-parenting arrangements, another local revealed.
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A third said they believed Erin was genuinely concerned at the time and that she had a lot ‘’on her plate’’.
All three said the couple were private people and mostly kept to themselves.
Others also spoke out on how Erin was "reserved" and only held "brief conversations" during school pick-ups.
It comes after Simon revealed he almost died from a mystery gut illness last year.
And he reportedly "suspected” Erin had tried to poison him through an "ingested toxin".
A family friend told the : “Simon suspected he had been poisoned by Erin.
“There were times he had felt… a bit off and it often coincided when he spent time with her."
Simon said he collapsed at home in May last year and was placed into an induced coma.
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In a social media post, Simon wrote: "I collapsed at home, then was in an induced coma for 16 days through which I had three emergency operations mainly on my small intestine, plus an additional planned operation.
"My family were asked to come and say goodbye to me twice, as I was not expected to live".
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