Summary:
- New questions arise regarding the mysterious death involving poisonous mushrooms in Australia.
- Police are investigating whether the deaths were accidental or intentional.
- Erin Patterson served a meal containing mushrooms to her former in-laws, who later died.
- The cause of death is suspected to be the consumption of death-cap mushrooms.
- Erin Patterson is a suspect, though she did not fall ill herself.
- The police are treating the deaths as unexplained, and the investigation is ongoing.
This morning, new questions swirling about the deadly mushroom mystery. The bizarre tragedy now grabbing global headlines. Was it accidental, a fatal foray into foraging that killed three members of the same family? Or was it murder, death by fungus?
Back on July 29, police say Erin Patterson hosted her former in-laws for lunch. Then, within a week, authorities say three were dead, one still fighting for his life in the hospital and the national rumor mill in full swing. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that a statement from Erin's lawyers to police says she served beef wellington with mushrooms that day. In the same statement, she also says she threw out the food dehydrator after speculation started to grow. Police say the cause of death is consistent with eating death-cap mushrooms, a highly toxic fungus found near oak trees. Her former in-laws, Gail and Don Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather, have died.
Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, is in critical condition. According to police, Erin and her two children didn't fall ill and detectives confirming that Erin's a suspect. She cooked those meals for us, for those people that were present. Now again, she hasn't presented with any symptoms, but we have to keep an open mind in relation to this, that it could be very innocent, but again, we just don't know at this point. And this morning, Victoria Police telling NBC News the deaths are still being treated as unexplained and so the mystery continues. So obviously police have their hands full, Molly. Have they given any indication of what they're looking for? Hoda, it's really fascinating.
We keep asking police, of course, for more details about that investigation. No charges have been filed, but police keep reminding everyone that there is an ongoing investigation. Interestingly, they've also really said, remember that this community is now grieving three people. At the moment, they say Erin Patterson is a free woman, but one of the things that they are looking very closely at is she was at that same lunch, but she didn't get sick. Hoda? All right, Molly Hunter for us there in Sydney, Australia. Molly, thank you. Hey, thanks for watching.
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