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Bailey Sarian (1:05)

Hi friends. How are you today? My name is Bailey Sarian and today is Monday, which means it's Murder Mystery and Makeup Monday. If you're new here. Hi, my name is Bailey Sarian and on Mondays I like to sit down and talk about a true crime story that's been heavy on my noggin. And I do my makeup at the same time. Just kind of get ready for my day, you know. Now listen, okay. The other day I was filming a Dark history episode and I had brought up this story about a woman who like, poisoned a bunch of people with mushrooms. And for some reason I had this light bulb moment of why haven't I talked about this? So listen, that's what we're talking about today. Let's get into it. I kind of jumped the gun on that one. But I was excited. I'm not excited. But it was just different. Okay, it's different. Today's story is different. Today's story takes place in a quiet Victorian town of Leangotha, Australia. How'd I do? Australia. This one's for you. Yeah. So we're going to Australia today. So if I pronounce some things wrong, please try my best. So, Leongatha. So one woman, she became, oh my gosh, the center of a story like straight out of a true crime novel. Aaron Patterson. She was known, like, as a quiet private local until a single lunch party changed everything. It sure did. Because at that table sat family faith and a homemade beef Wellington. And by the end of the night, Three guests were dead. And then Aaron's name was all over headlines all around the world. I know, I was like, what in the clue is this? Now it got everyone talking. Was this a tragic accident involving deadly mushrooms? Or was it the perfect recipe for murder? Who is Erin? Because at the center of today's story is a woman named Erin Patterson. She was born erin Scudder on September 30, 1974. And you know, looking into her background, she was born into like a very smart family. Her mother, her name is Heather Scudder, she was a lecturer at Monash University and she was like, considered the children's literature expert. She wrote books, journal articles, she did interviews with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and she did well for herself. Her most famous work was a book called Displaced Fictions, Contemporary Australian Books for Teenagers and Young Adults. And I was like, what is this? Is this like Teenage Soup? Was it Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul kind of thing? No, not really. Actually, the book she wrote was like the critique of young adult literature in Australia from like the 20th century. And it examined different authors, it urged readers to question social norms, and it encouraged teenagers and even adults to read more critically. Now, for some reason, this book seemed to ruffle a lot of feathers. I haven't read it, so I apologize. Maybe it, I don't know. But people said that Heather Scudder, like, she came off overly harsh and she kind of came across as like full of herself. Now later on, Aaron would actually point to her mother's overbearing nature as part of her defense. Just saying. Now, Aaron's dad, his name was Eitan, he was more of like the business guy. He would like work director roles for companies in like, South Australia, New South Wales. Business guy. Aaron also had a sister named Kanewen who came to work as a scientist and in the Department of Earth Sciences. So what I'm getting at is that the family was very smart achievers. Erin, she grew up in Glen Waverly, which is like, I guess it's a middle class suburb of Melbourne. Melbourne, now that word is tricky because it looks like Melbourne. And I know I'll get, I'll get roasted if I say Melbourne. So. Melbourne. Yeah. So friends that grew up with Erin said that she was smart and she was witty, but underneath all of that, you know, she had some pretty intense struggles, especially with her self esteem. Erin later testified that her mom used to like weigh her every week as a kid, making sure that she wasn't gaining weight. And you know, Erin said that this kind of led her down a path of unhealthy eating habits and even her struggling with eating disorders. So at 18, she got into the University of Melbourne for science. But eventually she, like, switched over and started doing accounting. And then in her mid-20s, she pulled, like, a complete career pivot and she. She started training as an air traffic controller, which I was reading about it, and it's, like, one of the most stressful jobs and, like, one of the hardest jobs to get because of how hard it is. I know that was very vague, but I didn't. I didn't know I was educated on it. Anywho, it's not an easy job to get. Okay. Now it's like, at this point in her life when people's impressions of Erin, like, start to change. Her colleagues, they saw her as odd, abrasive, strange. She wasn't social, and she was considered, like, super blunt, sometimes even hostile. There was one person who, who knew Aaron, worked with her and said, quote, she was quite aggressive in the way she spoke to people. She wasn't necessarily always unpleasant to be around, but you tended to be wary that she could snap or say something unpleasant at the drop of a hat. End quote. Maybe, you know, someone like that. And, yeah, they're not fun to be around sometimes. Huh? Well, after three years of air traffic control, you know, she was. She decided she was done and she walked, she walked away. So then after that, Aaron started working for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or the rspca. And this is where she would meet her future husband, Simon Patterson. Simon Patterson was working as an engineer at the Monash City Council, which, from my understanding, like, was in the same building that Aaron had worked in. So, like, Simon was friends with co workers of hers, so they would oftentimes, like, cross paths at, you know, at lunch break or something. And then after work, a lot of the co workers would all go out for, like, drinks after work. So Aaron and Simon, they would hang out and connect there, you know. So over time, Simon became attracted to Aaron. He said it was her intelligence that really got him, that she could be quite funny and witty. So they were hanging out, they were doing all sorts of stuff, and they had known each other for, like, about a year. And then in 2005, they became official boyfriend and girlfriend. So they would end up dating for about three years or, like three and a half years, and then the two would end up getting married in 2007. Now, it was said that the wedding was a bit odd. Oh, yes. I was like, tell me more. Well, Erin, she didn't tell her family that she was getting married. And the reasons are really unclear in my personal opinion. This is not a fact, just my opinion. I think she didn't invite the family to the wedding because Simon's family was pretty religious and supposedly her family was not. Like her mom was known to be a pretty out there, like atheists and stuff. So I was thinking maybe that's why she didn't invite them because she didn't want to deal with that. You know what I'm saying? I could be completely wrong though. Either way, she didn't tell her family. Instead, Aaron told her family that she and Simon were on vacation in Russia and on a train, which was like a weird lie. A very weird, very weird lie. But okay, that's what she went with. I don't know. Why Russia? Why involve a train? I don't know. So I guess like Simon's cousin was the one that like walked Aaron down the aisle and it was like mainly his family that was there right before they got married in 2006. Aaron's grandmother, she had passed away and I guess Aaron's grandma was like well off. So Aaron would inherit some of the, some money from her grandma. Now it was a good amount of money and the inheritance would be paid out over like eight year, an eight year period. And that would start in 2007. So after the marriage, once the money started coming in, Aaron and Simon, they quit their jobs and they started traveling around Western Australia. I know, I was thinking like, I thought they would go to Russia and go on a train to at least make that story make sense, but they didn't. They just traveled around Western Australia. Okay, so they're kind of like going around all these places and they ended up settling down for a bit in a small rural town called Pemberton. So I'm looking up this town, Pemberton, and they're known to have some of the tallest trees on earth. Yeah, I mean it looks really pretty based on the Google images I saw. It's very naturey, very green, rural. They decided to buy a home and Aaron, she, she's like living her romcom dreams. She ends up opening a secondhand bookshop in town. And then Simon, he started working with local council. So throughout the years, with Aaron's steady inheritance coming in, the couple, they were able to purchase properties and they were able to give Simon like some of his family members, his siblings and stuff, money and help them buy their own homes and you know, just giving them out loans essentially. Then in 2009, the couple they had their first child, it was a boy. And Aaron said that the birth was like an extremely traumatic experience. So Simon's parents, they came out and like, stayed with them just to help her adjust to, like, being a new mom. So then in 2014, Erin got pregnant again, and this time with the baby girl. And her and Simon decided to move to Corumburra, where Simon's parents, Don and Gail lived so they could be closer to family. You know how it is, Karambara. I think I got it. Simon later testified, saying that Aaron had formed like a really close relationship with his parents during this period, especially his father Don, and that his parents were really active in maintaining, like a good relationship with Aaron. And, you know, from all that, it sounds like things are good, but good things don't last forever. And we're here, aren't we? There's been a few times in my life where the only thing that got me through it was therapy. And whenever I talk about it, the first thing my friends ask me is like, how'd you even find a good therapist that takes your insurance? And that's when I tell them about Rula. Rula partners with over 100 insurance plans, which means the average copay is just 15 per session. 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Visit rula.com makeup to get started. After you sign up, you'll be asked how you heard about them. Please support my show and let them know I sent you. That's rula r ula.com makeup. You deserve mental health care that works with you, not against your budget. So even though things sounded positive, I guess Aaron and Simon's relationship was not going well. It was said right after the birth of their Son. Things just got really. Things got rough. Aaron and Simon had several short term separations and then in 2015, they made the decision to split permanently with like financial agreements and everything. But technically it was not a divorce. It was said that they tried to keep things like, friendly, you know, sharing custody of the kids, going on holidays together, and trying to keep a good communication, at least for a while. Also a little side note that I didn't know where to put it in, but here it is. Aaron would spend a lot of her free time, like, lurking on true crime forums and discussion groups. I know she joined groups on Facebook where they would talk about local cases that were going on in the area. Local cases, Bailey, Yes. She was also invested in the Jeffrey Epstein case, as many are, slash still are. She even had her true crime Internet friends that she would talk with. So I hate to say it, but she's one of us, damn it. No girl. But then in 2022, there was a turning point that seemed to like, just trigger everything. It had to do with Simon and Aaron's taxes. Simon had filed his tax return listing himself as single. Now later, Simon would say that this was an accident made by his accountant. But this little mistake, it pissed Aaron off to another level, okay, because it ended up messing with her, receiving certain family tax benefits. On top of that, there were ongoing disputes and disagreements over child support payments in general. I guess Simon was advised to like, stop paying certain expenses for the kids until like, the precise amount he was required to pay was settled. Now if you have to deal with child support and all that mess, you know how like, upsetting and stressful and annoying all that can get. And so like, this was just deeply upsetting to Aaron. She's believing, you know, he's not thinking about, like, what is best for the kids. So to Aaron, he's coming off as just a deadbeat. He's trying to claim certain tax benefits he's not helping with, like, child support. She was pissed off. So what did she do? She did. She did what a lot of people these do. They go on social media and complain to anyone who will listen. So in court, they brought up Aaron's Facebook group chats that she had with some of her online friends where she would vent her frustrations about Simon and his family. And she was saying things like, these are quotes like, this family, I swear to effing God, I'm sick of this shit. I want nothing to do with them. She was criticizing her in laws for not backing her in the child support dispute, saying, quote, his mom was horrified I had claimed child support. Why isn't she horrified? Her son is such a deadbeat that I had no choice but to claim end quote. I've heard worse from people, but I mean, okay, she's mad. She is mad. So Simon and Aaron's son, in a police interview that was later played in court, described the relationship between his parents as very negative, saying, his father does a lot of things to try and hurt mom. And that was like, the one quote I could find. But it was said that, like, he, he being Simon, liked to do petty things to get under her skin. And again, like, that was really as much info as I can find. But it seemed that both parents were not being great here, you know, so there was obviously tension between the two in, like, Simon's family knew it. So it was a little surprising when one day after church, Aaron invited Simon and his family over to her place for lunch. Now, she told them that she had, like, received some bad news about her health and that she wanted to talk about it, you know, with them. Now, whatever it was, it sounded serious. So the family agreed to meet her for lunch at her place and, and talk. So Aaron invited Simon, his parents, Don and Gail, plus Simon's aunt and uncle, Heather and Ian. Heather was Gail's sister and Heather's husband, Ian, he was the pastor at the church that they all went to. Now, the day before the family lunch, Simon had texted Aaron, canceling at the last minute. He texted Aaron saying, quote, sorry, I feel too uncomfortable about coming to the lunch with you, Mom, Dad, Heather and Ian tomorrow. But I'm happy to talk about your health and implications at another time. If you'd like to discuss on the phone, just let me know. Well, this was upsetting to Aaron. She texted back, that's really disappointing. I've spent many hours this week preparing lunch for tomorrow, which has been exhausting in the light of the issues I'm facing, and spent a small fortune on beef. I filet to make beef Wellington because I want it to be a special meal as I may not be able to host a lunch like this again for some time. It's important to me that you're all there tomorrow and that I have the conversations that I need to have. I hope you'll change your mind. Your parents and Heather and Ian are coming at 12:30. I hope to see you there. Simon, he didn't respond after that. On Saturday, July 29, 2023, errands in laws, Gail and Don, plus Simon's aunt and uncle, Heather and Ian, they show up for lunch at Aaron's home. Now, because, you know, they were going to have a serious conversation. Aaron thought it'd be best if the children were not at the house. So she sent them out to, like, go see a movie. So when the family showed up, Aaron, she, you know, greeted them outside and then they all headed in inside together. Heather, she brought like a cake with her for dessert. So Erin led them into the kitchen to set it down while everyone made like a little, little small talk. Since none of them had actually, they've never been to her place before. Erin gave like, I guess, a quick little tour. She's like, here's the kitchen and the dining room and then the living room, you know, the usual here. And then they stepped outside for a moment before coming back in to eat. So when it came time to serve, Aunt Heather and Gail, Aaron's mother in law, offered to help, but Aaron kind of waved them off like, you know, no, no, I've got this. You know, go sit down. I'll be right there. So Erin served everyone their own personal beef Wellington. And with it was like a mashed potatoes and green beans on the side. Now, normally, beef Wellington is made as like one big log of beef tenderloin and slathered in mushroom paste. That's what I read. And it's wrapped in a pastry and then baked. And I realized, I don't think I've ever had beef Wellington before. I don't think I've ever eaten beef Wellington before. It sounds. It sounds okay. Yes. But Aaron decided to step it up. So normally, again, it's one big unit and you, like, cut it up. Aaron decided to make smaller individual Wellingtons for each guest. And then so they all got like their own personal pan pizza, essentially, but Wellington's, she served them all on gray plates. Her plate was served on an orangey tan plate. And like, it was noted, but, you know, maybe she just ran out of gray plates. Maybe it was nothing. But still, she was the only one at the table with a different colored plate. So they all start eating, and then finally, Erin, she drops the big news. She tells the family she has ovarian cancer. I mean, they're shocked and sad. They're sad for her. That's awful. So Erin tells them, like, she wasn't sure how to break the news to the kids, but that she was going to get treatment and she would like the family support through the process. They're supportive and understanding at the table. They prayed for her. They prayed over Aaron and prayed for just a healthy recovery. They ate Their meals, had a bit of cake, talked in the living room, and then, you know, they took off for the day. About 10 hours later, Simon's family starts getting sick one by one. Heather and Ian were the first ones to, like, really feel it. I guess both of them got up in the middle of the night, you know, and, like, we're vomiting non stop. I guess it was pretty violent. And then shortly after, Simon's parents, Don and Gail, they were in really bad shape. Same thing, very violent, you know, so sick that it's coming out of, you know, both ends. And it was so bad that they decided to go to the hospital. But no matter what the doctors gave them, they were not getting better. And they just, like, couldn't keep anything, anything down. So Don and Gail, they ended up getting transported to another hospital in hopes to, like, get them better treatment. So when Don arrived at the other hospital, his organs were failing, starting with his liver. I mean, it was so bad and it seemed to just be happening so fast. So Don was placed in an induced coma and was on life support. So when Gail arrived at the hospital, the second hospital, her organs too were starting to fail. And she also received the same treatment as Dawn. So when Simon found out about his parents, he had talked to Ian and Heather and told them that, like, they should go to the hospital asap. So Simon ends up picking them up, Ian and Heather, and he ends up driving them to the hospital. So, you know, they get there, they're being treated, but similar to dawn and Gail, like, nothing was made making them feel better. So Don and Gail are at one hospital and Heather and Ian are at a different hospital, but they are experiencing similar symptoms. And this led the two hospitals to get in contact with each other. Their goal was to, like, figure out what was going on, believing that this was some kind of poisoning. But, like, what kind? So when the family, like, first arrived, you know, doctors were able to ask questions and realized that they all had something in common. They had eaten beef Wellington. So the doctors, you know, they're comparing notes and their symptoms were in line with mushroom poisoning, specifically a very deadly mushroom called the death cap mushroom, which just sounds terrifying in itself. I guess it should sound terrifying. It kills you, so you don't want it to sound friendly. That makes sense. Bailey. Yeah, solve that mystery. Mushroom poisoning symptoms, it really depends on, like, the type of mushroom that you eat. But in this case with Gail, Dawn, Heather and Ian, everything that they were going through lined up almost perfectly with, you know, the death cap mushroom, or if you want to get Fancy. Amanita, phalloids. Mushroom poisonings. Like, it's tricky because at first you feel totally fine. Anywhere from like 6 to 12 hours, you feel fine. You're like, wow, that mushroom pasta, that was so good. But meanwhile, the toxin is already deep in your body doing the most. And then when the symptoms, they finally show up, they hit hard. Stomach cramps, violent vomiting, diarrhea, sweating. Your body's just like, going through hell. And then after all that, some people, like, actually start to feel better, which can be very confusing, right, because you're probably thinking, okay, that was just some, like, gnarly food poisoning. But nae nay, that was just the honeymoon period. What's really happening is the toxin, called amatoxin. Yes. Is now silently destroying the liver and the kidneys. Yes. So within 48 to 72 hours, the second wave hits. So it's like jaundice, confusion, internal bleeding. And without aggressive treatment, death usually follows just from total, like, organ failure. And that, my friends, is why the death cap is one of the most dangerous mushrooms in the world. Because it looks all cute and harmless, but it kills quietly. And then by the time you realize, it's too late. Usually. But over the next few days, things went from bad to worse. I mean, Heather was, she was the first to decline. And it just again, it felt like it happened so fast. Doctors said she was too sick to even qualify for like, a liver transplant. So they tried other treatments, but nothing worked. And sadly, Heather ended up passing away on August 4th. That same day, Gail, Heather's sister, her health was also collapsing. Like her sister, she was considered too unwell for like, a transplant. And just hours after Heather had passed, Gail passed away. And then Don was next. His condition kept getting worse. And by August 4th, doctors were able to perform a liver transplant on him. But sadly, like, it failed. Don ended up passing away the following night on August 5th. And then there was Ian. He was in critical shape. They put like a breathing tube in his throat. His heart was struggling and his body was just like barely holding on. But unlike the others, he started to slowly improve. And then on August 14, doctors were able to remove his breathing tube and things were just looking, looking good for him. And by September, yeah, he was in the hospital for quite some time. But by September, he was able to be moved into like a rehab center. Now, aside from Aaron, Ian Wilkinson was the only survivor of that frickin lunch, okay? Trauma. It's so sad. Like, the whole family was just taken out and like, quick too. I was reading something the other day. People are calling us the FOMO generation. Honestly, I don't get it. Maybe. But one thing we don't want to miss out on. Protecting your future. Yeah, that's where Select Quote comes in. That was a good one, huh? As a broker, Select Quote's mission is simple. To find you the right insurance policy at the best price. For over 40 years, SelectQuote has helped more than 2 million Americans understand their options and get the coverage they need. You don't have to sift through dozens of confusing options by yourself. One of Select Quote's licensed agents does all the digging for you, comparing plans from trusted top rated insurance companies to find a policy that fits your health, your lifestyle and your budget. Plus, they work for you for free. Coverage can happen fast too. Select Quote works with providers who offer same day coverage up to $2 million wor with no medical exam required. Select Quote makes life insurance simple. Even if this is your first time thinking about it and now you can have one less case of fomo. Life insurance is never cheaper than it is today. Get the right life insurance for you for less and save more than 50%@SelectQuote.com makeup save more than 50% on term life insurance and SelectQuote.com makeup today to get started. That's SelectQuote.com makeup so Simon, obviously devastated. He lost his freaking family. On August 31, he held like a public memorial service for his parents. Hundreds of people, they, you know, they showed up, they came to pay their respects. And during the service, Simon shared his mother's final, like, text message to him. She sent it from, like, her hospital bed. It's so sad. Her text said lots of love to you all. It was just devastating. Okay, so you're probably thinking, okay, but where was Aaron in all this? Yeah, where was Aaron in all this? Well, you know, Simon just lost his whole freaking family. He's a major loss. And where the hell was Aaron? Well, the lunch was on Saturday, right? And on that following Monday, I guess she had texted Simon asking if he could take her to the hospital because she wasn't feeling well. In my personal opinion, I think she knew what was going on with the family and kind of wanted to get on the record that she was sick too. That's just my opinion. So she texts us to Simon and he basically tells her, like, get yourself to the hospital, okay? I'm a little busy with my family. So Aaron, she ends up going to the Lingatha Hospital, one of the hospitals, and she walks into urgent care and she tells him she's not Feeling well, she has diarrhea, she's vomiting, all that stuff. And at first it was just kind of normal routine, but then she gave her name. Dr. Chris Webster. He was like on duty that day. He later testified that the moment he heard her say Aaron Patterson, things clicked. Now, he had already been treating Ian and Heather, so he was like, oh, shit. Like he knew what they ate, where they ate. And then suddenly here is Aaron standing in front of him saying she wasn't feeling well. So the doctor, like, tells her straight up, two of your family members are here, they ate at your house. They've been diagnosed with death cap, mushroom poisoning. This is serious. You need to be admitted right now. And instead of like panicking or even looking shocked, Aaron was like, no, it's okay. I've got errands to run and I have to feed my pets. And against doctor's orders, she walks out. Of course, before leaving, she had to sign like a document saying that she was refusing care. And this was like, captured on cctv. But, you know, they were like, really trying not. They didn't want her to leave. This is serious. Now, most of us, I would think, you would think if you were told by a doctor that you, you might have eaten poisonous mushrooms and you're probably gonna die, you would freak out, right? And you'd be like, oh, my God, help me. I'm at the hospital. This, help me. But not Aaron. She dipped right out of there. And her reaction, honestly, is like, what? Raised eyebrows. So When Aaron left, Dr. Webster, he started calling her non stop, like her cell phone, you know, hello, like, trying to get her to answer. And she wasn't answering his calls. So he left voicemails begging for her to come back. And when he got no response, he then called Triple Zero, which is Australia's 911, and he was asking police to do a wellness check.