One tell-tale sign at a murder scene always has police suspecting the wife... An ex-detective tells JONICA BRAY how Erin Patterson left herself exposed from the day of the fatal lunch
They are mothers, wives, daughters and girlfriends - not the faces we typically associate with cold-blooded crime. But behind their seemingly ordinary lives, some women harbour dark secrets, deadly resentments and longstanding grudges that can have unimaginable consequences.We have all watched in morbid fascination as Erin Patterson, a seemingly mild-mannered mother from country Victoria, became the centre of a murder mystery that has dominated headlines around the world.Patterson had maintained her innocence, insisting she had no part in the death of her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, despite them all dying after eating her homemade beef Wellington.Last Monday, the court found that Patterson had laced the lunch with poisonous death cap mushrooms, and she was found guilty of the triple murder.The bizarre case has sparked intense speculation about Patterson's motives - with many of us left wondering: what really drives women to kill?Patterson is just one in a long line of female killers in Australia who have equally fascinated and horrified the general public for decades.There was Katherine Knight, the butcher from Aberdeen, who murdered her partner before skinning him and attempting to serve his cooked remains to his children. Last Monday, Erin Patterson (pictured) was found guilty of triple murder after poisoning her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson Former detective Luke Taylor (pictured), who spent 14 years in the NSW Police, says female killers are judged more harshly than menBaby killer Keli Lane gave birth in secret and murdered her newborn daughter before heading to a wedding hours later - smiling in photos as if nothing had happened.Unlike male killers, who are overwhelmingly the perpetrators of murder and more likely to strike out in anger or dominance, women often kill in a quiet, methodical manner and with deeply personal motives.Experts say many are pushed to the brink by emotional trauma, oppressive relationships or a desperate need to reclaim control.In some cases, it's a moment of blind rage - but in others, it's a carefully calculated plan hidden behind smiles and Sunday lunches. With the help of former detective Luke Taylor, we explore the psychological patterns, explosive triggers and twisted motivations that turn seemingly ordinary women into headline-making killers.Why are we obsessed with women who kill?According to Taylor, who spent 14 years in the NSW Police Force, the public's morbid fascination runs deeper than the crimes themselves. Australia's 'Hannibal Lecter', Katherine Knight (pictured) had left her husband for her lover John Price and was furious when he ended their relationship Revenge was apparently Knight's motive when she stabbed and skinned ex-lover Price (left), before cooking his remainsRead More I've spoken to Australia's worst female killers. Most repulse me but one convinced me she's innocent 'Female killers are judged more harshly than men, but when the woman is a mother, public outrage hits another level,' he tells Daily Mail Australia.'Society sees women as maternal, mothers, wives - even the most misogynistic of men still have [positive] opinions about their mums.'We expect them to be more compliant - the softer sex - and it shakes us when we hear about violent crimes or murders being committed by women.'We've all lived vicariously through these stories as they play out in the news, just like we do with movies or books - and it challenges our perception.'Weapon of choice - what female killers reach for and why Research reveals that when women kill, it's an even split between premeditated and spontaneous acts, but their choice of weapon often depends on planning, accessibility and the victim's strength.'When the crime is planned out, whatever method they choose, they have to consider that if it's a male victim, he's likely stronger than her, so she needs to avoid confrontation,' says Taylor.That's why poisoning has long been seen as the weapon of choice in calculated murders.'Poisoning is a way to overcome that concern [about being overpowered], and a longer-term poisoning would be part of a more deliberate strategy,' Taylor explains.The fact that the Leongatha murders were poisonings was likely enough for police to immediately turn to Patterson as the most likely suspect and exclude all others.Indeed, if there's any sign of poisoning at the murder scene, suspicion invariably falls on the 'grieving' wife, regardless of her apparent distress.However, when it comes to murders in the heat of the moment, it's an altogether different story.'If the murder happens in a fit of rage, then women are far more likely to use a knife over a gun,' Taylor says. 'Most homes have an average of 50 knives so they are easily accessible and in that moment of passion, they'll reach for whatever is handy.'Whether it's a kitchen knife, sleeping pills or a deadly beef Wellington, the weapon a woman uses often points to her motivation - from fear, rage or more sinister planning. Convicted baby killer Keli Lane (pictured) dominated headlines for years - but a motive for killing her daughter Tegan has never been clear Triggers and motives - what pushes women to kill?Thrill-seekers - rare but terrifyingCrimes driven by thrill are extremely rare, and usually fall within the realm of psychopathy or sociopathy.'Many people can be sadistic, but even then, there's usually a reason,' says Taylor.'Thrill killers lack remorse and use abuse as a form of power, and it's extremely rare to see this among female killers.'Infamous thrill killers So-called 'Lesbian Vampire Killer' Tracey Wigginton claimed to be part of a vampire cult.In 1989, she lured her male victim, council worker and father-of-four Edward Baldock, to a park, then murdered him and drank his blood. Murders driven by thrill are rare, but terrifying. 'Lesbian Vampire Killer' Tracey Wigginton (pictured after her arrest) lured a man to a park in 1989, stabbed him and drank his blood Wigginton (pictured) was 24 when she committed the horrifying crimeFinancial stress - not greed, but desperationThese murders are often a reaction to coercive control, economic pressure or being trapped in abusive relationships.'They've maybe lived with tight purse strings and no escape and the services are so inadequate, they feel forced to act,' says Taylor.'Or perhaps it's mounting debt and they cannot see any other solution. They reach a point and they just snap. Fraud may stem from greed but it is rare murder does.'Infamous financial casesPatricia Byers, dubbed the 'Black Widow', was convicted of attempting to murder her de facto partner by shooting him in the head while he slept in 1990. He survived.She had taken out a life insurance policy in his name prior to the attack. Years earlier, her husband had died in a suspicious house explosion, also after insurance policies were taken out.While greed played a part, investigators noted she had been under financial pressure for years.Revenge, jealousy and crimes of passion These are the most frequent motives and are often impulsive.'Jealousy murders are usually more violent, often involving a knife and close contact,' says Taylor.'As a detective, these are the fastest to solve. If there's cheating involved, someone's usually locked up in 24 hours.'Infamous revenge murderAustralia's 'female Hannibal Lecter' - Katherine Knight - is the butcher who stabbed her partner, skinned him and tried to serve his cooked remains to his children.Knight had left her husband for her lover John Price and was furious when he ended their relationship. She was spurred by revenge and passion on the night she sent his children to stay with friends, stabbing him 37 times.Escaping abuse - a desperate way out Some women don't kill out of rage but out of desperation to escape violent partners.'Most of these women just want to survive. They've been conditioned to abuse and believe killing is the only way out,' Taylor says.'Many cases amount to self-defence, even if it ends in a homicide charge.'These stories often blur the line between victim and perpetrator and frequently expose cracks in the system meant to protect them.Infamous abuse killingsChamari Liyanage was convicted of manslaughter after killing her abusive husband, Dr Sudheera Liyanage, in 2014.She claimed years of physical and emotional abuse, and her case highlighted the challenges faced by victims of intimate partner violence in the legal system. Chamari Liyanage (left) was convicted of the manslaughter of her abusive husband Dr Sudheera Liyanage (right) 'Most of these women just want to survive. They've been conditioned to abuse and believe killing is the only way out,' former detective Luke Taylor saysMental health and postnatal depression - helplessness and hopelessness In rare cases, women suffering from postpartum depression, psychosis or other mental illnesses commit murder while in a state of severe detachment from reality.'It's hard to comment on this type of trigger as a male,' says Taylor. 'But with many forms of mental health the person is suffering from a sense of helplessness and hopelessness.'When you have a condition like this, you are not making right decisions and often it doesn't matter what others may say - your mind will negate it.'Mental health casesIn June this year, Lauren Ingrid Flanigan, 32, was charged with murder after allegedly fatally stabbing her three-year-old daughter Sophia Rose on her front lawn.Flanigan was later found unresponsive in her prison cell and died two days later in hospital.Sophia's father Jai Ruane told The Courier-Mail that systems designed to protect children like Sophia had failed. Lauren Ingrid Flanigan (pictured) was charged with murdering her three-year-old daughter Sophia Rose, but died after being found unresponsive in her prison cell'This could have easily been prevented,' he said, highlighting frightening incidents in which Flanigan 'stuck knives in walls'.He said: 'The system failed us and now my daughter Sophia has paid for it with her life.'In disturbing social media posts leading up to the murder, she had written: 'Train like it's war - because it is. Discipline is deliverance. Refine your algorithm. Refine your soul. God is calling His army out of hiding.'
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