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Matter of Record.

Murder of Don Patterson, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson

2023–2026

Victoria · Australia · 2023

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Erin Patterson was convicted in the Supreme Court of Victoria of murdering Don Patterson, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, and of the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, after a lunch at her home in Leongatha on 29 July 2023. She was sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 33 years. Appeals were heard in August 2026 and judgment is reserved.

Victoria

At a glance

Defendant

Patterson

No upcoming court dates are scheduled — the latest recorded proceedings appear under Court dates.

Timeline· 14 entries

  1. 29 Jul 2023 · Saturday

    Death reported, investigation event

    Fatal lunch at Erin Patterson's Leongatha home

    ABC Australia
  2. 30 Jul 2023 · Sunday

    Update, investigation event

    Lunch guests hospitalised

    ABC Australia
  3. 4 Aug 2023 · Friday

    Death reported, investigation event

    Heather Wilkinson and Gail Patterson die

    ABC Australia
  4. 5 Aug 2023 · Saturday

    Death reported, investigation event

    Don Patterson dies

    ABC Australia
  5. 2 Nov 2023 · Thursday

    Arrest, court event

    Erin Patterson arrested and charged with murder

    ABC Australia
  6. 7 May 2024 · Tuesday

    Plea, court event

    Erin Patterson pleads not guilty

    ABC Australia
  7. 29 Apr 2025 · Tuesday

    Court ruling, court event

    The Guardian
  8. 15 May 2025 · Thursday

    Hearing, court event

    Juror discharged

    ABC Australia
  9. 30 Jun 2025 · Monday

    Hearing, court event

    Judge completed charge to the jury

    The Guardian
  10. October 2025

    Appeal, court event

    Date estimated

    DPP appealed sentence

    smh.com.au
  11. 2 Oct 2025 · Thursday

    Update, investigation event

    Court told Patterson will appeal her convictions

    The Guardian
  12. 3 Nov 2025 · Monday

    Appeal, court event

    Notice of appeal against conviction lodged

    ABC Australia
  13. 19 Aug 2026 · Wednesday

    Hearing, court event

    Court of Appeal hearing begins

    ABC Australia
  14. 20 Aug 2026 · Thursday

    Appeal, court event

    Appeal hearing ends; decision reserved

    BBC News

What the source labels mean

Coverage· 3 entries · 37 episodes

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  • The Mushroom Trial: Say Grace · 35 episodes — a series about this case

    • 21 Aug 2026
      Erin Patterson's lies 
      1:31 Start

      Day two of the appeal: the Crown on her lies and the DPP's sentence appeal.

    • 20 Aug 2026
      Killer’s appeal 
      Then we turn to the prosecution and they say, we would also like to appeal, but we don't want to appeal the conviction. We want to appeal the sentence. And the reason that we want to appeal the sentence is we say it was manifestly inadequate and it would not be in the public interest for her to receive parole.More
      2:25 Start3:25

      Day one of the Court of Appeal hearing: the hotel contamination and witness-box grounds.

    • 6 Nov 2025
      Why Erin Patterson is fighting her convictions 
      1:28 Start

      The appeal papers filed and her seven grounds.

  • Podcast episodeDark Australia12 Aug 2026
    Erin Patterson: The Mushroom Murders 
    Poisoning often begins long before the toxin enters the body. It begins with access. With familiarity. With the absence of any reason to inspect the plate in front of you.
    — Dark Australia
    2:45 Start3:39

    Retrospective from the lunch through the investigation to the jury trial.

  • Podcast episodeCrimehub: A True Crime Podcast24 Jul 2026
    The Mushroom Murders: Inside the Erin Patterson Case 
    "The question is not why she did this," she said. "The question you have to determine is, has the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused did this deliberately?"
    — Crimehub: A True Crime Podcast
    2:05 Start26:12

    Retrospective overview of the lunch, the evidence and the trial.

Third-party material, quoted verbatim.

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