Prosecutors in Canada have upgraded murder charges against the man who allegedly mailed “suicide kits” and is allegedly linked to more than 100 deaths in several countries.
Kenneth Law, who is due to appear in court on Thursday, now faces 14 counts in Ontario of first-degree murder and 14 counts of counselling and aiding suicide in the province. Canada’s criminal code punishes anyone who “counsels or abets” a person to die by suicide with a sentence of up to 14 years in prison. The victims range in age from 16 to 36.
Investigators say Law, who was first arrested in May, ran several websites that were used to sell toxic substances that can be used for self-harm, shipping them to people in more than 40 countries.
In Canada, the investigation spans 11 police jurisdictions within Ontario. Two cities in the province of Saskatchewan are each investigating a death that officials believe could be linked to the toxic substance allegedly mailed by Law. The city of Calgary is investigating two deaths and a division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia says it is revisiting six deaths.
The UK’s National Crime Agency is also conducting an investigation into potential crimes allegedly committed by Law after it linked him to 88 deaths in Britain.
On Tuesday, the prosecutors in Ontario upgraded the charges against Law.
Previously, Law, a former aerospace engineer working at a high-end hotel kitchen, was facing more than a dozen second-degree murder charges for his role in selling toxic substances through a number of shell companies. The prosecutors’ decision to upgrade the charges suggests that they believe they have enough evidence to prove Law deliberately took steps to ensure the death of his customers.
The province’s attorney general also said it would proceed by direct indictment, bypassing a preliminary inquiry to send Law’s case directly to trial in Ontario’s superior court. In Canada, those facing murder charges qualify for a pre-trial hearing in order for a judge to determine if prosecutors have enough evidence for a criminal trial.
None of the charges against Law have been tested in court.
Law’s lawyer, Matthew Gourlay, says his client will plead not guilty to the charges and plans to file a Rowbotham application, which is used to request government funds for legal representation when someone is accused of a serious offence and has been denied legal aid.
In Canada, Crisis Services Canada can be contacted at any time on 1.833.456.4566, or via text on 45645 from 4pm-12am ET. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
