Canadian pleads guilty to selling deadly substances to suicide victims
Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
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Outcome reported
- A Canadian man pleaded guilty to 14 charges of counseling or aiding suicide in connection with the online sale of deadly substances to individuals who used them to end their lives.
- Kenneth Law, 60, is suspected of sending at least 1,200 packages of sodium nitrite to over 40 countries, with 160 allegedly sent within Canada.
- Sentencing is scheduled for September, and prosecutors in the UK decided not to charge Law due to double-jeopardy laws, though they will provide evidence of 79 British victims for the Canadian sentencing.
Kenneth Law, a Canadian man, pleaded guilty to 14 charges of counseling or aiding suicide on May 29, 2026. He admitted to selling deadly substances online to individuals who used them to end their lives. Law appeared in Newmarket, Ontario, court and pleaded guilty to the charges. Canadian prosecutors will withdraw 14 first-degree murder charges against him as part of a plea agreement.
The accused Kenneth Law pleaded guilty to 14 counts of counseling or aiding suicide.
Law, 60, is suspected of using various online platforms to advertise and sell sodium nitrite, a substance commonly used in meat curing that can be lethal if ingested. Police in Canada and globally have been investigating over 100 suicides linked to Law. Authorities believe he sent at least 1,200 packages of the substance to more than 40 countries, with 160 packages allegedly sent to Canadian addresses.
Law has been in custody since his arrest in May 2023. In the UK, prosecutors decided not to charge him or seek extradition in relation to 112 deaths. This decision was partly based on the belief that Law could invoke double-jeopardy laws, which prevent someone from being tried twice for the same crime. British prosecutors stated that the Canadian judge would consider the 79 British victims who died as a direct result of purchasing Law's products during sentencing.
Law is suspected of sending at least 1,200 packages of the substance to more than 40 countries, with 160 allegedly sent to Canadian addresses.
In Canada, individuals found guilty of aiding suicide can face up to 14 years in prison, while murder charges carry a life sentence with no parole eligibility for 25 years. Assisted suicide is legal in Canada for adults over 18 with a serious illness, infection, or disability, but it must be administered by a medical professional. Recommending suicide is prohibited under Canadian law.
Prosecutors in the UK decided not to charge him or seek extradition in relation to 112 deaths.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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