Prosecutors Think Mushroom Killer's Sentence Is Weak

Australian prosecutors are pushing for a tougher punishment for Erin Patterson, the woman convicted of killing three relatives and attempting to murder a fourth with a poisonous mushroom lunch. Patterson, 51, received a life sentence last month, with the possibility of parole only after 33 years—a term already among the longest ever given to a female offender in the country. Prosecutors, however, labeled the punishment "'manifestly inadequate" and lodged an appeal on Monday, the last day they could do so; the AP reports they are seeking a longer guaranteed prison term.

Patterson was found guilty in July of serving a lethal beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms at her home in Victoria in 2023. Victims included her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66. Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, barely survived after a lengthy hospital stay and continues to deal with the fallout of the poisoning. Prosecutors in September had argued she should never have the possibility of parole.

Patterson, currently held in isolation at Melbourne's Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, spends all but two hours a day alone due to concerns for her safety; she will likely retain "notorious prisoner" status for years. Meanwhile, the BBC reports her legal team is expected to challenge the conviction itself, though the formal grounds on which they plan to do so have not yet been disclosed. (Ian Wilkinson described himself as "half alive.")