Brisbane, Australia CNN —A meal of suspected death cap mushrooms served at a family lunch in late July is at the center of a homicide investigation in Australia following the deaths of three guests less than a week later. Victoria Health issued a warning about death cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides) in April, describing them as “extremely poisonous” and listing symptoms of consumption including violent stomach pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Native to Europe, death cap mushrooms were first confirmed in Australia in the 1960s, and they almost always grow near introduced trees, namely oaks, according to Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Toxins in death cap mushrooms cannot be destroyed by boiling, cooking, freezing, or drying and eating only a small portion can lead to death. “Obviously a lot of the items that we have seized will be forensically tested in the hope that can shed some light on what has occurred at the lunch,” Thomas said.

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Persons: Erin Patterson, Gail Patterson, Heather Wilkinson, Gail’s, Don, Ian, “ I’m, Ian Wilkinson, Heather, Dean Thomas, Patterson, Simon, “, ” Thomas, Patterson’s, Thomas, It’s, Dean Thomas of, haven’t, ” Organizations: Australia CNN, Victoria Police, Salvation Army Australia Museum, Facebook, Victoria Health, Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria Police Police Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Leongatha, Victoria, Korumburra, Europe, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, paddocks