Canadian Merchant Who Aided 14 Suicides Faces Sentencing as Victims’ Families Share Their Pain

TORONTO — Families of individuals who died after purchasing lethal products from a Canadian online seller, linked to more than 100 deaths worldwide, recounted their devastation on Wednesday as the man prepares for sentencing on charges of counselling or aiding suicide in 14 cases.

Kenneth Law, a former Mississauga, Ont., chef, entered a guilty plea in May to 14 counts of counselling or aiding suicide involving victims aged 16 to 36. Court documents show he shipped roughly 1,200 packages to more than 40 countries, and prosecutors indicated that 79 deaths in the United Kingdom will also be considered during sentencing.

Canadian and international police have investigated over 100 suicides connected to Law. The charges before the Canadian court involve 14 people across Ontario, all between the ages of 16 and 36.

Police said Law used a network of websites to market and sell sodium nitrite, a meat‑curing agent that can be fatal when ingested.

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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available: in the U.S., call or text 988; visit 988lifeline.org. In the U.K., Samaritans can be reached at 116 123 or www.samaritans.org.

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The parents of 18‑year‑old Jeshennia Bedoya‑Lopez described a permanent void after losing their only daughter. Leonardo Bedoya Forero said he often feels on the verge of collapse under the weight of grief, watching his wife struggle as well.

“As a father and as a husband, the powerlessness is devastating,” he said in a victim‑impact statement read by a prosecutor. “I couldn’t save my daughter from what happened. I can’t erase my wife’s pain. I can’t erase my own.”

The court is scheduled to hear 74 victim‑impact statements over several days.

Stephen Mitchell Sr. said Law robbed his 21‑year‑old son of the chance to recover from depression.

“Stephen Mitchell Jr. once had dreams for a future and to have meaning in his life,” he said. “That is all gone now, but you, Mr. Law, are still here.”

Elisabeth Belien, a survivor from the United Kingdom, recounted purchasing a substance from Law while coping with mental‑health challenges. “Kenneth Law’s actions made it a lot easier for me to act on that despair,” she said.

Prosecutors have agreed to withdraw 14 first‑degree murder charges after Law is sentenced. The maximum penalty for aiding suicide in Canada is 14 years’ imprisonment. Law has remained in custody since his arrest at his Mississauga home in May 2023.

This week’s hearing is devoted to victim‑impact statements. Lawyers are set to present sentencing arguments on Nov. 27, with the judge expected to impose a sentence shortly thereafter.

In the U.K., prosecutors investigated Law in connection with 112 deaths but decided not to charge or seek extradition. The decision reflects concerns that a U.K. prosecution could be challenged under double‑jeopardy rules, which bar trying a person twice for the same offence.

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