Technology sniffer dogs brought in by the Australian Federal Police discovered a large number of previously undetected devices at the Leongatha home of alleged mushroom murderer Erin Patterson last year, parliament has been told.
Ms Patterson was charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder late last year following a three-month investigation into the fateful July 29 lunch, where the 49-year-old allegedly served a beef wellington dish containing death cap mushrooms.
Prior to her arrest, Ms Patterson made public statements denying any wrongdoing.
The mother-of-two was arrested after police raided her Gibson Street address in Victoria’s Gippsland region on November 2 with assistance from the AFP’s technology detector dogs.
AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw appeared before a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday night where he listed the items that police say the dogs had uncovered.
“Technology Detector Dog Georgia found one USB, a micro secure digital card and a SIM card,” Mr Kershaw said.
“Technology Detector Dog Alma found a mobile phone, five iPads, a trail camera, and secure digital card and a smart watch. These were not found during initial searches undertaken by officers.”
Ms Patterson remains behind bars on remand at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, Victoria’s maximum-security women’s prison, after police were granted a 20-week adjournment to build their brief of evidence, due to be served on March 25, the Herald Sun reports.
She appeared briefly in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court the day after her arrest.
Her former parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson died from symptoms consistent with death cap mushroom poisoning after the lunch.
Ms Wilkinson’s husband, Ian, the pastor at Korumburra Baptist Church, survived after spending two months in hospital.
Her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, was supposed to attend the lunch but pulled out at the last minute. Three of the five attempted murder charges relate to “three separate incidents” between 2021 and 2022 where Mr Patterson “became ill following meals”, according to Victoria Police.
Police allege the deadly July lunch, which was hosted as part of a church mediation process for their relationship, was her fourth attempt at killing the father of her children.