World · 10 outlets (L 2 · C 3 · R 2 · 3 not rated)
Australian court orders Erin Patterson to die in prison for mushroom murders
An Australian appeals court has ruled that Erin Patterson, convicted of murdering three people with a beef Wellington lunch laced with poisonous mushrooms, will never be released from prison.[2, 5, 7 +1] The victims fell ill and died after the 2023 lunch and included Patterson's in-laws.[2] Patterson argued her trial was unfair on seven grounds, but three appeal judges dismissed them all.[9]
The Washington Times reported that prosecutors argued the 33-year non-parole period she received was inadequate, and the court agreed.[7] ABC News reported the court cited the "shocking criminality" involved in poisoning four of her estranged husband's relatives with death cap mushrooms.[3]
Why it matters Patterson's appeal against her convictions was refused, so her life sentences stand and she will spend the rest of her life in prison.[5, 11]
Covered by The New York Times, CBS News, New York Post and 7 more
Read first Australian court orders Erin Patterson never to be released from prison for mushroom poisonings
How balanced is this coverage?
Of the 7 rated outlets that covered it, 2 are left of center, 3 are center and 2 are right of center (1 of them in the Right group). 3 more are not rated.
Too few left- or right-leaning outlets to compare: 2 of 42 left-leaning, 3 of 33 center and 2 of 38 right-leaning outlets covered it.
- Left: none.
- Leans left: The New York Times (−0.70), The Guardian (−0.70).
- Center: ABC News (−0.19), CBS News (−0.14), UPI (+0.17).
- Leans right: New York Post (+0.64).
- Right: The Washington Times (+1.27).
Not rated Al Jazeera, BBC News, Sky News. Not placed: they have no lean score.
Each dot is an outlet that covered it, placed by its audience-lean score (Eady et al. 2025), which measures who shares its links, not how accurate it is. The ticks under the line are all 113 rated outlets Tare reads.