MELBOURNE – An Australian woman who murdered three people with toxic mushrooms was sentenced on Monday to life in prison with parole after 33 years, capping a trial that sparked a global media frenzy.
Patterson, 50, was convicted in July of triple murder for serving a poisonous meal to her estranged husband’s parents, aunt and uncle during a sumptuous beef Wellington lunch at her home in 2023.
Her trial drew podcasters, film crews and true crime fans to a courthouse in the rural town of Morwell, a sedate hamlet in Victoria better known for its prize-winning roses.
Audiences from New York to New Delhi followed every twist of what many now simply call the “mushroom murders.”
The motive of the murders remains a mystery.
Patterson was sentenced on Monday morning in Melbourne, where Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale said she had inflicted “trauma” on her victims and their families. AFP
“Your failure to exhibit any remorse pours salt into all the victims’ wounds,” he said.
“The gravity of your offending warrants the imposition of the maximum penalties for your crimes,” he said.
Beale sentenced Patterson to life in prison but said she would be eligible for parole after 33 years, when she will be 83 years old.
Patterson showed little emotion during her sentencing and closed her eyes for parts of it, national broadcaster ABC said.
She also glared at reporters inside the courtroom when Beale said she would remain a notorious prisoner due to the intense media coverage of the case. AFP
