An Australian woman accused of murdering three people Poisonous Mushroom Beef Wellington The case attracted global attention in the face of Wednesday's trial.
Erin Patterson, 50, is charged with three murders, including her parents, and one attempted murder.
She has No guilty All counts.
Patterson is accused of hosting a July 2023 lunch where she served dishes for baked pastries and dishes, which police said was a poisonous mushroom.
Her estranged parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and local pastor’s wife, Heather Wilkinson, died a few days after the meal.
Wilkinson's husband Ian recovered nearly two months later in the hospital. The BBC reported during his hospital stay that he was waiting for a liver transplant.
According to the BBC, Patterson was arrested in November 2023.
Patterson will be tried at Latrobe Valley Court in Mowell, south Melbourne - about an hour's drive from Leongatha, where he allegedly had a fatal meal.
A jury of 15 people was selected Tuesday, and as the verdict approached, it would be reduced to 12 people by vote.
Judge Christopher Beale told jurors that prosecutors filed separate charges against Patterson, alleging that she also tried to murder her estranged husband.
The BBC reported that Justice Bill urged the jury to "mock" the evidence in the case, not their hearts, not their hearts.
The trial is expected to last for six weeks and will begin with the opening statements of prosecution and defense, both parties have summarized their case and detailed the witnesses and evidence they plan to rely on.
The case made headlines worldwide, sparking a series of podcasts and a TV documentary series about Australian streaming service Stan.
The Victoria Supreme Court has imposed strict guidelines on the case to ensure Patterson is on a fair trial.
Although the court is open to the public, the case will not be televised.
What is a Death Cap Mushroom?
Police say the symptoms of the four sick family members are consistent with poisoning from wild amanita phalloides, called Death Cap Mushroom.
Death Cap mushrooms sprout freely in warm, humid places in Australia and are easily mistaken for edible varieties.
They are reportedly sweeter than other types of mushrooms, but have powerful toxins that slowly poison the liver and kidneys.
The BBC reports that the death cap causes 90% of the global deadly mushroom poisoning. In 2020, a series of poisoning in Victoria killed one person and was hospitalized for seven.
Erin Patterson wrote in a statement that she cooked beef steak dishes from mushrooms purchased from a major supermarket chain and bought mushrooms from an Asian grocery store.
She also ate the meal and later suffered stomach pain and diarrhea, she wrote.
The BBC reported that her child had some leftover beef Wellington the next day when she was not at lunch. However, the mushrooms were scraped off the plate because they didn’t like them, she said.