Almost three months after pastor Ian Wilkinson attended a fatal lunch containing what police suspect was death cap mushrooms, the 68-year-old has been released from hospital.
Mr. Wilkinson and his wife Heather joined host Erin Patterson and Erin’s former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson for lunch on July 29.
The group ate beef wellington but the dish is believed to have contained the deadly death cap mushroom.
Don, Gail, and Heather all died within days of the fatal lunch. Her ex-husband Simon — who is the son of Don and Gail Patterson — was invited to the lunch but did not attend.
In a statement, Ms. Patterson said she too became ill after eating the beef Wellington dish.
Police say Ms. Patterson is a suspect because she cooked the meal but she has strenuously denied intentionally poisoning her lunch guests and has not been charged by police.
Mr. Wilkinson was admitted to Melbourne’s Austin Hospital but on Saturday a statement declared he had been released.
His release represents an opportunity for detectives investigating the case, The Herald Sun reports.
“This milestone marks a moment of immense relief and gratitude for Ian and the entire Wilkinson family,” they said in a statement.
“The Wilkinson family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the Leongatha, Dandenong, and Austin Hospitals for their unwavering dedication and exceptional care that played a pivotal role in Ian’s recovery. The medical team’s expertise and compassion have been a source of comfort and hope throughout this journey.”
She says she purchased the mushrooms from an Asian grocery store in Melbourne but told police she could not recall the exact location.
A food dehydrator Ms. Patterson had used was dumped a local tip.
Last month Ms. Patterson said she was frustrated with the media’s impact on her life and felt unfairly portrayed as a villain after the fatal incident.
“I lost my parents-in-law, my children lost their grandparents and I’ve been painted as an evil witch,” she said.
“The media is making it impossible for me to live in this town. I can’t have friends over. The media is at the house where my children are at. The media are at my sister’s house so I can’t go there. This is unfair.”
A toxicologist last month revealed that those who were poisoned would have suffered in agony before, in a cruel twist, they would have felt much better moments before they died.
Forensic toxicologist Dr. Michael Robertson told Channel 9’s Under Investigation that victims of death cap mushroom poisoning can suffer from an unbearable illness before starting to feel better.
But the feeling of relief doesn’t last long, as the person’s body shuts down completely a short time later.
Robertson said they will usually begin to feel unwell several hours after consuming the lethal mushrooms – with “violent” vomiting and diarrhea generally the first signs of poisoning.
However, in a cruel twist, they will actually soon begin to feel better leading them to believe that the worst is over.
But even though the toxins are leaving the body in this process, it continues to slowly shut down.
He said: “It’s one of those toxins that gets into your system.
“It gets absorbed into the bloodstream, it then gets transported to the liver and absorbed. The body doesn‘t break this toxin down.
“We’ve got to get rid of it usually in the urine but also in the bile, and the bile duct drops bile back into the intestines.