The Case Of

You asked, we answered. As the trial of Erin Patterson wrapped up, you made it clear we should keep making this podcast. So we decided we will, and from this weekend it will become The Case Of. We're keeping this window into the justice system open, using this feed to continue being your eyes and ears in the courtroom for high-profile Australian trials. around the country. Listen to this short dro...

The Mushroom Case Daily mailbag has been overflowing so we are diving back in to answer some of your questions. In this episode Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell explain how the sentencing of Erin Patterson will work, if the verdict can be appealed and reveal the composer of our now-iconic theme music — a question so many of you have asked! If you've got questions about the case that you'd like...

Never foraged. Don't own a dehydrator. Bought them at an Asian Grocer. These are just a few of the lies Erin Patterson spun to try to cover herself, once it became clear she was a suspect in a homicide investigation. In the final chapter of The Case of the Mushroom Lunch, Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell examine all the ways Erin Patterson tried to convince police, her family, and the public th...

Don and Gail Patterson and Heather and Ian Wilkinson had no idea what was ahead for them the afternoon they left Erin's house. They raved about the delicious meal she'd served and went to bed feeling well. In Chapter Four of The Case of the Mushroom Lunch, Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell describe how their paths diverged from Erin's, in a day-by-day comparison between the cook and her guests.

A dehydrator and death cap mushrooms are uncommon murder weapons. To use them in preparation for her guests' beef Wellington lunch, Erin Patterson needed to make a plan months before the day. In Chapter Three of The Case of the Mushroom Lunch, Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell wind back through each of the steps Erin Patterson is believed to have made in preparation for murdering her relatives.

Erin Patterson was convicted of triple murder with no known motive. Still, much has been made of the tensions that simmered with her estranged husband Simon Patterson, and frustrations with her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson and Heather and Ian Wilkinson. In Chapter Two of The Case of the Mushroom Lunch, Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell retrace Erin Patterson's key life events before she killed...

It started with a homemade meal and ended in a triple murder trial. This is the first chapter in our limited series, retelling the tragic and bizarre case of the mushroom lunch, and its host, Erin Patterson. In this series, Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell draw together all the twists and turns of the unbelievable story over five episodes. Chapter One returns to the day of the lunch, when four...

We will never know exactly how the jury reached its guilty verdicts, but we can tell you why we think they did. Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell are re-joined by court reporter Kristian Silva for this post-verdict analysis episode. Today, we outline the most damning evidence against Erin Patterson, the gaps and questions never dealt with in court, and we dig into our listeners' 'Legally Blonde'...

If the jury didn't hear it, we couldn't talk about it. That's why for weeks we have left certain questions unanswered, even after getting them hundreds — sometimes thousands — of times. Today Stocky and Rachael lift the lid on these topics for the first time: why manslaughter was not an optional charge, where Erin Patterson lived during the trial, whether a certain novel was found on her bookshelv...

As Erin Patterson has spent her first night in prison a convicted murderer, the prosecution's exhibits from the trial have been released to the public. In this episode Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell reveal the panicked triple-0 call from a doctor in Leongatha, and bring you reactions from the police and the community in Korumburra. If you've got questions about the case that you'd like Rachae...

After more than 10 weeks, the jury in Erin Patterson's murder trial has reached their verdict on the three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder. Rachael Brown was in the room as the verdict was handed down. She tells Stephen Stockwell how this dramatic moment unfolded, and shares a statement provided to Mushroom Case Daily from Erin Patterson's close friend and supporter. If you've...

When we landed in Morwell 10 weeks ago to make this podcast, we had no idea what was ahead — both inside the courtroom and outside. Turns out a lot of you are curious about the experience of making this podcast, why we are so emotionally invested, and our observations of the community we've been embedded in. In this episode, Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell give listeners a peek into their live...

In a closed room in the Latrobe Valley Law Courts, 12 people are deciding if Erin Patterson is guilty or not guilty of murder and attempted murder.  In this episode Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell answer your questions about the jury; how much they’re paid, the way they’ll approach deliberations, what support is available and how we’ll be told they have reached a verdict.    If you’ve got ques...

After nine weeks, the jury has retired to consider its verdict: whether Erin Patterson is guilty or not guilty of murder and attempted murder. In this episode Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell talk through the final instructions given to the jury, explain how they'll return their verdict and what happens while we wait. If you've got questions about the case that you'd like Rachael and Stocky to...

As the jury departed for their last weekend at home before deliberations, Justice Christopher Beale gave specific instructions on how they should consider the lies Erin Patterson has told. In our Friday Wrap, Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell explain Justice Christopher Beale's directions to the jury — highlighting specific lies and alleged incriminating conduct — explain the next steps and answ...

As his charge to the jury ran through its third day, Justice Christopher Beale told the jury to specifically rule out one of the prosecution's arguments, relating to the leftovers she fed her children In this episode, Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell talk through the points Justice Beale highlighted as he ran through a list of alleged incriminating conduct following the lunch in July 2023 and a...

The jury in Erin Patterson's triple murder trial was reminded of her behaviour after the lunch: what the prosecution alleges is incriminating conduct and the defence says was panic. In today's episode, Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell explain why Justice Beale said the jury — not the experts — decide what the facts are, and they reflect on how the behind-the-scenes legal arguments are still hap...

Today Justice Christopher Beale instructed the jury on how to decide whether Erin Patterson is guilty or not guilty.  He laid out the principles of law, summarised the key evidence, and even provided the jurors with what's sure to be a very helpful chronology of all the evidence they've heard. The Judge also explained what to make of Erin Patterson taking the stand, how to assess evidence from her...

The sides in Erin Patterson's triple murder trial delivered their closing addresses this week, with one calling the lunch a sinister deception and the other a friendly family gathering. In this episode, Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell talk through the key arguments from each side, share some reflections on the week and explain the next stages. If you've got questions about the case that you'd...

In a final bid to the jury, Erin Patterson's defence barrister argued his client gave honest evidence and did not try to charm or persuade. Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell talk through Colin Mandy SC's key points as he wrapped up his closing address, and why he claims the jury should find Erin Patterson not guilty. If you've got questions about the case that you'd like Rachael and Stocky to an...

Erin Patterson's defence team has told the jury not to confuse Erin Patterson's lies with the question of whether she is guilty of murder. In the second day of Colin Mandy SC's closing address, he offered explanations for why Erin started to feel sick earlier than her lunch guests, and warned the jury not to use "hindsight reasoning" against Erin. If you've got questions about the case that you'd...

Prosecutor Dr Nannette Rogers SC finished her closing address, telling the jury there was a final alleged deception by Erin Patterson: how she allegedly deceived the jury from the witness box.  The defence then stepped up, with Colin Mandy SC presenting a type of anti-motive and arguing that Erin Patterson had plenty of reasons to not kill her lunch guests.   If you’ve got questions about the case...

The prosecution has begun its closing address to the jury, outlining four key deceptions it says underpin Erin Patterson's guilt. Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell recap these four alleged deceptions, and how the prosecution attacked Erin's evidence in the witness box, saying she made a "ridiculous and obvious lie". If you've got questions about the case that you'd like Rachael and Stocky to ans...

After eight days and hundreds of questions Erin Patterson has left the witness box, taking the jury a step closer to their deliberations In today's episode Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell talk through the big moments of Erin's testimony, their reflections at the end of the evidence and share a surprising moment from the Latrobe Valley Law Courts. If you've got questions about the case that you...

The defence rested its case today after arguing a final point about the Enrich clinic where Erin Patterson claimed she was pursuing weight loss surgery in 2023. In today's episode Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell take you through the last of the prosecution's challenges and the defence's clarifications, before the jury was given an early mark. If you've got questions about the case that you'd l...