Police reveal electronics found at alleged mushroom cook's home

A smartwatch, five iPads and a laundry list of electronics were allegedly hidden at the home of Erin Patterson, who is accused of feeding four family members poisonous mushrooms.

Police dogs, capable of detecting hidden electronics, were used to search the Victorian home where a mobile phone, trail camera, two secure digital cards, a USB and a sim card were found in addition to the iPads and smartwatch in November 2023.

Don and Gail Patterson, parents of Ms Patterson's estranged husband, died in hospital following the meal. Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson also died while her husband, Reverend Ian Wilkinson, survived.

Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw detailed the electronic devices found at the Leongatha home during his Senate estimates opening statement on February 13.

"These were not found during initial searches undertaken by officers," he said.

Police have not released information regarding the contents of the electronics found at Ms Patterson's home.

She's scheduled to face court on May 3, 2024 over charges that stemmed from the July 29, 2023 lunch.

The AFP commissioner explained the accuracy and sensitivity of the "exceptional" sniffer dogs.

A dog, Esther, who was involved in an unrelated investigation in March 2023 detected the hiding place of a USB that had been removed days earlier.

Police were searching a South Australian home when Esther identified a copy of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code on the book shelf.

Investigators found a USB-shaped cut-out inside the pages of the book.

"Although the device had been removed days or, at most, weeks earlier, officers considered it unlikely they would have located the book without Esther's help," commissioner Kershaw said.

"Dogs conducting detection work sniff between five to 10 times a second, inhaling with one nostril and exhaling through the other," he said.

"Their smell processing capacity is 40 times stronger than humans, and studies have shown they can find a scent as faint as one part per million."