'Poison seller' who sold toxic chemicals online to people across world admits aiding suicides

Canadian Proceedings and Guilty Pleas

Kenneth Law, a 57-year-old resident of Mississauga, Ontario, pleaded guilty on 13 June 2024 in an Ontario court to multiple charges of aiding suicide in connection with Canadian victims who purchased sodium nitrite from websites he operated. The admissions cover transactions linked to deaths in Canada, according to statements from the Crown and court records reported by Reuters and the Canadian Press. Law operated several websites that sold sodium nitrite and related substances. Prosecutors said the sites marketed the chemicals with instructions and disclaimers that referenced their use in suicide. In court, Law admitted to 14 counts of aiding suicide involving Canadian individuals between 2020 and 2022. Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Charney accepted the pleas after reviewing evidence that included shipping records and customer communications. Crown Attorney Susan Orlando told reporters outside court that the investigation involved cooperation with Health Canada and international law enforcement. “The guilty pleas reflect the evidence that the accused knowingly supplied a substance knowing it would be used to end life,” Orlando said. Sentencing is scheduled for September 2024.

UK Deaths and Family Response

The case has drawn attention from authorities and families in the United Kingdom, where police have linked 79 deaths to chemicals obtained from the same online platforms. UK officials have stated that no charges have been filed against Law in Britain, prompting calls from bereaved families for cross-border legal action. In the United Kingdom, the National Crime Agency and several police forces have investigated deaths linked to sodium nitrite purchased from Law’s sites. Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist of the Metropolitan Police told the BBC in May 2024 that 79 fatalities had been confirmed through toxicology and digit

By Jessica, Staff Writer