An Australian woman accused of poisoning three elderly relatives of her estranged husband with deadly mushrooms told the court it was possible she had searched for death cap mushrooms on her computer, the court heard Friday (June 6). Erin Patterson, 50, faces charges over the July 2023 deaths of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, as well as the attempted murder of Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson.

Prosecutors allege she knowingly served death cap mushrooms in a Beef Wellington dish at her home in Leongatha, a small town about 135 km from Melbourne. Patterson denies the charges, calling the deaths a “terrible accident.” If convicted, she faces life in prison. Patterson began testifying in her defense on Monday and was questioned for a second day by prosecutor Nanette Rogers on Friday. Rogers presented forensic evidence showing searches for death cap mushrooms were made on a computer from Patterson’s home using the website iNaturalist, a platform for recording sightings of plants and animals. Rogers asked if Patterson was the person who made those searches. Patterson said she couldn’t recall but admitted it was possible, and she was unsure if her children might have conducted the searches.

Patterson’s testimony has renewed public interest in the trial, which started in late April. Media from Australia and abroad, including podcasters and journalists, have gathered in Morwell, where the trial is being held about two hours east of Melbourne. The ABC’s daily podcast on the case is Australia’s most popular, and many newspapers are providing live updates. The prosecution concluded its case on Monday after a month of testimony from family members, and medical, forensic, and mushroom experts. The trial is expected to finish later this month and will resume on Tuesday.