Deep in a picturesque cemetery outside her hometown, the graves of Erin Patterson’s alleged victims remain unmarked more than a year after their deaths.
On Wednesday, Patterson will appear in the Victorian Supreme Court for the first of a series of preliminary hearings to pave the way for his eventual jury trial next year.
The 49-year-old faces three counts of murder over the deaths of her father-in-law Don Patterson, mother-in-law Gail Patterson and relative Heather Wilkinson, who attended a luncheon at her home in July last year.
She is also charged with the attempted murder of her ex-husband Simon Patterson, who was invited to the same lunch but did not attend, and two other alleged attempts in 2022 and another in 2021.
Patterson is also charged with the attempted murder of pastor Ian Wilkinson, who attended the lunch but survived after fighting for his life in hospital.
The final resting places of his alleged victims are located towards the back of the cemetery, amongst its lush gardens, a stone’s throw from a cow pasture.
While the bodies of Patterson’s in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, were buried a month after their deaths, Mrs. Wilkinson was not buried until October.
It is unknown why headstones have not yet been placed for the three, more than a year after their tragic deaths.
The lonely burial sites of Don and Gail Patterson (top left) and Heather Wilkinson (bottom center) on Monday
Erin Patterson is accused of murdering her in-laws during a deadly lunch in July 2023
Five weeks before Ms Wilkinson’s funeral, a memorial service was held for the Pattersons, attended by hundreds of people, at Korumburra Recreation Centre.
A similar crowd attended Ms Wilkinson’s funeral on October 4, where she was seen for the first time since the alleged attack on her life.
Simon Patterson
Mr Wilkinson attended his wife’s funeral with the aid of a walker just weeks after being discharged from hospital.
Although he did not address the meeting at the time, he will be forced to testify if he is called to the witness stand at Patterson’s upcoming trial.
On Monday, neither Mr. Patterson nor Mr. Wilkinson would comment on their scheduled appearances at upcoming pretrial hearings.
Warning signs posted on the gates of their respective homes in Korumburra, 120 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, threaten media representatives with prosecution for trespassing if they try to approach the properties.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges and will appear in court on Wednesday via video link.
The mother-of-two was living on a property nestled amongst bush and lush green fields in Leongatha, a short drive from Korumburra, at the time of the alleged murders.
On Monday, a warning sign on her front door remained taped to her electronic gate.
Erin Patterson’s once prestigious home in Leongatha now appears to be overgrown with vegetation.
A legal notice remains attached by a cable to Erin Patterson’s front door.
Patterson’s alleged victims are buried in unmarked graves at Korumburra Cemetery
While Patterson is understood to still own the property, she no longer lives there and it appears to be vacant, abandoned and overgrown.with long grass surrounding the property.
It was the same house where police accused Patterson of murdering his alleged victims with a Wellington steak laced with poisonous mushrooms.
The first of Patterson’s pretrial hearings is expected to conclude Monday, with more hearings planned for later this year ahead of next year’s trial.
But details of evidence from the hearings will be kept secret from the public to ensure potential jurors do not hear information that will not be revealed at trial.
Don and Gail Patterson were allegedly murdered by Erin Patterson.
Heather and Ian Wilkinson. Mr Wilkinson survived the deadly lunch that claimed his wife’s life.
The graves of Patterson’s alleged victims remain unmarked more than a year after their deaths
Korumburra General Cemetery is nestled amongst rolling green hills.
The case attracted global attention when news broke in late July last year, drawing journalists from around the world.
When the trial proper begins next year, the world’s press will have full access to the proceedings, and documentary teams based in the United States are expected to be among the many media outlets.
Patterson has always denied wrongdoing and broke down in tears when he broke his silence before his arrest last year.
“The loss to the community, to the families and to my own children who lost their grandmother… I just can’t imagine what’s happened,” she said at the time.
“I’m so sorry they lost their lives. I can’t believe it.”