The unsettling tale begins in a small hospital in rural Victoria, where Dr. Chris Webster quickly recognized that something was amiss when Erin Patterson arrived seeking treatment. "I knew," he shared, with an uneasy clarity, "you did it, you heinous individual." His instincts were correct: Erin had poisoned her in-laws and another relative by serving toxic mushrooms hidden in a beef Wellington meal at her home in July 2023.
The trial revealed the grim outcome—Erin was convicted of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, along with Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66. She also faced charges for attempting to murder pastor Ian Wilkinson, who fortunately recovered after an extensive hospital stay.
Initially, when Ian and Heather were admitted to Leongatha Hospital with severe gastroenteritis symptoms, Dr. Webster thought they were suffering a case of food poisoning. But alarms were raised after a devastating conversation with the doctor examining Don and Gail at another hospital—they were in the grip of deadly mushroom poisoning.
His immediate concern shifted to their failing livers, and while preparing them for transfer to a larger facility, the scenario took a shocking turn. Erin Patterson suddenly arrived at the hospital. Dr. Webster's suspicions intensified when Erin attributed the mushrooms to Woolworths, a claim he found dubious.
Her lack of concern for her sick family members solidified his fears. After a brief examination, Erin left against medical advice, prompting Dr. Webster to alert the police. Upon her eventual return to the hospital, she was reluctant to heed his warnings about her children potentially being exposed to the same poison.
After a long wait, a jury recently found Erin guilty, an event that sent a wave of relief through Dr. Webster. He had carried the burden of his role in the trial as a vital witness—the tension was palpable, and he felt the weight of the evidence he provided crucial to the case.
Seeing Ian Wilkinson recover post-transplant and walking again was the emotional closure he longed for, a stark contrast to the sadness of dispatching Heather’s ambulance. For Dr. Webster, justice served is an emotional and rewarding outcome.
