Kenneth Law, accused in sodium nitrite deaths, sent 160 parcels within Canada, police say

Open this photo in gallery:

A man accused of murder for allegedly selling a poisonous substance to suicidal people shipped about 160 packages to addresses within Canada, police said Tuesday.

Inspector Simon James, of the York Regional Police, told a news conference that 11 police forces from across Ontario have teamed up on a continuing investigation into the man, Kenneth Law, who has been charged with 14 counts of second-degree murder. The charges are all tied to deaths in the province that police say Mr. Law caused or aided.

Insp. James said detectives are sharing evidence with police in other provinces, as well as law enforcement agencies in other countries. “We are aware of other victims in other jurisdictions,” he said.

In total, investigators say they believe Mr. Law shipped more than 1,200 packages to more than 40 countries. Many of the parcels are believed to have contained sodium nitrite, a salt used in curing meats that is lethal if consumed in high concentrations. The substance is not illegal in Canada.

“We have seized sodium nitrite that is suspected of being used in this case,” Insp. James told reporters.

Mr. Law is in custody ahead of a scheduled Dec. 19 court date. Aside from the second-degree murder charges, he also faces 14 counts of aiding suicide, laid earlier this year in relation to the same deaths. The murder charges, which are more serious and carry an automatic penalty of life in prison upon conviction, were added on Monday. Those who died were aged between 16 and 36, and took their own lives over the past three years.

Mr. Law, a former chef, was arrested in May, days after the Times of London published the results of an investigation into him. The newspaper detailed how a series of online businesses allegedly linked to Mr. Law and established during the pandemic sold sodium nitrite to vulnerable people who had been participating in online forums that promote suicide.

Mr. Law has denied criminal wrongdoing in past interviews. According to his lawyer, he plans to plead not guilty to the charges.

Insp. James would not say why police and prosecutors had escalated their case this week by charging Mr. Law with second-degree murder. The new charges will require prosecutors to prove that Mr. Law was directly responsible for the 14 deaths, beyond acting as an accomplice to suicides.

“I can say that evidence has come in that supports the charge of second-degree murder,” Insp. James said.

In August, Britain’s National Crime Agency announced that 232 people in the country had been identified as customers of Mr. Law. The agency also said it believed that 88 deaths there could be tied to Mr. Law’s enterprises.

No criminal charges against Mr. Law have been announced outside of Canada.

During his remarks, Insp. James emphasized how young several of the alleged Canadian victims were.

“I will say that more than one victim was under the age of 18,” he said.

One of the people Mr. Law now stands accused of murdering is Ashtyn Prosser-Blake, a 19-year-old honour roll student from Thunder Bay who died in March. His mother, Kim Prosser, said in an interview that the murder charge “doesn’t change anything” for her.

“I would like to know more about Kenneth Law and his story,” she said.

“It’s not about redemption for me; it’s more about comprehension of a larger picture and learning ways in which we can create a system that’s preventative of outcomes that affect all of us. I don’t think these new charges provide any resolution, and my preference is forgiveness and not retribution.”

Another of Mr. Law’s alleged victims is Jeshennia Bedoya-Lopez, an 18-year-old from Aurora, Ont. Her father, Leonardo Bedoya, said the family is shattered. The young woman died in September, 2022.

“Every day of our life is hell; we only had one daughter,” Mr. Bedoya said in a text message to The Globe and Mail on Tuesday. “My daughter was my great treasure.”