Kenneth Law pleads guilty to aiding 14 suicides in Ontario

NEWMARKET — An Ontario man accused of selling deadly substances online to people at risk of self-harm has pleaded guilty to 14 counts of aiding suicide.

Kenneth Law entered the pleas in a Newmarket, Ont., court this morning.

Law was scheduled to stand trial last month on these charges as well as 14 of first-degree murder but his defence lawyer, Matthew Gourlay, indicated that the murder charges would be withdrawn and his client would instead plead guilty to the lesser charges.

Court heard today that the Crown plans to withdraw the murder charges after Law is sentenced. A sentencing hearing is expected to take place this fall.

The 60-year-old Law appeared emotionless, nodding occasionally as he entered each plea before a packed courtroom. Some sitting in the audience dabbed their eyes with tissues.

Police have alleged Law ran several websites that were used to sell sodium nitrite and other items that can be used for self-harm, shipping some 1,200 packages to people in more than 40 countries.

They have alleged roughly 160 of those packages were sent to addresses in Canada.

All charges against him related to the same 14 people across Ontario, who were between the ages of 16 and 36.

An agreed statement of facts is being read in court, with the hearing expected to span several hours.

The families of people who died in the United Kingdom after allegedly receiving packages from Law say the country’s National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service have informed them that Law will not be facing charges there because extradition could be a lengthy process and any sentence imposed in Canada would be similar.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2026.

Kathryn Mannie and Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press