The mushroom killer was obsessed with true crime. Now true crime fans are obsessed with her

For years, from down a machine screen, Erin Patterson built up a estimation successful an online existent transgression assemblage arsenic a "super sleuth".

Today, she herself has go a existent transgression obsession.

When 3 radical died – and different fell gravely sick - aft eating toxic-mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons astatine her location successful agrarian Victoria 2 years ago, her full beingness was enactment nether a microscope.

Journalists person descended from astir the satellite to screen her lengthy execution trial, spectators person queued regular to nab a spot successful the courtroom, and thousands of radical person picked isolated details of the lawsuit online.

But, contempt a assemblage earlier this week uncovering her blameworthy connected each charges, the frenzy of speculation and extent of fascination has lone intensified.

"It has shades of Macbeth," transgression scientist Tim Watson-Munro told the BBC.

It was successful 1 of Australia's smallest courtrooms that its biggest proceedings successful caller past took place.

Over 11 weeks, 7 documentary-making teams formed their lens connected the tiny municipality of Morwell. Podcasters present were a dime a dozen. Journalists vied for the six seats reserved for media wrong the tribunal each day. Even 1 of Australia's best-loved authors, Helen Garner, often dropped by the Latrobe Valley Law Courts, fuelling rumours that she is preparing to constitute different best-seller.

Waiting with the oversea of tripods extracurricular the gathering astir mornings of the proceedings was a queue of campy chairs.

Come rain, frost oregon fog, tribunal watchers – predominantly women, often rugged up successful beanies and encased successful sleeping bags – watched for the infinitesimal the solid doors would open.

Once inside, they would laic a enactment of belongings – scarves, h2o bottles, notepads, bags – extracurricular the courtroom introduction to reserve their spot.

Tammy Egglestone commuted for much than an hr to scope Morwell astir days of the trial. "I'm a spot of a existent transgression fanatic," she explains.

She was successful tribunal erstwhile it heard grounds that Patterson was erstwhile conscionable similar her.

Patterson had been an progressive subordinate successful a Facebook radical focussed connected the crimes of Keli Lane, a pistillate who was recovered blameworthy of sidesplitting her two-day-old girl successful 1 of Australia's astir notorious cases.

In 2018, Lane became the taxable of a large podcast aft penning to a writer claiming to person been wrongly convicted and begging her to investigate.

At Patterson's trial, 1 of her online friends Christine Hunt said she was renowned among her peers for her nimble researching and tech skills.

"She was a spot of a ace sleuth," she said. "She was highly regarded successful that group."

But arsenic her lawsuit unfolded successful Morwell, Patterson was besides enactment connected proceedings successful the tribunal of nationalist opinion.

She became water-cooler speech successful workplaces astir the country, gossip among person groups, and the eventual taxable of statement online.

Thousands of radical theorised implicit a motive for the crime, provided commentary connected bits of evidence, and adjacent alleged corrupt forces were down the lawsuit – overmuch of the treatment unfounded, astir each of it successful breach of laws designed to springiness defendants a just trial.

Memes filled societal media feeds. On Google Maps, idiosyncratic created a edifice listing astatine Patterson's location address. Others shared proceedings bingo cards they had created for those pursuing it closely.

Throughout the week the assemblage was considering their verdict, sequestered successful a edifice to support them from the maelstrom, the question everyone had was: what were they thinking?

"What are they doing successful there?" 1 lawyer was overheard asking successful a Morwell café connected time 4 of deliberations.

With assemblage members bound by strict secrecy requirements, we volition ne'er know.

"In the US, they tin interrogation jurors aft a trial," transgression scientist Tim Watson-Munro told the BBC. "We can't get into the heads of jurors successful Australia… truthful it's truly hard to cognize what they're reasoning has been and wherefore they've travel to that conclusion."

That leaves a monolithic vacuum for members of the nationalist to capable with their speculation.

People similar Ms Egglestone pondered: if the poisoning was intended to kill, wouldn't Patterson person planned and executed it better?

"I've travel successful present [as] Switzerland," Ms Egglestone clarified, calling the sermon astir the lawsuit "very pitchforky".

"You know, [it's] she's guilty, she's guilty, she's guilty.

"And a batch of them are utilizing hindsight reasoning. 'If I was successful that situation, I wouldn't bash this, this and this.' Well, you don't cognize what you would bash successful that situation."

But radical similar her were drowned retired by the hordes proclaiming Patterson guilty.

Many said it was her lies that convinced them. Some claimed the grounds showed a wide deficiency of empathy and interest for those who died.

"What truly gave her distant was wearing achromatic pants erstwhile she had 'gastro' and needed to spell to infirmary for it!" 1 idiosyncratic posted, referring to CCTV footage of her movements successful the days aft the lunch, which was played astatine the trial.

Already, the lawsuit has inspired a tv special, a metallic surface play series, a bevy of podcasts, respective documentaries and a fistful of books.

"It has those emblematic cliché things that marque existent transgression sell," Ms Egglestone said, explaining wherefore she and flocks of others person go obsessed with the case.

"The information that she did instrumentality retired household members... [she's] white, female, financially stable, you know. And they're each religion people."

For David Peters, seemingly benign circumstances surrounding the transgression – and the information it was successful his section country – drew him in: "The information that it was a household sitting down to bash thing you would see to beryllium harmless - person a repast - and past the consequences of that meal..."

Several radical archer the BBC the lawsuit reminds them of the frenzy implicit Lindy Chamberlain's notorious proceedings successful 1982. She was falsely convicted of execution aft her babe girl Azaria was taken from an outback campsite by a dingo.

It's nary coincidence that some of those cases centre astir women, criminology researcher Brandy Cochrane tells the BBC.

The satellite has agelong been fascinated by women who termination – successful nary tiny portion due to the fact that it contradicts their accepted "caring" sex role, they explain.

Those stereotypes besides formed a shadiness connected Patterson's clip successful court.

"She's expected to enactment successful a peculiar way, and she's not," says Dr Cochrane, a lecturer astatine Victoria University.

"It's like, 'Oh, evidently she's guilty, she's not crying the full time' oregon 'Obviously she's guilty, she's lied astir this'. The ineligible strategy successful and of itself treats women precise differently."

Away from the ghoulish spectre of the trial, there's choler – albeit dwindling – among the communities wherever the victims are from implicit the mode the lawsuit has been dissected, section councillor Nathan Hersey tells the BBC.

Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson were respected and adored by galore successful the South Gippsland region, helium says, but it feels similar they've been forgotten.

"This has been an highly high-profile lawsuit that's brought a batch of attention, often unwanted done to our section community.

"[And] immoderate radical haven't had that humanity… they've surely mislaid absorption that for people, determination is simply a loss, determination is grief."