An Australian woman has been charged with murder after a dinner party turned deadly. Erin Patterson, 49, is facing three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder for serving a meal that allegedly contained poisonous death cap mushrooms, leading to the deaths of three people and the hospitalization of another. The victims include Patterson's estranged parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Pastor Ian Wilkinson and his wife Heather. Wilkinson was the only survivor after spending two months gravely ill in the hospital. Patterson has denied any wrongdoing and claims that she bought the mushrooms unknowingly from an Asian grocery store.

The arrest comes after an intense three-month investigation by the homicide squad, which led detectives to search Patterson's home in the small town of Leongatha. Police have charged her with additional counts of attempted murder in connection with previous incidents in 2021-2022, where a man in his 40s became ill after meals. The investigation into the deadly mushroom meal has captivated the nation and has generated significant media and public interest. Police are urging the public to remember the lives lost in this tragedy and the impact it has on the community.