Kenneth Law

Last updated
Kenneth Law
Born1965 (age 59–60)
Alma mater University of Toronto

University of Waterloo

York University
Occupation
  • Chef at Fairmont Royal York, an Accor managed property
Years active2020–2023

Kenneth M. Law (born 1965) is a Canadian man who was charged with shipping sodium nitrite, a potentially lethal substance, to people intending to kill themselves. He was arrested in May 2023 on two counts of counselling or aiding suicide. [1] He was later charged with 14 counts of first-degree murder. [2] By September 2023, Radio Canada International linked him to 131 suicides worldwide, including 97 in the United Kingdom. [3] Law, however, is not being prosecuted outside of Ontario. [4]

Contents

Sodium nitrite is also a food preservative and is not inherently illegal, but is harmful to humans in large enough quantities. Law has admitted to selling the substance but argues that he had "no control" over what his customers did with his products and thus has not committed a crime. [5] As of 2024, Law is pleading not guilty. [6] His trial is scheduled to start in January 2026. [7]

Early life and career

Kenneth M. Law [8] was born in 1965. [a] He has an industrial engineering degree from the University of Toronto, a master's degree in management science from the University of Waterloo, and a Master of Business Administration from York University. [11] He claimed in a 2005 blog post to have worked in aerospace, finance and marketing. [12] By 2009, he had become a managing director for an automotive company. [11]

In 2009, he was interviewed by Canadian Business . He was described as a former watch collector from Thornhill who invented a wheelchair device for his elderly mother. The device, officially the escMode Wheel Accessory, makes stairs compatible with wheelchairs. He was looking into protecting the intellectual property and constructing a prototype model, estimating that it would cost C$100,000. He had entered his design into the Great Canadian Innovation Competition and was hoping that his invention would become ubiquitous worldwide. [11] Years later, in an interview with The Times , he further detailed that his mother suffered a stroke and was bed-ridden for seven years, relying on a feeding tube. He also added that his religious father did not believe in euthanasia. The Times could not independently verify his claims, and a family member contacted by The Times disavowed Law entirely. [13]

In 2016, wanting a "lifestyle change", [13] he found employment as a cook at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, where he was filmed partaking in a labour union turf dispute. [14] Toronto Life reported that Law performed poorly, frequently argued with his coworkers and had few friends there. He complained of age discrimination. [15] In an interview with The Globe and Mail , Law stated that this was where he discovered sodium nitrite, the substance he would later be charged for selling. [5] The hotel's kitchen shut down early on in the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, [15] and a now-unemployed Law [16] filed for bankruptcy, owing over C$134,000. [12]

Alleged criminal activities

A sample of sodium nitrite Dusitan sodny.JPG
A sample of sodium nitrite

According to Peel Region Police, Law "began operating" websites from which he would later sell sodium nitrite in late 2020. [17] York Regional Police alleged that he had set up at least five of these sites, also using them to peddle masks and hoods. [18] Toronto Life reported that these sites, in addition to selling suicide paraphernalia, also offered hot sauce and C$150 "consultation calls" with Law. [15] A woman who claims to be one of Law's customers described a site as being similar to Amazon, even having tracking numbers for products. She also stated that said site was dressed with other products, but only sodium nitrite was ever in stock. [19] The Sunday Times reported that one of these allegedly Law-operated websites appeared "innocent enough" and had a background of cold meats and a cheese board. [16]

An account known as Greenberg, who claimed to be a retired New York doctor, promoted Law's products on suicide forums and ran a pro-suicide blog. Greenberg, like Law, was a fan of Star Trek and had a habit of signing off with "cheers". [20] Several sources interviewed by the Toronto Star believe that Law is Greenberg, but the paper could not verify this. Greenberg, while still active, denied being affiliated with Law. [21] Greenberg ceased posting shortly before Law's 2023 arrest. Google took down the Greenberg blog a day after The Times exposé on Law. [22]

Investigation and arrest

Kenneth Law's arrest
Exclusive photo of Law being arrested in Mississauga obtained by Global News
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Law's arrest

After his son Tom committed suicide in 2021 with sodium nitrite, a man named David Parfett discovered a connection to Kenneth Law, who allegedly sold him the chemical. He tipped off The Times reporter James Beal, who went on to publish an investigation. Beal called Law, who admitted to selling sodium nitrite and allegedly confessed to instructing customers on how to commit suicide. [15] The April 2023 article also linked his products to seven deaths. [5] Shortly afterwards, Law gave an interview to The Globe and Mail where he argued that he had "no control" over what his customers did with the sodium nitrite he sold them, and was thus not criminally responsible for anything. He also accused The Times of misrepresenting his words. [5]

Peel Regional Police had been probing a suspicious death involving sodium nitrite since March 31. [23] In April 2023, after Beal had emailed Peel Regional Police about investigating the suicides, they urgently reviewed past cases of sodium nitrite poisonings. They began intercepting Law's packages by April 27, and arrested him at his Mississauga residence on May 2. [24] That month, 11 Ontario police agencies united to create a task force investigating Law's activities. [25] Police agencies in the U.S., U.K., Italy, Australia, and New Zealand also began investigating him, [26] but he is only being prosecuted in Ontario. [4] According to a Radio Canada International tally, Law is a suspect in 131 suicides worldwide, including 97 in the United Kingdom. [3] The task force investigating Law estimated that he sent 1,209 packages to 41 countries through his companies, [27] but could not say how many contained sodium nitrite. [23]

He was initially charged with two counts of counselling or aiding suicide in relation to two Peel Region deaths. [28] In August, Law was charged with 12 more counts of counselling and aiding suicide for other Ontario deaths. [29] He was additionally charged with 14 counts of second-degree murder in December, [30] which were upgraded to first-degree murder the following month. [2] As of February 2025, he was planning on pleading not guilty, with his lawyer stating that Law only sold an "otherwise legal product on the open market." [6] Law has elected not to pursue his right to bail as of September 2024. [31]

His trial was originally to take place during September and October 2025. [32] In September 2024, prosecutors requested that the Supreme Court of Canada give an opinion on whether assisting suicide can be charged as murder. [33] This appeal caused Law's trial to be delayed to January 2026. [34] His case will proceed directly to trial, without a preliminary inquiry (during which the judge would confirm if the Crown has enough evidence to prosecute the accused). [35]

Legal experts have described the case as unprecedented. [36] Unusually, Law is not accused of selling an illegal or restricted substance. [37]

In September 2024, the family of Jeshennia Bedoya Lopez, an Ontario woman who was suicidal and used products allegedly sold by Law to end her life, filed a lawsuit against him in the Newmarket Superior Court. Seven of Lopez's doctors were also named in the lawsuit for allegedly failing to provide adequate care. They announced that they were seeking damages from both Law and the doctors. [3]

Social impact

After Law's May 2023 arrest, Google Trends registered a spike in interest in sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate, presumably confused for the former, in Canada. A smaller spike in searches for these two terms occurred in August, when Law was additionally charged. [38]

In 2024, the Toronto Star reported that victims' families suspected that Law sold his products on Sanctioned Suicide, but was unable to independently verify the allegation. [39]

Channel 4 commissioned a two-part documentary, Poisoned: Killer in the Post. [40] It aired in July 2025. [41]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Law was both 57 [9] and 58 in the calendar year of 2023. [10]

References

  1. ↑ Cecco, Leyland (2023-05-03). "Canada man charged with supplying substance linked to UK and US suicides". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  2. 1 2 Arsenych, Alex (2024-01-25). "Kenneth Law now facing upgraded murder charges in Ontario sodium nitrite deaths: sources". CP24. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
  3. 1 2 3 "Kenneth Law, who sold poisonous chemical linked to 131 deaths, sued by Ontario teen's parents". RCI. 2024-09-23. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  4. 1 2 Yousif, Nadine (2024-02-02). "Canadian 'poison killer' Kenneth Law to head straight to trial" . Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Freeze, Colin; Hager, Mike (2023-04-25). "Peel Police investigate Ontario man shipping substance used in suicides". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 2025-03-05. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  6. 1 2 Daigle, Thomas (March 21, 2024). "Quebec deaths probed for links to alleged poison seller Kenneth Law". CBC.
  7. ↑ "Ontario man's trial for selling lethal substances online delayed until 2026". National Post . 10 January 2025. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  8. ↑ Beal, James (2025-07-02). "The moment I confronted the poison poster who is accused of 14 murders". The Times. Archived from the original on 2025-07-02. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  9. ↑ D'Andrea, Aaron (September 1, 2023). "Who is Kenneth Law? What we know as police worldwide investigate Canadian man". Global News. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
  10. ↑ "Former chef Kenneth Law charged with 14 counts of murder for selling kits that led to suicides in Canada". CBS News. 2023-12-12. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  11. 1 2 3 Watson, Thomas, Canadian Business, 00083100, 6/16/2009, Vol. 82, Issue 11
  12. 1 2 Mosleh, Omar (2024-01-31). "Who is Kenneth Law? What we know about the Canadian facing 14 counts of second-degree murder". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
  13. 1 2 Beal, James (2024-05-27). "Revealed: the chef selling poison to suicidal youngsters". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  14. ↑ Woodard, Jonathan (2023-08-27). "'It's sickening': Mother demands justice as deaths possibly tied to alleged suicide salesman rise to over 100". CP24. Archived from the original on 2024-02-05. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Rinaldi, Luc (October 31, 2023). "Merchant of Death". Toronto Life. Archived from the original on 2023-11-01.
  16. 1 2 Keogh, Glen (2024-05-28). "How they caught the Poison King selling death by post". The Times. ISSN   0140-0460. Archived from the original on 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  17. ↑ Wilson, Codi (2023-08-28). "New charges placed on Ontario man accused of selling self harm products linked to over 100 deaths". CTV News Toronto. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
  18. ↑ Omstead, Jordan; Baig, Fakiha (August 29, 2023). "Police lay 12 new charges against Mississauga, Ont., man accused of selling deadly substance".
  19. ↑ Callan, Isaac; McDonald, Catherine (January 30, 2024). "Alleged Kenneth Law victim says suicide website was 'like shopping on Amazon'". Global News. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  20. ↑ Beal, James (2024-02-19). "Kenneth Law posed as doctor to lure victims to poison, police fear". The Times. Archived from the original on 2025-02-14. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  21. ↑ Mosleh, Omar (2024-09-20). "Who is Kenneth Law? What we know about the Canadian facing 14 counts of second-degree murder". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2024-01-13. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  22. ↑ Omstead, Jordan (2023-05-03). "Man charged in sale of lethal substance appears in court, has case put over". CP24. Archived from the original on 2023-05-03. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  23. 1 2 "Detroit mom whose son died after consuming chemical bought online pushes for change". CBC. 2025-05-08.
  24. ↑ Freeze, Colin (2024-10-15). "Media questions spurred criminal investigation into Kenneth Law, court documents say". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 2024-10-16. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  25. ↑ Rodrigues, Gabby (2023-08-29). "12 more charges laid against Ontario man accused of aiding suicides". Global News. Archived from the original on 2025-05-15. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  26. ↑ "88 deaths linked to Canadian self-harm websites as U.K. opens investigation". CBS News. 2023-08-25. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  27. ↑ Cecco, Leyland (2023-08-29). "New charges for Canadian accused of selling drugs to people at risk of suicide". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  28. ↑ Finucane, Declan (2023-08-29). "Probe of lethal drug sales online leads to dozen more charges against Mississauga man". INsauga. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  29. ↑ "Police lay 12 new charges against Mississauga, Ont., man accused of selling deadly substance". RCI (in Canadian French). 2023-08-29. Archived from the original on 2023-09-03. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  30. ↑ Woodard, Jonathan (2023-12-11). "Kenneth Law charged with 14 counts of murder in Ontario sodium nitrite deaths". CP24. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  31. ↑ Woodward, Jon (2024-09-20). "Parents of Ontario teen sue alleged poison salesman Kenneth Law". CTVNews. Archived from the original on 2025-02-07. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  32. ↑ Daigle, Thomas (2024-06-28). "Murder trial for alleged poison seller Kenneth Law set for Sept. 2025, families told". CBC.
  33. ↑ Freeze, Colin (2024-09-24). "Crown calls on Supreme Court to clarify liability in suicide cases before Kenneth Law trial". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  34. ↑ "Ontario man's trial for selling lethal substances online delayed until 2026". National Post. 10 January 2025.
  35. ↑ Cecco, Leyland (2024-02-01). "Murder charges upgraded for Canada man who allegedly sent 'suicide kits'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  36. ↑ Mosleh, Omar (2024-09-25). "'Uncharted waters': He's been linked to deaths around the world. Why legal, cybercrime experts will be watching Kenneth Law's Canadian murder trial". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2024-09-20. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  37. ↑ Mosleh, Omar (2024-09-20). "Why the Kenneth Law murder case is unique among high-profile homicides". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
  38. ↑ Sinyor, Mark; Fraser, Lorna; Reidenberg, Dan; Yip, Paul S. F.; Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas (January 19, 2024). "The Kenneth Law Media Event – A Dangerous Natural Experiment" . Crisis. 45 (1): 1–7. doi:10.1027/0227-5910/a000942. ISSN   0227-5910. PMID   38252508.
  39. ↑ Mosleh, Omar (2024-01-31). "Users of this online forum counsel each other to take their own lives. Inside the Sanctioned Suicide community". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
  40. ↑ Saner, Emine (2025-07-02). "'I was constantly scared of what she was going to do': the troubled life and shocking death of Immy Nunn". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  41. ↑ Richardson, Hollie; Harrison, Phil; Virtue, Graeme; Davies, Hannah J.; Heritage, Stuart (2025-07-09). "TV tonight: on the trail of the man accused of murder by mail". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2025-07-21. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.