A Canadian man who sold lethal chemicals online has pleaded guilty to 14 counts of counselling or aiding suicide in Ontario, with his actions linked to 79 deaths in the UK. Kenneth Law, 60, appeared in a packed courtroom in Newmarket, Ontario, on Friday, entering his plea after prosecutors agreed to withdraw 14 murder charges. Sentencing is expected in September.
Law admitted sending 'suicide packets' to people in 40 countries, including the UK, US, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. Investigators said he sent 1,209 packages before his websites were shut down. He ran a series of sites that sold lethal chemicals and also sold suicide paraphernalia with detailed instructions, evading detection by offering other products such as hot sauce to appear as an industrial food-prep wholesaler.
Family members of victims were emotional as the court read out charges relating to 14 deaths in Ontario, with victims aged 16 to 36. In the UK, bereaved families renewed their call for a public inquiry. One UK victim called emergency services after taking a substance, saying he did not want to die, but paramedics were unable to revive him. Packages from Law's companies were often found near victims.
Outside court, Leonardo Bedoya, whose 18-year-old daughter Jeshennia died, condemned the plea deal as 'a disgrace'. Kim Prosser, whose 19-year-old son Ashtyn died in March 2023, said it had been 'three years of uncelebrated birthdays'. Law had received C$296,981 in his Shopify and PayPal accounts linked to his companies.
