Case study: Mushroom murders were committed by Erin Trudi Patterson in a home during a planned lunch on 29 July 2023, in Leongatha, Victoria, Australia.
Death cap mushroom contains the most deadly toxin of all poisonous mushrooms.
Death cap mushroom is native to Europe but is now can be seen throughout the world, typically found in forests growing on or near trees. Periods of large rainfall and warm temperatures can cause larger blooms of these deadly mushrooms.
When mature, the death cap has a smooth top cap that may be white or yellow with a green hue. Unlike similar mushrooms, the death cap has white gills under its cap that do not attach to its stalk. It also has a large, bulbous cup at the base of its stem. This cup is typically underground and may be detached from the mushroom if it is snapped off at the stalk.
Death cap mushroom is not toxic to touch but extremely poisonous when eaten.
Death cap mushrooms are poisonous in either raw or cooked state. The amatoxins are very stable and are not affected by heat or acids, cooking, drying, or freezing.
Lethal dose of amanita toxin is 0.1 mg/kg body weight and therefore severe poisoning can occur with as little as 5 to 7 mg of amanita toxin, an amount that can be present in a single mushroom.
Symptoms of death cap mushroom toxicity usually only occur from 6 to 12 hours after ingestion.
Steps
- Forage and harvest Death cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides)
- Dehydrate mushroom and blend into powder
- Mix mushroom powder into food to be cooked as meal
- Poison dose = unknown ?
- Eat to Death time = 6 days (under hospital healthcare support)
- Success rate = ?
