In Leongatha, Australia, a family dinner turned tragic when Erin served a meal laced with poisonous mushrooms. The guests included her in-laws, her husband’s aunt, and her husband’s aunt’s husband. Within a week, three of the guests died from amatoxin poisoning. Erin was found to be responsible for the poisonings, driven by a dispute with her separated husband over child support. The court also heard evidence of previous attempts by Erin to poison her husband.
Erin had deceived her guests by claiming she had cancer to solicit their advice. She then attempted to deflect blame by claiming the deaths were caused by food poisoning, but this claim was refuted by evidence. The crucial evidence was found in the trash where Erin had disposed of the leftovers. The police found the food containing ‘death cap’ mushrooms. Despite the evidence, Erin maintained her innocence, claiming the mushrooms accidentally ended up in the food. However, detectives found that death cap mushrooms were seen near Erin’s house some time before the incident. A jury found her guilty and she is awaiting sentencing on August 25th.