Erin Patterson Appeals Her Conviction on 7 Grounds

Erin Patterson, the Australian woman convicted of killing three relatives with a poisonous mushroom-laced beef Wellington, has made her case for an appeal on seven grounds, reports 9News. In court documents filed Monday and made public Wednesday, she claims she was the victim of a "substantial miscarriage of justice." Patterson, 51, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 33 years for serving the deadly meal in 2023, which resulted in the deaths of her estranged husband's parents and aunt. She was also found guilty of attempting to murder her husband's uncle, who survived the incident.

Among the seven allegations in the appeal filings by Patterson's legal team: that a "fundamental irregularity" occurred during jury sequestration that "fatally undermined the integrity of the verdicts." Though specifics were not provided, CBS News cites reports that suggest jurors were housed in the same hotel as police and prosecutors during deliberations. Australia's ABC reports her team also claims the prosecution "changed its case" by saying there was no sign of a motive in its opening remarks but suggesting there was a motive in its closing argument.

Patterson's team also criticized the prosecution's cross-examination as "unfair and oppressive," and argued that irrelevant evidence—including cell tower location data and Facebook messages sent by friends, reports Reuters—was admitted while other, potentially important evidence was excluded. The court will need to approve her appeal in order for it to move forward.