Erin Patterson: Mushroom killer’s infamous car used to dump dehydrator is up for sale

The red MG SUV that once rolled into a rural Victorian tip, its boot hiding a deadly secret, is now up for sale.

This is no ordinary second-hand vehicle.

It’s the same car triple-murderer Erin Patterson used to dispose of a food dehydrator tainted with death cap mushroom residue – the toxic ingredient at the heart of a fatal lunch that killed Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson.

During Patterson’s high-profile trial, the jury was shown chilling surveillance footage capturing the moment she arrived at the Koonwarra Transfer Station, just a 10-minute drive from her Leongatha home.

In the video, Patterson steps out of the MG, retrieves a black dehydrator from the boot, and calmly places it into an e-waste bin inside a green shed.

The prosecution claimed Patterson was deliberately attempting to destroy crucial evidence just four days after serving a poisoned beef Wellington to Don and Gail, Heather, and her husband Ian on July 29, 2023.

Now, the car has hit Facebook Marketplace with a listed price of $18,500.

According to the Herald Sun, the ad was created by Patterson’s power of attorney, Ali Prior.

With just 22,000 kms on the odometer, the 2023 SUV is described as being in “excellent condition”.

The ad, however, emphasised urgency to sell.

“PRICED TO SELL QUICKLY,” it read.

The listing added: “Selling my MG ZST Core, 2023 model, with just 22,000 kms on the clock....car is in excellent condition, drives beautifully, super economical, and still feels like new.”

The ad lists several features of the vehicle, including a 1.5L automatic engine, Apple Car Play, a reverse camera and parking sensors.

The vehicle’s infamous escapades were not mentioned in the ad, which has since been taken down after Ms Prior told the outlet the sale had “nothing to do” with Patterson’s crimes.

In bombshell evidence not heard by the jury during the trial, Patterson pulled up in the MG to the same tip less than an hour after the fatal lunch to dump several unknown items.

The car also featured in an emotional exchange Patterson had with media outside her house on August 7, a week after the murders.

“It’s a tragedy what’s happened,” she said hysterically through tears.

“They were some of the best people I’ve ever met. They never did anything wrong to me and I’m so devastated about what’s happened,” as she wipes her face.

“I can’t believe that this has happened, and I’m so sorry that they have lost their lives.”

On September 8, Patterson was sentenced to life in prison after murdering Don and Gail, and Gail’s sister Heather.

She received a concurrent 25-year maximum sentence for the attempted murder of Mr Wilkinson, who fell seriously ill after the lunch but survived.

With time already served, she will be eligible for parole in 2056, at the age of 82.