A family dinner has left three people dead in Australia, news that has sent the entire country into a frenzy as the only person who didn’t get sick was the woman who was cooking, AFP reports.

The recipe for beef Wellington, a signature dish of English cuisine, with a side dish of poisonous mushrooms caused surprise and tension in Australia.

Amanita phalloides, a viper mushroom believed to be the world’s deadliest mushroom that grows around Leongatha, a small town two hours from Melbourne, is responsible for the deaths of three people, police said.

Host Erin Patterson, who was preparing lunch, was the only one who did not get sick. On Monday, she explained that she bought the mushrooms at an Asian grocery store and assured them that it was an accident.

“I am devastated that these mushrooms could have contributed” to the fatal outcome. “I want to emphasize once again that I had absolutely no reason to hurt these people I loved,” she added.

She made a beef wellington recipe for her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, on July 29. She was married to their son Simon, but the couple had been living separately for a while and were not invited to dinner.

Baptist minister Ian Wilkinson and his wife Heather completed the guest list.

The fact that four of her guests quickly fell ill and she remained healthy fueled the rumors and made her a suspect.

A few days later, relatives and the pastor’s wife died after suffering symptoms of food poisoning. The pastor is in serious but stable condition.

“I didn’t do anything, I love them, I’m devastated they’re dead,” a tearful woman told reporters last week.

She has not been charged and police have not provided any evidence that the act was intentional.

Amanita phalloides is easily confused with the edible species.

Its powerful toxins severely damage the liver and kidneys. Currently, there is no real antidote for poisoning by these mushrooms.

“I have been close to Simon’s parents for a long time. Our friendship continued even after parting with my son,” she said.

Police initially announced that Erin Patterson’s children were present at the home but not eating.

But Erin said they went to see a movie before dinner, ABC News reported.

She said she lied to investigators and used a dehydrator to cook mushrooms, News.ro reported.

When her husband asked about it, she panicked and went to throw it in the trash, fearing to lose custody of the children.

However, no charges were brought against her, and the police did not provide any information that this was an intentional act.