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Kenneth Law to plead guilty to aiding suicide as 14 murder charges dropped, lawyer says
An Ontario man facing 14 murder charges will have those charges dropped by Crown prosecutors and will in turn plead guilty to the lesser charge of counselling or aiding suicide, his lawyer told National Post.
Kenneth Law was arrested in May 2023 following a Times of London investigation into his alleged crimes, and charged with 14 counts of second-degree murder in December of that year. Peel Police also charged Law with 14 counts of counselling and aiding suicide.
On Saturday, his lawyer, Matthew Gourlay of Henein Hutchison Robitaille LLP, confirmed to National Post that the murder charges will be dropped and that Law will plead guilty to counselling or aiding suicide.
Canada’s Criminal Code carries an automatic sentence of life in prison for first- or second-degree murder, with no chance for parole for 25 years. However, the charge of counselling or aiding suicide carries a maximum sentence of 14 years.
According to news reports , a date for the plea will be scheduled in May when Law appears before a judge in Newmarket, Ont., on Monday.
Law’s trial had been expected to last eight weeks, after several delays pushed its start date to January 2026 and then to this month. Earlier reporting said Law was expected to plead not guilty to the murder charges.
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.
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.
Police in Canada said 14 alleged victims in this country 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.
If you’re thinking about suicide or are worried about a friend or loved one, please contact 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline by calling or texting 9-8-8 toll free. The service is available 24/7. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.
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