How a crowded hotel could lead to a retrial for Australia’s mushroom murderer | CNN

One of Australia’s most high-profile murder cases is back in court where a possible retrial, or an even longer prison sentence, awaits the home cook who used toxic mushrooms to kill three lunch guests. Erin Patterson was convicted last year of deliberately lacing a beef wellington meal with death cap mushrooms to murder her children’s grandparents and the wife of the local pastor. She was also found guilty of attempted murder for almost killing the pastor with the same meal. Investigate the ‘mushroom murders’ ahead of upcoming appeal arguments Her 10-week trial was held in a small town in rural Victoria that was inundated with media crews and curious members of the public who queued for hours each day for a seat in the public gallery. The intense interest in the case is one reason why her lawyers are pushing for a retrial – the town was so crowded that at one stage jury members shared a hotel with the prosecution team and an informant. This week, during the same appeal hearing, prosecutors are mounting a separate argument that her prison sentence of 33 years with no parole isn’t long enough. Patterson wasn’t in court to hear the proceedings but listened to the argumen