Kenneth Law to face 1st-degree murder charge as new intelligence emerges in poison seller case

Alleged poison seller Kenneth Law will face at least one first-degree murder charge in connection with a death in Ontario, CBC News has learned.

The upgraded count signals another significant shift in the way authorities approach the case. Law initially faced charges of abetting suicide last year; 14 counts of second-degree murder were later added.

Toronto-area police have alleged Law, 58, operated websites selling a potentially lethal substance to clients at risk of self-harm. According to a tally by CBC News, his products are suspected of being connected to at least 124 deaths worldwide — most of them in the United Kingdom.

Canadian authorities recently shared new intelligence with British investigators suggesting the Ontario man had sent out more packages containing suicide paraphernalia than initially thought.

Until now, Law was charged with both second-degree murder and counselling or aiding suicide in connection with 14 deaths across Ontario. It’s not clear how many of the second-degree murder charges will be upgraded to first degree, nor when Law will make his next court appearance.

York Regional Police Insp. Simon James, who co-ordinates the sprawling Ontario investigation, said in December the second-degree murder charges stemmed from unspecified evidence that had come to light.

“We are constantly assessing evidence,” he said.

According to the Criminal Code, a first-degree murder is a homicide that’s both planned and deliberate. A contract killing — when someone pays to order a death — is considered first-degree murder. The lesser charge of second-degree murder generally applies when the killing is deliberate but no planning was involved.

First-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no possibility of parole for 25 years.

Before the charges were upgraded, the parents of one of Law’s alleged victims told CBC they hope the perpetrator will feel “the full weight of the law.”

Law has previously denied wrongdoing.

Law, a former hotel cook, has been in custody since his arrest in Mississauga, Ont., last May. Around that time, Interpol distributed the names and addresses of Law’s customers — provided by Canadian investigators — for authorities to carry out wellness checks in the U.S., France, Malta, Australia and elsewhere.

The U.K.’s National Crime Agency was initially informed of 272 buyers in Britain but recently learned of 16 further purchases made before Law’s arrest. In all, 93 Britons are now believed to have died after placing an order from Law’s websites.

New evidence against alleged poison seller Kenneth Law, police say

Police in the Toronto area say they have new evidence against alleged poison seller Kenneth Law that warrants 14 second-degree murder charges in addition to the previous charges of counselling or aiding suicide.

Ontario’s Peel Regional Police declined to say how investigators learned of the additional buyers. The provincial task force handling the case has previously said Law was believed to have sent 1,200 packages to more than 40 countries, and roughly 160 to Canadian addresses.

Peel police would not provide updated figures or further details, Const. Donna Carlson said Thursday, “in order to protect the integrity of this complex, multi-jurisdictional investigation.”

B.C. RCMP, as well as police in Montreal, Calgary and Moose Jaw, Sask., have all confirmed their own probes. Deaths have been reported in multiple countries including Italy, Ireland and New Zealand.

Law has only been charged in Ontario.

Alleged victim was ‘everything’ to her parents

Police have said Law’s alleged victims, in Ontario cities including Toronto, London and Thunder Bay, were as young as 16. The parents of Jeshennia Bedoya-Lopez, from Aurora, Ont., told CBC she had only recently turned 18 when she died on Sep. 10, 2022.

“She was our only daughter and she was everything to us,” Jeshennia’s father, Leonardo Bedoya, said in a recent interview. Her mother, Maria Lopez, described her as “a jokester, a good student, a good daughter” and a good source of advice.

The couple said their daughter had just graduated from high school in June 2022 and dreamt of one day becoming a police officer. At times, they said they considered moving back to Leonardo’s native Colombia or to Spain, where the couple met, but Jeshennia insisted on staying in Canada.

They said they learned of the connection to Law when detectives paid them a visit 10 months after Jeshennia’s suicide.

“We were in shock,” Leonardo recalled. He said he and his wife hope Law spends the rest of his days behind bars. People “don’t know all the damage he’s done to the world,” Leonardo said.

Maria wears a necklace bearing Jeshennia’s picture. “It’s the only thing that consoles me,” she said.

Accused intends to plead not guilty

Law’s lawyer, Matthew Gourlay, has told media outlets that his client intends to plead not guilty to the charges.

“To my knowledge, in Canada there has never been a prosecution for this offence (aiding suicide) where the conduct in question is selling an otherwise-legal product on the open market,” Gourlay told CBC in an email before murder charges were added.

Police have said Law sold a toxic salt that can be legally purchased but has proven lethal when consumed in pure form. The same substance is commonly used as a highly diluted food additive.

Leonardo Bedoya urged anyone suffering from mental health struggles to seek support, even if they don’t feel comfortable speaking with family. “Find help from other people and let yourself be helped,” he said. “Life is worth a lot.”

Suicides could have been prevented if police stopped alleged poison-seller, mother says

A mother says police did not follow up after she reported that her daughter bought chemicals online that she later used to try to kill herself. The Ontario-based seller has been linked to more than 20 deaths around the world but was only arrested a year after the mother reported it to police.

If you have a news tip related to this story, contact CBC News senior reporter Thomas Daigle by email: thomas.daigle@cbc.ca.

If you or someone you know is struggling, here’s where to get help:

• Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 988

• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (phone), live chat counselling on the website.

• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.

• This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you’re worried about.