About two Saturdays ago, a group of five people gathered for a family meal in a small Australian town. After a week, three of them died, the fourth is critically ill and the fifth is under investigation for potentially poisoning her guests with wild mushrooms, according to a BBC report.
However, the 48-year-old woman says that she has no clue about what happened, emphasized her love for her family and denied any intention to hurt them. The case is being investigated by homicide detectives.
The police interviewed the woman named Erin Patterson, who cooked the meal at her home on July 29 but didn't become ill herself. Police released her without filing any charges but say she remains a suspect, according to CBS News.
The case has captured national attention and has left the police puzzled.
According to the media outlet, the unusual tale began when Gail and Don Patterson stopped for lunch at their daughter-in-law Erin Patterson's home in Leongatha- a two-hour drive southeast of Melbourne. Wilkinsons and Heather, Gail's sister also joined in.
Soon after lunch, all four guests were rushed to the hospital with what they first believed was severe gastro. They were then transferred to a hospital in Melbourne to receive the best medical care but that did not help.
Heather, 66, and Gail, 70, died on Friday, and Don, 70, on Saturday, reported BBC, Ian, 68, remains in critical condition in hospital, awaiting a liver transplant.
According to a news release, the Victoria Police Homicide Squad said that four people were hospitalized after eating a meal at a private home in Leongatha, a city in southeast Australia, on July 29. At the time, police said that two women, ages 66 and 70, and one man, 70, died following the incident. The fourth person, a 68-year-old man, is still hospitalized.
During a Monday press conference, Inspector Dean Thomas said that two children were also present for the luncheon, but were not sickened, according to 9 News Australia. The inspector added that police believe the children were served a different meal than the dead.
The inspector informed that the children were "temporarily" removed from the home as a precaution.
"At this point in time, the deaths are unexplained," Mr Thomas said.
