December 16, 2023

Who is alleged serial killer Kenneth Law?

Who is alleged serial killer Kenneth Law and what is he accused of reports the National Post.

Here’s what we know about Law, who was arrested in May 2023 following a Times of London investigation into his alleged crimes

An Ontario man accused of operating several websites that sold mail-order suicide kits in Canada and around the world was charged with 14 counts of second-degree murder on Tuesday.

Peel Police have previously charged Kenneth Law, 57, with 14 counts of counselling and aiding suicide.

Who is Kenneth Law?

Law, a resident of Mississauga, is a licensed engineer who worked as a chef at the historic Royal Fairmont Hotel in Toronto before his arrest. According to media reports, Law was $130,000 in debt and had declared bankruptcy in April 2020.

Law allegedly started to operate the websites he used to market self-harm materials in late 2020.

What is he accused of?

Law is accused of running websites that sold sodium nitrite, a food additive that is deadly if consumed, and other items that can be used for self-harm, including gas masks.

Investigators believe more than 1,200 packages were sent out globally, and about 160 were sent in Canada. Police accuse Law of shipping more than 40 countries.

British police have said they identified 232 people in the United Kingdom, 88 of whom died, who bought products from Canada-based websites allegedly linked to Law.

Authorities in the United States, Italy, Australia and New Zealand have also announced their own investigations.

Who are his alleged victims?

Police said all 28 charges against Kenneth Law relate to the same 14 alleged victims, who were between the ages of 16 and 36 and died in communities across Ontario, as far north as Thunder Bay and as far southwest as London, Ont.

More than one victim was under the age of 18, they said.

None of the accusations have been proven in court. Matthew Gourlay, Law’s lawyer, told Canadian Press his client would be pleading not guilty to all charges.

What will happen next?

Law’s next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 19. Authorities outside of Ontario are also investigating possible links between deaths in their jurisdictions and Law’s alleged activities.

“We are collaborating with law enforcement agencies on a daily basis globally, from countries all over the world,” York Region police Insp. Simon James, the case manager of the Canadian investigation said in a news conference Tuesday.

One of the difficulties in the case relates to the number and location of websites potentially linked to the investigation, he said.

“One of the challenges that we face (is that) a number of these sites are located in other countries where Canadian law does not apply or Canadian orders necessarily don’t apply,” he added.

— Additional reporting from The Canadian Press