Simon Patterson, the estranged husband of convicted murderer Erin Patterson, was not present at the fatal lunch.
Hannah McGreevy, Assistant Editor for Screen Time Assistant Editor
15:06, 18 Dec 2025
Simon Patterson said it will take ‘years’ to process what happened(Image: Getty)
Simon Patterson, the estranged spouse of convicted murderer Erin Patterson, was notably absent from the fateful lunch that resulted in the demise of three family members. The chilling case is dissected in the new Netflix documentary Death Cap: The Mushroom Murders, which delves into the enigmatic poisonings that led to Erin facing charges of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
In April 2025, Erin was found guilty of the murders of her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, both aged 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66. She had served them a lethal beef Wellington at her Victoria home in 2023. Heather’s husband, local pastor Ian Wilkinson, miraculously survived the deadly meal after emerging from a coma.
Simon, on the other hand, withdrew from the lunch at the eleventh hour, partly due to his suspicion that his wife had been ‘trying to poison him for years’, as reported by the BBC. The motive behind the killings remains elusive, with Justice Beale addressing Erin: “Some murders occur for no reason, the motive for some murders may only be known to the offenders.
Erin Patterson is the subject of a new documentary on Netflix(Image: Getty)
“Clearly, the jury was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that you committed the alleged offences. Only you know why you committed the murders, I will not be speculating about that matter.”
At the Supreme Court of Victoria, Erin received three consecutive life sentences, along with an additional 25 years of imprisonment. This means she won’t be eligible for release for at least 33 years.
Where is Simon Patterson now?
Simon Patterson is the estranged husband of murderer Erin Patterson(Image: Getty)
Despite his estranged wife Erin Patterson attracting global media scrutiny, Simon Patterson has seemingly turned down numerous profitable broadcasting opportunities. He has instead launched his own media enterprise to create a podcast sharing his perspective on the notorious ‘mushroom murders’ case, according to News.com.au.
Simon is also allegedly collaborating with a publishing house to pen a memoir and digital book featuring podcast transcripts. A source told the outlet: “He wants to be in control of the message, to have complete agency over it and make the edits himself.”
The engineer and father-of-two will purportedly team up on the podcast with Jessica O’Donnell, a management consultant and crisis communications specialist. He is also said to be inundated with media company proposals and remains “not motivated by money”.
During a 2024 pre-trial hearing, he revealed his motivation to share his account stemmed from the fact the “local community is grieving”, noting it would require “years” to come to terms with his relatives’ deaths at his estranged wife’s hands.
The podcast is anticipated to span 10 episodes, with Simon apparently planning for his new media venture to champion other crime victims. Reports suggest his account could command up to a million dollars given the enormous global fascination with the case.
Death Cap: The Mushroom Murders is available to stream now on Netflix.
