On July 15, 2023, Erin Patterson extended an invitation for lunch to several members of her estranged husband's family.

The guest list included her ex-partner Simon Patterson — the father of her two children — his elderly parents, Don and Gail Patterson (both aged 70), Gail's sister, 66 year old Heather Wilkinson, and Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, a respected local pastor.

The lunch was scheduled for Saturday, July 29, at Erin’s home in Leongatha, Victoria. According to Erin, the purpose of the gathering was to share some personal news — a recent cancer diagnosis she had received.

However, the day before the lunch, Simon backed out. He reportedly told Erin he felt "too uncomfortable" attending due to lingering tensions between them. The rest of the invited guests still arrived the next day.

At the table, Erin served a homemade beef Wellington. She sat and ate with her guests — but with one small, strange detail: her portion was the only one placed on an orange plate. The others were served on standard dinnerware. Heather Wilkinson even made a lighthearted comment to her husband Ian:

“Is Erin short of crockery?”

A few hours after the meal, the four guests began to feel violently ill. Symptoms quickly escalated — nausea, vomiting, and severe diarrhoea.

By the next day, all four were admitted to the hospital. Their conditions rapidly worsened. Within days, Don, Gail, Heather and Ian were placed on life support, suffering from multiple organ failure.

Curiously, Erin — the host — showed no signs of illness at all. Erin claimed to be feeling sick too, but CCTV caught her walking through a service station, entering the toilet for a few seconds, before browsing the food on offer.

Why was she the only one untouched by the meal that left others fighting for their lives?