Erin Patterson’s Mushroom Murdering Community

The winters in the Gippsland region of Victoria are known for their coldness. Frost is a regular overnight visitor and often cloudy days.

But in the small town of Korumburra – part of Australia, surrounded by low, rolling hills – it’s not only the weather is frustrating. The mood here is obviously gentle.

Korumburra is where all Erin Patterson victims are located. Don and Gail Patterson are her in-laws and have lived there since 1984. They raised four children in a town of 5,000. Gale’s sister Heather Wilkinson lives nearby – her husband Ian is pastor at the local Baptist church.

On July 29, 2023, the four were invited to Irene’s home, after a liver transplant, after a few weeks of inducing coma, only Ian could survive.

On Monday, the jury rejected Erin’s claim, who accidentally provided a toxic mushroom to the guests and found she was guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.

Her 10-week trial has caused a huge sensation around the world, but in Korumburra, they don’t want to talk about it. They just want to return to life after two tough two years.

“It’s not easy to go through a sad process…it’s especially not easy when you get so much attention,” the councillor of the cattle farmer and Shire Nathan Hersey told the BBC.

“There are a lot of people who have the opportunity to close down now.”

The locals are very loyal – he is one of the few willing to explain what this suffering means to many in the area.

“It’s something you can take it very quickly and make you feel like you’re part of it,” he explained.

Those who died explicitly helped establish this environment.

Former school teacher Don Patterson taught nearly everyone in the town’s generation: “You hear a lot of people saying Don, talking about his impact on them.

“He is a great teacher and a really attractive person.”

Mr. Hulsey said he heard many stories about Heather and Gale’s generosity and kindness.

Fixed on the attention board at Korumburra Baptist Church is a brief statement to the three who are “very special people who love God and love to bless others”.

It reads: “Whether we are friends for a short time or over 20 years, we are very careful with Heather, Don and Gale.”

However, it was not only Korumburra who was changed by tragedy.

This part of rural Victoria is dotted with small towns and villages that may initially appear isolated.

The reality is that they are connected through close contact-the bond quarrels.

Nearby Outtrim, residents of Neilson Street are the unopened gravel road hosts of a handful of houses – prosecuted rates rolled up, claiming that their garden may have produced murder weapons.

This is one of two locations, and the Death Cap Mushroom was seen on the citizen science website Inaturalist. Prosecutors pointed to cell phone tracking data, claiming that Erin Patterson was foraging for deadly fungi.

“Everyone knows someone is affected by the case,” Ian Thoms told the BBC from a small farm on Nielson Street.

He was shocked by the list. His son is a police detective. His wife works with the daughter of only survivor Ian. His neighbor is a good friend, and Funky Tom is a famous mushroom expert called by prosecutors – coincidentally, he is also the one who posted fungi here.

Leongatha walked for another 15 minutes, Erin Patterson’s house sat on other sprawling properties in an unpaved driveway.

She bought a piece of land from her mother and generously inherited a piece of land from her mother, assuming she would live here forever and build a house.

It has been empty for about 18 months, and a sign on the gate tells the intruder to keep it far away. The neighbor’s sheep cut grass intermittently.

This week, the livestock disappeared, and black tarpaulins were erected around the carport and the entrance to her house.

There is a conspiracy among some neighbors, but there is also a lot of fatigue. Every day, gawkers drive along the lane to see where that tragic meal is. One neighbor even thought she saw a tour bus crossing the house.

“You know the name is interesting when you live in a local town,” said Emma Buckland, who stopped to talk to us on the street.

“It’s weird,” said her mother, Gabrielle Stefani. “Nothing like this has ever happened, so it’s almost hard to believe.”

The conversation turned to mushroom foraging.

“We grew up on the farm. Even on the front lawn, there are always mushrooms, you know what you can and can’t eat,” Ms. Buckland said. “This is what you know when you grow up.”

However, the town that has felt the most impact in recent months is Morwell. The administrative capital of Latrobe City and the place of trial.

“We’ve seen Morwell is usually a sleepy town,” said local journalist Liam Durkin.

He edited the weekly Latrobe Valley Express newspaper, whose office is near.

“I never thought I would listen to fungus experts waiting for weeks, but we’re here,” he said.

“I don’t think there’s ever been anything like this, and they probably won’t be in Mowell again.”

Morwell, while not meeting Australian standards, is still a two-hour drive from Melbourne, the country’s second largest city. It feels far from the Victorian capital and is often forgotten.

Months before the Lunch of Destiny, which was offered by Erin Patterson in July 2023, Australia’s last white paper maker, Morwell’s Paper Mill, and many locally-employed providers were closed. Before that, when nearby power stations were closed, more people were out of work.

The elderly here have been trying to find a job. Others are looking for more profitable options in states such as Queensland.

So, locals say the push to be the spotlight now is a bit strange.

Laura Heller explained in Jay Dees’ coffee shop across from the police station and the court that she usually produces about 150 cups of coffee a day. Recently, this is almost twice as high.

“There are a lot of different feelings about[the trial],” she said.

She explained that many businesses have grown significantly, but the case also restored the long-term sector of the community in terms of the police and the justice system.

“This town is greatly affected by crime, but it’s a very different type of crime,” Ms. Heller said.

“Half of the community doesn’t have much confidence in the police force and our district judges.”

Back in Korumburra, they were shocked by their belief in humanity. It feels like many people around the world haven’t seen the fact that this headline new meme crime kills three people.

“Living in our local community has changed forever,” Mr. Hulsey said.

“But I would say for a lot of people that it’s almost like pop culture.”

He said that while the past two years sometimes bring the worst in the community, it also illuminates the best.

“We want to be called a strong and supportive community … not a place known for what we now know is murder.”

Other reports by Tiffanie Turnbull