Homicide detectives investigating the deaths of three much-loved south Gippsland community members have revealed they'd all been at a family lunch where it's believed they ate poisonous mushrooms. A fourth person is still fighting for life in hospital as police turn their attention to a 48-year old relative who prepared the meal.
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00:00 Flowers at the Coramborough Baptist Church mourning local school teachers Gail and Don
00:07 Patterson as well as Heather Wilkinson whose husband Ian, the local pastor, remains in
00:12 a critical condition in a Melbourne hospital.
00:14 At this point in time the deaths are unexplained and for that purpose we are involved.
00:21 The three deaths are now at the centre of a probe by homicide detectives.
00:25 The victims are suspected of being poisoned by wild mushrooms over a family lunch.
00:30 Assisting police with their inquiries is the host, a 48-year-old woman who police say prepared
00:36 the meal.
00:37 The woman that we interviewed on Saturday is the daughter-in-law of one of the couples.
00:44 That woman and her husband are separated.
00:47 However we've been advised that their relationship is amicable.
00:51 A total of seven people were at the lunch in Leongatha on July 29.
00:56 The host's two children were present but at midnight it was the four adults who ate the
01:00 meal who fell ill with gastro-like symptoms, taking themselves to hospital in the morning
01:06 before being transferred to Melbourne as their conditions worsened.
01:09 On Friday Heather and Gail died in hospital.
01:13 24 hours later Don Patterson passed away and on Sunday police announced the investigation.
01:19 It doesn't automatically mean that the deaths are suspicious.
01:23 Police have described this case as unusual and complex.
01:27 It will rely on medical experts and toxicology reports which could take some time to return.
01:34 It's also prompted a warning about the dangers of ingesting wild mushrooms.
01:38 It's certainly looking like the symptoms are consistent with death cap mushrooms.
01:44 If you see a mushroom that's got a bright red, a bright orange or yellow on it then
01:49 it's probably one of those that you should leave alone.
01:51 [BLANK_AUDIO]