The woman at the center of a suspected mushroom poisoning case that killed three people in Australia claims she bought the ingredients from two separate stores, according to a statement she gave to police cited by public broadcaster ABC.
Among the four relatives who came for lunch, three of them died with symptoms of “death cap” mushroom poisoning, police said during a press briefing last week.
But Patterson claims she bought dried mushrooms from an Asian grocer in Melbourne months ago and button mushrooms from a supermarket chain more recently.
She said both sets of mushrooms were used in a beef wellington that she cooked and served in the family lunch, ABC reported citing Patterson’s statement.
“I am now devastated to think that these mushrooms may have contributed to the illness suffered by my loved ones.
The following evening she served leftovers but scraped the mushrooms off for the children because they do not like them.
Police said they searched Patterson’s home on Saturday and seized a number of objects for forensic testing. »
