Woman convicted of mushroom poison murders in Australia ordered to never be released from prison

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1. 2h ago

   Mushroom Murderer Erin Patterson Ordered to Die in Prison

   Australian triple-murderer Erin Patterson has lost her appeal and received a harsher sentence, with an appeals court ruling she will spend the rest of her life in prison without the possibility of parole. Judges in Victoria dismissed her attempt to overturn her convictions and found her initial sentence too light due to the shocking criminality involved. Patterson poisoned four of her estranged husband's relatives with death cap mushrooms served in a beef wellington, killing three people. She now ranks as only the second woman in Australia to be imprisoned for life without parole.

   Why it matters

   The case drew intense global attention following the fatal poisoning of Patterson's relatives during a meal in Australia. Patterson attempted to challenge her convictions in an appeals court bid that ultimately backfired when judges deemed her original punishment insufficient. The ruling places her among a very select group of criminals in Australia facing a permanent term behind bars with no chance of release.

   What is confirmed

   • Erin Patterson lost her appeal to overturn her convictions and received a harsher sentence.
   • Judges in Victoria dismissed Patterson's appeal and found her original sentence too light.
   • Patterson was ordered to never be released from prison without the possibility of parole.
   • Patterson murdered three people by serving a beef wellington laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms to her estranged husband's relatives.
   • Erin Patterson is only the second woman in Australia to be imprisoned for life without the possibility of parole.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Erin Patterson may make a final bid for freedom through a high court appeal.

   What to watch next

   • Any potential filings for a high court appeal by Erin Patterson's legal team.
   Sources used for this update (18)

   1. BBC — Australian mushroom murderer loses appeal to overturn convictions and gets harsher sentence
   2. CNN — Mushroom killer to be jailed for life after appeals court finds sentence too light
   3. Reuters — Australian mushroom murderer Erin Patterson loses appeal bid
   4. ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation — Mushroom killer Erin Patterson loses appeal, has harsher sentence imposed — as it happened
   5. NBC News — Australian court orders Erin Patterson never to be released from prison for mushroom poisonings
   6. The Guardian — Erin Patterson began the day with hope. Now Australia’s mushroom murderer knows she’s likely to die in jail
   7. BBC — Australian mushroom murderer Erin Patterson loses appeal to overturn convictions
   8. CBS News — Woman convicted of mushroom poison murders in Australia ordered to never be released from prison
   9. Yahoo — Erin Patterson’s Mushroom Murder Case Takes Devastating Final Turn
   10. ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation — Erin Patterson one of few Australians sentenced to die in prison
   11. The Guardian — Will mushroom murderer Erin Patterson make a final bid for freedom and what are the prospects of a high court appeal?
   12. Yahoo — Erin Patterson’s Mushroom Murder Appeal Just Made Her Sentence Worse
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