How Australia’s mushroom deaths saga captured the world as Erin Patterson charged

Virtually every major news organisation from the New York Times to the BBC are gripped by the tragic mushroom deaths saga unfolding in rural Victoria.

From car crashes to council debates, most news stories which come out of Gippsland in Victoria’s vast east are typically par for the course.

But one now-infamous mushroom lunch on July 29 has thrust the typically sleepy rural region onto the world stage and grabbed the attention of its media.

The level of global curiosity into the beef wellington Erin Patterson served family members at her Leongatha home has prompted an investigation from Victoria Police.

Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said the media interest into the case was unlike anything he had ever seen, during a press conference after Ms Patterson was arrested on Thursday.

The BBC's coverage of the mushroom case. Picture: Supplied

“Over the last three months, this investigation has been subject to incredibly intense levels of public scrutiny and curiosity,” he said.

“I cannot think of another investigation that has generated this level of media and public interest, not only here in Victoria but nationally and internationally.”

Overseas, virtually every major news organisation from the New York Times to the BBC, CNN, NBC and The Washington Post have been gripped by the case.

Senior News Editor at UK tabloid Metro, Alice Murphy, said it makes sense why global audiences are captivated by the story.

“The Leongatha case has an ingredient common to every ‘viral’ news story in 2023: mystery, and it’s got it in spades,” she said.

“When you couple that with highly relatable family-related trigger points you’ve got a really solid recipe for generating a huge amount of interest.

“Audiences are universally captivated by unsolved mystery, and you can safely bet that you’ll hold their attention until the riddle is answered.”

News of Ms Patterson’s arrest warranted fresh takes and interest into the Australia’s most baffling new mystery with stories given prominent position on website homepages.

The Washington Post's coverage of the mushroom case. Picture: Supplied

Several have cited the reporting the Associated Press who have also kept running tabs on the saga.

However, Mr Thomas said readers across the globe shouldn’t lose sight at the case’s tragic centre.

“I think it’s particularly important that we keep in mind that at the heart of this, three people have lost their lives,” he said.

“These are three people who are much beloved in their communities and are great missed by their loved ones.”

The New York Post's coverage of the mushroom case. Picture: Supplied

Mr Thomas said the arrest was the next step in a “complex and thorough investigation” by homicide detectives.

“I know people have many questions in relation to this matter and will be hopeful that I can provide them today. However it’s not that simple,” he said.

“While we do want to provide updates in a timely matter, it is critical that doing this does not adversely impact the current investigation or any future processes.

The New York Times' coverage of the mushroom case. Picture: Supplied

“I encourage people to be particularly mindful of unnecessary speculation and the sharing of misinformation.”

Ms Patterson cooked a beef wellington dish, which is alleged to have contained deadly death cap mushrooms and, served it to four people at the lunch at her home.

Her former parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson died from symptoms consistent with death cap mushroom poisoning after the lunch.

Ms Wilkinson’s husband, Ian, survived.

Ms Patterson was charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder on Thursday evening.

She has denied any wrongdoing, and previously said she does not know what caused the trio’s deaths.