Erin Patterson, the woman who prepared a mushroom lunch that killed three people in Australia, was "experienced" in scavenging for fungi and was "very good at foraging", an unnamed source has told the Daily Mail.
The source, who's said to be "close to the family", said Patterson often picked wild mushrooms around her home region Gippsland, Victoria.
Patterson and her family "would pick mushrooms each year when they were in season", the source told Daily Mail Australia.
"It's very common for people to go mushroom picking around that area," the source was quoted as saying.
The Mail's report added it wasn't suggesting Patterson poisoned her relatives on purpose, "only that she is known to forage".
Don and Gail Patterson, Erin's former parents-in-law, and Heather Wilkinson became sick and later died after attending a lunch cooked by Erin in the rural town of Leongatha in late July.
A fourth man, Wilkinson's husband Ian, remained in the hospital in a critical but stable condition.
Last week, police confirmed Erin - who has denied any wrongdoing - was a "person of interest" in the investigation. Police said, however, it had not yet been determined whether the deaths were suspicious or by accident.
"I am… devastated to think that these mushrooms may have contributed to the illness suffered by my loved ones. I really want to repeat that I had absolutely no reason to hurt these people whom I loved," Erin told the police in a statement obtained by local media.
Det Insp Dean Thomas said last week the investigation was complicated and would likely be lengthy.
"We presume at this stage it was mushrooms but it's a complex investigation that I think will take some time."
In a joint statement following the deaths, the Patterson and Wilkinson families thanked "our wider communities for their outpouring of love, support and prayers".
"This support extends not only to those we have tragically lost but also to our family member who continues to bravely fight for his life in the hospital."
Erin's initial account to the police was she bought the mushrooms served at the lunch from a local shop, 7 News reported.
However, no warnings or recalls have been issued on produce in the area.
