Sydney [Australia], November 3: One 49-year-old woman in the Australian state of Victoria on Thursday was charged with murder after a mushroom lunch killed three elderly people in July.
Victoria Police confirmed in a statement that the woman was arrested on Thursday morning and charged with three counts of murder and five of attempted murder.
She was remanded in custody and would appear at a magistrates' court on Friday morning.
According to police, the murder charges and two attempted murder charges are linked to an incident on July 29, when the woman hosted a meal at a private residence in Leongatha, a rural town in the state's east.
A 70-year-old man, a 70-year-old woman, and a 66-year-old woman died in early August, with a 69-year-old man who was in critical condition later released from hospital on Sept. 23.
All the victims displayed symptoms of having eaten death cap mushrooms. The Victorian Department of Health also confirmed to local media that mushrooms were involved.
In addition, the further three attempted murder charges related to three separate incidents in Victoria between 2021 and 2022, as a 48-year-old Korumburra man became ill following meals on these dates.
"Over the last three months, this investigation has been subjected to incredibly intense levels of public scrutiny and curiosity," said Victoria Police Homicide Squad Detective Inspector Dean Thomas.
"In smaller communities such as Leongatha and Korumburra, a tragedy such as this can reverberate for years to come," he added.
Source: Xinhua