Mushroom deaths: Korumburra locals attend Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church to remember three dead in Leongatha poisoning
Grieving members of the community have gathered at a small town’s Catholic church to remember their three friends who died during a deadly mushroom lunch.
Erin Patterson, 48, invited her former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian to dinner at her home in Leongatha on July 29.
Mr. and Mrs. Patterson and Mrs. Wilkinson all died after eating Erin’s beef wellington, believed to contain deadly poisonous mushrooms.
Mr. Wilkinson, a Baptist minister, remains in critical condition.
The Catholic Church of Saint Joseph in Korumburra, where the four guests lived, opened its doors to the non-Catholic community on Saturday for “a day of prayer, reflection and solidarity.”
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Korumburra opened to the community on Saturday (pictured, locals attend church with flowers)
St Joseph’s Catholic Church announced Saturday as a ‘day of prayer, reflection and solidarity’ (pictured, people entering the church)
Heather and Ian Wilkinson (above) attended Erin Patterson’s fatal beef wellington luncheon on July 29 – Heather died of suspected mushroom poisoning while Ian is in critical condition
Parishioner Ken Loughnan told reporters the open day will be an opportunity for the small town to come together.
“This is a tight-knit community, but small towns are like that all over Australia, where everyone shops in the same supermarket and whatever, so people get to know each other really well,” he said.
“When a tragedy happens in a small community, it really hurts and has been a difficult time for people over the past three weeks.
“So we have taken the opportunity to open the doors of our church here today, not just to the Catholics, but to the whole community, because after all, we are all the people of God.
“It’s a great opportunity to come together… it’s part of the future, I think of Korumburra, that we can rebuild the community.”
Mr Loughnan described the day as an opportunity for all parts of the Christian and non-religious community to unite.
Parishioner Ken Loughnan (above) told reporters the open house is a chance for the small town to come together
The church hoped the day would be an opportunity for all parts of the Christian and non-religious community to unite after the deaths of three community members (pictured, people at the service)
Don and Gail Patterson (above) died after eating lunch at their former daughter-in-law Erin Patterson’s home
When entering St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Saturday, visitors were given a flyer (above)
“These people were obviously very involved with another church in town“Especially it has to really touch these parts of the community,” he said.
“The community has been hurting for the past three weeks and there is a lot of grief in this community, that is what today is about.
“It is normal for people in a small community to rely on each otherand this is an important part of the healing process today that we value very much.”
Upon entering the church, visitors were handed a flyer that read: ‘Today is a day of prayer, reflection and togetherness.
“Against the backdrop of much grief within the local community over the past few weeks, today we invite all the people of Korumburra and surrounding districts to come together as God’s children for individual prayer and reflection.
“We remember with love those who have passed away and we pray in particular for Pastor Ian Wilkinson and for all those affected by this tragedy.”
Daily Mail Australia reported on Wednesday that Ms Patterson was an ‘experienced forager’ who – like many families in the area – picked mushrooms when they were in season.
All members of the Korumburra community were invited to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Saturday (pictured, a service attendee)
The special service was open to members of several churches in the small town (pictured, two men at the service)
It is believed that Mrs. Patterson’s deadly meal contained deadly mushrooms.
Investigating police have said Ms Patterson is a person of interest in the three deaths.
She has denied any wrongdoing and Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting she deliberately poisoned her four family members.
Her ex-husband Simon Patterson was initially invited to lunch, but backed out at the last minute.
Mr Patterson himself spent 21 days in intensive care after collapsing at his home in May 2022 from a mysterious stomach ailment.
During his hospital stay, Ms. Patterson updated his concerned friends on social media about his condition.
Ms Patterson confirmed this week that she had dumped a lawyer she initially engaged after police declared her a ‘person of interest’ in the death of her in-laws.
The 48-year-old told the ABC she voluntarily gave a statement to police after realizing she had made a “serious mistake” by leaving an interview without comment to investigators on the advice of her lawyer, who promptly dumped her.
Ms Patterson is now represented by a prominent Melbourne criminal lawyer.
On Thursday, Victoria Deputy Police Commissioner Wendy Steendam told ABC radio that Ms Patterson’s lengthy written account may have hindered the investigation.
Investigating police have declared Ms Patterson (above) to be a person of interest in the three deaths, she denies any wrongdoing
“What I would say is that anything that gets into the media… working on an investigation through the media doesn’t help our investigation,” Ms. Steendam said.
“The matter must be heard by us, looked at (by) us, and thoroughly determined by us what actually happened, and using the evidence we have to establish and understand exactly what happened and or we can explain the cause of the deaths.’
The police have hardly commented on the ongoing investigation, which according to Ms. Steendam is ‘lengthy’.
“I don’t think it’s helpful to comment further on this research,” she said.
“It is an active matter and if we have more to say publicly, we will. But I think it is useless to speculate or talk at length about the aspects of the investigation.’