When Almost Every Treatment Failed: Medical Reality of the Mushroom Poisonings

The Mushroom Murder Trial | Erin Patterson Podcast

In this extra episode, we go through testimony at Erin Patterson’s murder trial. Professor Stephen Warillo from The Austin Hospital in Melbourne reveals the devastating details of how three victims died from organ failure despite maximum medical intervention after allegedly consuming death cap mushrooms. The Erin Patterson murder trial hears how Donald and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson died while Ian Wilkinson narrowly escaped death following the suspected mushroom poisoning at a family lunch.
• Donald Patterson suffered "severe liver injury and severe liver failure" before receiving a liver transplant that ultimately failed
• Heather Wilkinson was deemed too unwell for a transplant as her condition was "not survivable"
• Ian Wilkinson, the sole survivor, received a liver transplant and slowly recovered despite doctors believing he would die
• Gail Patterson experienced advanced organ failure with her liver "essentially not working at all"
• Medical teams attempted extraordinary measures including plasma exchange and vitamin C treatments
• All three victims experienced multiple organ failure described as "refractory" to treatment
Thanks for listening. For more information, visit my website. Make sure you subscribe to my newsletter on www.mushroommurdertrial.com , it's jam-packed with news about the trial. Plus I'm on Instagram at Erin underscore pod. You can find me on Facebook. Just search the podcast, the mushroom Murder Trial podcast. I also will put links in the show notes to those social media accounts.

And if you were feeling like rewarding me for the thousands of hours I’ve spent on this work, I have a buy me a coffee membership which allows you to pay $5 as a thanks and I get a coffee. This goes towards the editing, studio hire, liability insurance, equipment, sound and voiceovers. Plus there’s exclusive membership material on the site, just for you.

Support the show

Instagram @Erin_Podcast
Twitter @lisapodcasts
Mushroom Murder Trial Website Facebook page

Chapters

1. The shocking court testimony (00:00:00)

2. Introduction to the trial case (00:00:26)

3. Donald Patterson's medical battle (00:01:40)

4. Heather and Ian Wilkinson's outcomes (00:05:31)

5. Gail Patterson's decline (00:08:29)

6. Episode closing and information (00:10:15)