Victoria state Court of Appeal dismissed Erin Patterson’s appeal against her murder convictions
Victoria's Court of Appeal dismissed convicted murderer Erin Patterson's appeal against her convictions and upheld prosecutors' challenge to her 33-year non-parole period, meaning she will spend the rest of her life in prison. Convicted in 2025 of murdering three of her estranged husband's relatives and attempting to murder a fourth, she may apply to Australia's High Court.
More context
An Australian appeals court on Friday dismissed triple-murderer Erin Patterson’s appeal against her convictions and ordered her to serve life without parole. The three-judge Victoria state Court of Appeal upheld prosecutors’ challenge to the period set by the trial judge. Patterson was convicted in 2025 of murdering three of her estranged husband’s relatives with death cap mushrooms and attempting to murder a fourth. She had been sentenced to three life terms for murder and 25 years for attempted murder. Her lawyers raised seven grounds, but the court granted leave to appeal on two, concerning jury accommodation and evidence. It ruled phone-tower evidence admissible; the evidence was used to suggest she had traveled to areas where death cap mushrooms had been sighted. She can apply to Australia’s High Court, her last appeal option.
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Reporting
- New York Post — Australian mushroom killer Erin Patterson to spend the rest of her life in prison after losing appeal
- Reuters — Australian mushroom murderer Erin Patterson loses appeal bid
- theconversation.com — Mushroom murderer Erin Patterson has lost her appeal and received a harsher sentence. Legal experts explain why
Verifier’s note
The Conversation, the New York Post, and Reuters all report that Erin Patterson lost her appeal over the convictions; the reports are dated October 30 and do not contradict the claim. The New York Post also reports the removal of her non-parole period, making the sentence harsher.