Dr. Chris Webster, a physician at Leongatha Hospital in rural Victoria, faced a nightmarish reality when Erin Patterson walked through the doors, under suspicion of being a cold-blooded killer. “I knew,” he shared, instinctively understanding that he was dealing with a heinous crime rather than a simple case of food poisoning.
Patterson was convicted this week for the murders of her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both aged 70, and her 66-year-old aunt-in-law, Heather Wilkinson. She also attempted to murder local pastor Ian Wilkinson, who survived after extensive medical treatment. Initially, when Heather and Ian arrived at the hospital displaying severe gastroenteritis symptoms, Dr. Webster believed it was mass food poisoning.
During the trial, he recounted Heather’s description of the "lovely" meal at Patterson's home, leading Dr. Webster to suspect the meat in the delicious beef Wellington served during the lunch. However, as he gathered blood samples and readied them for further analysis, his fears transformed into horror when he received a call informing him that poisonous mushrooms, not the meat, were responsible for the dire condition of his patients.
Just as he was adjusting the treatment plan to address the liver failure caused by the toxins, Patterson arrived at the hospital, claiming she had gastroenteritis. The perplexing response she provided when questioned about the mushrooms — saying they came from a major grocery chain — led Dr. Webster to solidify his suspicions about her involvement. “That instant, it all coalesced in my brain,” he recalled, as her calm demeanor seemed troubling in light of her relatives' critical conditions.
When he quickly stepped away to see Heather and Ian off in an ambulance, Dr. Webster became increasingly worried. Erin had discharged herself shortly after her arrival, leaving him alarmed. In a desperate move, he called police to convey his concerns about her potential exposure to a life-threatening toxin. While she docilely returned to the hospital shortly after, her demeanor raised further red flags.
Throughout the trial, Patterson maintained that the poisoning was a tragic accident, but Dr. Webster found solace when the jury delivered a guilty verdict, labeling her the “definition of evil.” For him, a profound sense of closure came from witnessing Ian Wilkinson’s recovery, a stark contrast to the unsettling memory of dispatching Heather in an ambulance. Their journey through this distressing episode emphasized for Dr. Webster the critical importance of vigilance in medical practices, the dark potentials lurking in seemingly innocent circumstances, and the pursuit of truth in the name of justice.
