An arrest warrant had already been issued against the Australian woman, who is already charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder over the deaths of three people who attended her home lunch of mushrooms in July.
Erin Patterson, 43, of Leongatha in Victoria, was arrested by police on Wednesday after a four-month investigation over an alleged case of mushroom poisoning. The victims included her former husband’s parents John Patterson and Margaret Patterson both aged 74, and his aunt, Elizabeth Patterson, aged 72 all of whom died within hours of having eaten the meal.
She has since denied any wrongdoing and said she had taken the mushrooms from a supermarket and an Asian grocery store. She thus claimed not to have taken the mushrooms personally as she was allergic to them.
The investigation involved searching Ms. Patterson’s home with a technology detector dogs and interviewing her. They also seized her phone, computer, and other electronic devices.
It was Detective Inspector Tim Day who led the inquiry into the death. This is a complex and tragic case. “We are treating this as a homicide. We are not looking for anyone else at this stage “, he said.
Mr Patterson’s solicitor, Mark Gumbleton, said his client was devastated by the loss of her family but maintained her innocence. “She’s lost her family. She’s lost everything,” he said. “She maintains her innocence and we’ll be defending the charges.”
Yesterday, Patterson appeared in court. She was remanded in custody to reappear at court in February. Her bail plea was refused by Magistrate Peter Mellas, who described the situation as very sad for everyone concerned.
The incident shocked the local community, and questions are now being asked about the safety of mushrooms being sold in Australia. There are wild mushroom varieties considered by expert opinion to be fatal when ingested, with such symptoms as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, liver failure, and coma.