Residents of a small country town at the center of a suspected mushroom-poisoned lunch that left three people dead have expressed their anger over a nasty rumor.
The town of Korumburra in Victoria’s South Gippsland, population 5,000, was thrust into the spotlight after three people died after ingesting a beef Wellington allegedly laced with mushrooms. death in July 2023.
Don and Gail Patterson, both in their 70s, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66, all died days after eating the meal allegedly prepared by Patterson’s former daughter-in-law, Erin Patterson , at her home in Leongatha.
Heather’s husband, Baptist minister Ian Wilkinson, 68, narrowly avoided the same fate while Patterson’s husband Simon pulled out of the lunch.
Patterson was charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder – four of which were related to previous incidents with her husband – in November.
The case sparked a media frenzy, with many locals saying the rumor had gone “up a gear” and portrayed them as “cult-like” religious fanatics.
Residents of the small town at the center of an alleged poisonous mushroom lunch, Korumburra (pictured), have spoken out against harmful rumors surrounding the affair.
A number of Korumburra residents attended a “day of prayer, reflection and solidarity” for Don, Gail and Heather Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church shortly after the deaths.
The two couples’ Baptist beliefs and images of residents mourning them spread across the world, sparking rumors that the town was deeply religious.
Former South Gippsland Shire mayor Nathan Hersey said narratives surrounding the town implied residents were an “overly religious, cult-like people”.
“But it’s just a regular country town full of wonderful people in a very picturesque and beautiful location,” Mr Hersey told The Mushroom Cook podcast.
The former mayor responded to an “avalanche” of media requests to the council from Australian and international media outlets, including the New York Times and the BBC.
He said he faces the media up to three times a day when the story is most widely read.
A local resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said the public had been “quick to judge” the town and its residents after the incident.
“So many assumptions were made about us country people soon after the death,” he told the Herald Sun.
“I think it seemed like we picked our food off the ground and were really religious, but that’s just not the case.”
The resident said the religious beliefs of some did not reflect the community as a whole, adding that “we are just normal people with normal lives.”
Erin Patterson (pictured) was charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder following the incident which sparked an international media circus.
Residents said the investigation and media attention gave rise to rumors that the town was full of “sectarian” religious fanatics (photo, police on scene).
Patterson is currently awaiting trial over the alleged incident and has been remanded in custody at the Dame Phyllis Frost Center in Victoria, a maximum security prison that can house 600 women.
Victoria Police spent 20 weeks preparing a file of evidence against Patterson.
Much of the investigation focused on Patterson’s home and used a specialized canine unit to detect electronic devices.
The prosecution will rely on photos and witness statements collected by police as evidence of Patterson’s alleged crimes.
The accused mushroom chef is next due to appear before Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court via video link for a committal hearing on May 3.
Pastor Ian Wilkinson was the only one to survive the lunch, which claimed the life of his wife Heather Wilkinson, 66. He spent almost two months in hospital (the two men are pictured together).
Gail Patterson and her brother-in-law Don Patterson, both 70, died after lunch
dailymail us
