Residents of a small rural town at the center of a suspected luncheon mushroom poisoning that left three people dead have expressed their anger over a nasty rumor.
The town of Korumburra, population 5,000, in South Gippsland, Victoria, came into the spotlight after three people died from eating beef Wellington allegedly laced with death mushrooms in July 2023.
Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, died just days after eating food allegedly prepared by Patterson’s former daughter-in-law, Erin Patterson, at her home in Leongatha.
Heather’s husband, Baptist church pastor Ian Wilkinson, 68, narrowly avoided the same fate, while Patterson’s husband, Simon, walked out of the lunch.
Patterson was charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder, four of which stem from previous incidents with her husband in November.
The case sparked a media frenzy, with many residents claiming rumors were “accelerating” and portraying them as “cult-like” religious fanatics.
Residents of the small town at the center of an alleged poison mushroom lunch, Korumburra (pictured), have criticized damaging rumors surrounding the case.
Several Korumburra residents attended a private funeral for Don, Gail and Heather at the Baptist church, where Wilkinson was pastor, shortly after the deaths.
The Catholic beliefs of both couples along with images of residents mourning them spread around the world, generating rumors that the city was deeply religious.
Former South Gippsland Shire mayor Nathan Hersey said narratives surrounding the town implied residents were “an overly religious, cult-like people”.
“But it’s just a normal country town, full of wonderful people in a very picturesque and beautiful location,” Hersey told The Mushroom Cook podcast.
The former mayor was responding to an “onslaught” of media requests submitted to the council from Australian and international media outlets, including The New York Times and BBC.
He said he was in front of the media up to three times a day when the story was most read.
One local, who asked to remain anonymous, said the public was “quick to judge” the town and its residents after the incident.
“Many assumptions were made about us farmers shortly after the deaths,” he told Herald of the sun.
“I think there was a perception that we picked our food off the ground and were very religious, but that’s not the case.”
The resident said the religious beliefs of some were not a reflection of the community at large, adding that “we are normal people with normal lives.”
Erin Patterson (pictured) has been charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder over the incident which sparked an international media circus.
Residents said the investigation and media attention led to rumors that the city was filled with “cult-like” religious fanatics (pictured, police at the scene)
Patterson is currently awaiting trial for the alleged incident and is being held on remand at Victoria’s Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, a maximum security prison with a capacity for 600 women.
Victoria Police spent 20 weeks preparing a brief of evidence against Patterson.
A large portion of the investigation focused on Patterson’s home and used a specialized canine unit to detect electronic devices.
The prosecution will rely on photographs and witness statements made by police as evidence of Patterson’s alleged crimes.
The accused mushroom chef is due to appear at Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court via video link for a committal hearing on May 3.
Pastor Ian Wilkinson was the only one to survive the lunch, which claimed the life of his wife Heather Wilkinson, 66. He spent almost two months in the hospital (the two appear together in the photo).
Gail Patterson and her brother-in-law Don Patterson, both in their 70s, died after lunch.