Erin Patterson Hated Her Ex-Husband and His Family — Is That Why She Did It?

In October 2023, detectives with the Victoria police department arrested 49-year-old Erin Patterson. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the mother of two was suspected of killing three people. A fourth individual survived following a lengthy hospital stay.

The arrest came after investigators attributed the deaths to a beef wellington lunch prepared by Patterson that was laced with death cap mushrooms.

Nearly two years later, Patterson was found guilty of three counts of murder and the attempted murder of the lone survivor, per CNN. The jury deliberated for six days following a trial that lasted 10 weeks. Patterson's lawyer argued that these deaths were a "terrible accident," but the jury simply didn't buy it.

Why did she do it? Here's what we know.

According to NBC News, Patterson continues to maintain her innocence. While we may never know her motive, there are clues that could point to why she murdered three people. In 2004, Patterson met her now ex-husband, Simon Patterson, reports the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"He was friends with people I had become friends with, so we would come up against each other at lunch or after work drinks, that sort of thing," Patterson said in court.

The couple married three years later. Although Patterson's parents were not at the wedding, she was still included in an inheritance her father received when his mother passed away in 2006.

Ora Scutter's estate was divided up between her two sons and one grandson. Patterson's share of the estate was $2 million, which she would receive across an eight-year period beginning in 2007.

In 2011 and 2019, Patterson's father and mother died, respectively. Another inheritance brought more money.

Following the traumatic birth of her son, Patterson grew close to Simon's parents: Gail and Don Patterson. After the birth of their second child, Patterson and Simon moved to be closer to his parents.

This is also when Patterson started closely following true crime stories. She and Simon drifted apart before finally divorcing in 2015. Things were amicable until Simon made a mistake in 2022.

Patterson and her ex-husband shared custody of their two children. They even went on holiday together. Unfortunately, things took a turn in 2022 when Simon listed himself as single on his tax returns.

Patterson was still claiming child support through the federal government, but Simon's update resulted in the federal government demanding that he stop paying for school fees and medical bills. Although Simon said it was a mistake, Patterson was furious.

Following this snafu, Patterson stopped attending family events. In online messages shown in court, Patterson called her ex-husband a "deadbeat" that she was "forced to claim." She also said Simon's family was a "lost cause," adding that she wanted "nothing to do with them."

The victims were all relatives of Simon's. Patterson killed his parents along with his maternal aunt. Simon's maternal uncle lived. It should be noted that Simon was invited to the ill-fated dinner, but he declined.