Mystery swirls around mushroom chef, Erin Patterson

Lawyers acting for deadly mushroom chef Erin Patterson showed up on her doorstep on Thursday but she was not at home.

Lawyers acting for deadly mushroom chef Erin Patterson were spotted attempting to hand deliver a document to her at home on Thursday but she was not at home.

A representative from her legal team left the the property without delivering the letter to his client when she failed to return home before dark.

Earlier in the day, Ms Patterson, 48, told a waiting media pack just before 10am that she was on the way to visit her lawyers in Melbourne. A representative of that law firm – who did not answer questions – was seen waiting outside her Leongatha residence, two hours’ southeast of Melbourne, about 5pm to hand deliver a letter, The Daily Mail reports.

According to the outlet, lawyers acting for Ms Patterson are concerned for her wellbeing amid the media firestorm outside her rural property, according to the outlet.

A police car was also seen driving past Ms Patterson’s home just before sunset.

It comes after Gail and Don Patterson died after eating lunch served by Ms Patterson, who is the ex-wife of their son Simon Patterson, on July 29.

Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson also died following the meal - reported to be a beef wellington pie that police believe may have included death cap mushrooms - with her husband Ian gravely ill and needing a liver transplant.

Neither Ms Patterson nor her two children that she shares with Simon became ill after the lunch at her home.

Erin Patterson, the homeowner of where the fatal mushroom lunch took place. Picture: Brooke Grebert-Craig

Police are investigating the deaths, with Ms Patterson denying any wrongdoing and authorities cautioning that the incident could be “very innocent”.

It has since emerged that the real reason Ms Patterson invited her ex-husband’s family to lunch was in an effort to try and negotiate a reconciliation with the father of her children, according to the Daily Mail.

Simon was also invited but pulled out at the last minute, a close friend of Simon’s purportedly told the publication.

“They went to her house for a mediation to talk to the family. Simon was supposed to go there for lunch but he pulled out in the last minute otherwise he would be in that death bed too,” publication quoted the friend as saying, adding that Simon was not interested in getting back with his ex.

Simon Patterson was reportedly also invited to the lunch but didn’t attend. Picture: Facebook.

Ms Patterson has maintained her innocence. Picture: Jason Edwards

The friend claimed that Simon’s family was worried about Ms Patterson’s “mental state” so they accepted the lunch invitation to “make sure she was in the right mental health.

“This wasn’t just a lunch, it was an intervention with the pastor as mediator. That’s why this lunch happened,” the friend said.

A dehydrator found dumped at a local tip is being forensically analysed as part of police investigations to see whether it is related to the tragic deaths.

Ms Patterson’s home was searched over the weekend and she was interviewed by police.

According to 7News, she initially told police during her interview that she picked up the mushrooms from a local shop in the Leongatha area.

She has maintained her innocence, previously saying that she “loved” her in-laws with Gail being like a mother to her.

Ex ‘almost died’ of mystery illness

An unearthed social media post from Simon has revealed the father “almost died” last year when he came down with a sudden gut illness.

In the post, first reported by the Herald Sun, Simon revealed he had to be put into an induced coma and his family were told to “say goodbye” on two separate occasions.

“I collapsed at home, then was in an induced coma for 16 days through which I had three emergency operations mainly on my small intestine, plus an additional planned operation,” he wrote.

“My family were asked to come and say goodbye to me twice, as I was not expected to live.

“I was in intensive care for 21 days, after which I was in the general ward for a week, and now I’m at a rehab place since last Saturday.”

Mr Patterson said the “serious gut problems” had seemed to be fixed but had an “ICU acquired weakness” due to lying in intensive care for so long.

“I can walk and do all the normal daily functions myself, however my left shoulder in particular is very weak,” he wrote.

“I’m expected to make a full recovery so I’m back to the same capacity I had before I collapsed.”

In the social media post he mentioned Ms Patterson and his children were on their way to visit him. The couple are now separated but reports claim they remained “amicable”.