Harassed, threatened and stalked: Soul Barn owner fears for safety after woman’s ‘mushroom’ death

1 week ago 10

The proprietor of a determination Victorian wellness centre wherever a pistillate died aft consuming a portion suspected of containing toxic mushrooms says the incidental devastated her, and she present fears for her information aft being harassed, threatened and stalked.

Soul Barn Creative Wellbeing Centre proprietor and laminitis Michelle Mullins said she had received threatening messages from strangers, specified arsenic “we cognize wherever you live” and “you should beryllium successful jail”.

Soul Barn proprietor Michelle Mullins says she has received threatening messages since a pistillate died astatine her venue.

In 1 disturbing incident, Mullins said she was stalked, which she reported to section police. This masthead has contacted constabulary astir the incident.

“The level of harassment has been overwhelming,” she said.

Police are awaiting results from a toxicology study for Rachael Dixon, 53, who died successful the aboriginal hours of Sunday, April 14, aft suffering a imaginable cardiac apprehension astatine Soul Barn, successful the tiny municipality of Clunes, 33 kilometres northbound of Ballarat. Investigators judge Dixon whitethorn person accidentally ingested toxic mushrooms.

Mullins had leased retired a store abstraction for a backstage lawsuit attended by Dixon the play she died.

Rachael Dixon died astatine Soul Barn past month. Police judge she whitethorn person ingested toxic mushrooms.

Mullins said she decided to talk astir the incidental owed to the media storm, nationalist scrutiny and speculation it had stirred up, successful a bid to “clarify immoderate misinformation”.

“The portion that is truthful earthy ... is that I americium conscionable devastated,” she said.

“I consciousness atrocious for her family. I consciousness truthful atrocious that it has happened successful our small place. It’s a tiny town, and it’s a tiny concern ... and it’s conscionable tragic.”

Mullins said she was distressed to larn that Dixon was besides a azygous mother, similar her.

“It breaks my bosom due to the fact that I’m besides a azygous mum, with a teenage boy,” she said.

“It’s a truly hard travel doing that. There has ever conscionable been this heavy benignant of spot that we’re each other’s person, truthful knowing that ... her lad is present experiencing losing his mum, is conscionable truthful awful.”

Since the COVID-19 lockdowns, Mullins had routinely leased retired a store abstraction astatine Soul Barn to assistance supplement her income, to facilitators and practitioners moving backstage retreats oregon seminars astatine weekends, oregon arsenic a wedding venue.

On the play Dixon died, Mullins said she handed the keys to the organisers of the backstage lawsuit that the Ringwood North parent attended. No Soul Barn unit oregon practitioners associated with the concern were contiguous erstwhile Dixon fell ill.

Mullins said her archetypal denotation that thing had gone incorrect was erstwhile her telephone rang precocious connected the Saturday night, and she was asked to spell to Soul Barn.

Dixon, who was a myotherapist and ran her ain wellness businesses successful Melbourne, died astatine the scene. Two different radical were taken to the Ballarat Base Hospital for observation.

It is believed the toxicology results volition beryllium acceptable successful a fewer weeks.

Mullins, who has owned Soul Barn for 4 years, said she has not reopened her concern since Dixon’s death, and had been flooded with threatening messages and menacing calls.

Michelle Mullins says she does not cognize erstwhile she volition reopen her business.

She said her household members, erstwhile colleagues, and unit and practitioners associated with Soul Barn had besides been harassed by strangers.

“Everyone successful Clunes has been doorknocked,” she said. “I admit determination are answers that radical are looking for. To a degree, we each privation answers, but everyone wants them from maine and I simply don’t person them. I wasn’t there, I was location successful bed.”

Mullins said she feared for her safety, and for the wellbeing of her lad and family. She said she had moved retired of her location and relocated aft Dixon’s death.

“But I privation to accent this is not astir maine and this is their [the Dixon family’s] devastation and their tragedy,” she said.

“I person been precise mindful of not saying thing to anyone due to the fact that they are devastated. But I americium besides having truthful galore things hap to me, my lad and my household that are frightening, and it’s been truly hard to recognize however I americium present the target.”

Mullins said portion determination had been overmuch treatment successful the media astir mushroom and psychedelic dosing, Soul Barn had ne'er and would ne'er connection the signifier oregon merchantability thing similar that.

She said her wellness centre specialised successful dependable and vigor healing, remedial massages, Reiki, meditation, quality treatments and psychic readings.

Soul Barn besides has a acquisition store, which does not banal immoderate medicinal products.

Mullins said she had not decided erstwhile she would reopen her business, but hoped to commencement offering holistic services, including dependable healing sessions, again soon.

“The municipality has been hugely supportive. They cognize Soul Barn, and they cognize who I am, truthful I person been truly grateful for the feeling of enactment from radical that cognize me,” she said.

“There are genuinely nary words to explicit the heavy sorrow we consciousness for the tragic lawsuit and for Rachael’s household and friends.”