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Poison seller Kenneth Law has now pleaded guilty to 14 charges of aiding and abetting suicide, as murder charges against the Ontario man will be withdrawn by the Crown.
Law pleaded guilty to the charges in a Newmarket courthouse on Friday morning.
Law was arrested in 2023 in connection with 14 deaths in Ontario after he was accused of aiding and abetting those suicides by supplying the victims with the chemical sodium nitrite, which is typically used to preserve meat but is deadly when consumed in high concentrations.
At the time of his arrest, police said Law sent more than 1,200 packages to 41 countries, selling the deadly chemical and other items that can be used for self-harm through multiple websites.
The youngest victim in Ontario was just 16 years old.
Murder charges previously laid against Law will be withdrawn, Crown attorney Peter Westgate said Friday, as a higher court ruling made it impossible to proceed with those charges.
“This is the binding authority in Ontario. The decision makes a murder prosecution in this case impossible,” he told the court.
“It is our obligation to assist with a reasonable prosecution in light of all charges before the court.”
As Law confirmed his guilty plea on each count, family members of the victims sat quietly looking on, as some cried and others shook their heads.
Before a packed court, prosecutors read out the agreed statement of facts in the case, outlining the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the 14 in Ontario and 79 others in the United Kingdom.
According to an agreed statement of facts read in court, some people who consumed the products called 911, complaining of pain and vomiting. They conveyed that they wished they had not taken the substance and did not want to die.
The court heard that Law’s income from sales neared $300,000, and he used platforms such as Shopify and PayPal.
CTV News Toronto previously confirmed that Law will not face charges in relation to the deaths in the U.K.
In a letter to British victims, prosecutors said the victims in England and Wales will be included as “part of Mr. Law’s sentencing in Canada.”
“This would allow the judge to reflect the full extent of Mr. Law’s criminal behaviour, including the fact that his actions resulted in the deaths of people in this country and that he sent products to many others around the world,” the letter read.
Some of those who died were found by family members, including one victim’s four-year-old daughter.
The court heard that Law made about $300,000 from selling the products online.
Law is expected to be sentenced some time this fall. Under the Criminal Code, those found guilty of aiding suicide could face up to 14 years in prison.
‘Overwhelming sadness’
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse on Friday, Kim Prosser, the mother of one of the victims, 19-year-old Ashtyn Prosser-Blake, said the court proceedings have been “heavy.”
“It’s a lot of information,” she said. “A lot of overwhelming sadness for each of the individual families.”
She described her son as “a brilliant kid” who excelled in school without trying.
“It’s been three years for me... Three years of uncelebrated birthdays,” she said through tears.
Prosser said her son’s mental health struggles began during the COVID-19 pandemic shortly before he turned 18.
He was in Thunder Bay when he took his own life one month before his 20th birthday, Prosser said.
“I carry forward his legacy in my heart and in my soul,” she said.
Stephen Mitchell Sr. welcomed Friday’s plea but said Law should have been stopped sooner.
“I don’t know the full story of how this plea deal came to be, and perhaps the full story may never be known now that the trial will never happen in this great country where the crime occurred, what I do know is that this day should have happened much, much sooner, and perhaps dozens of young lives of the vulnerable, like my son, might still be alive today,” said Mitchell Sr., the father of 21-year-old Stephen Mitchell Jr.
He described his son, who died by suicide in 2023, as an intelligent and thoughtful man “who was just trying to find a purpose.”
“But like so many other youth growing up in this troubled world, he struggled to find his way and fell into a deep depression,” Mitchell Sr. told reporters outside the courthouse. He was flanked by other family members who held up a picture of Mitchell Jr.
His son came across Law’s website, which he said offered him a “quick fix” and sold him a “painful chemical to do it.”
Mitchell Sr. also acknowledged the families of Law’s victims in the U.K. and the U.S. for speaking out and bringing attention to the crimes.
“We grieve with you. You are heroes, because had you not spoken up, likely dozens of additional young Canadians and many others around the world would be dead due to the actions of Mr. Law today,” he said.
With files from The Canadian Press
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If you or someone you know is in crisis or struggling with mental illness, here are some resources that are available.
Canada Suicide Crisis Helpline (Call or text 988 or visit 988.ca)
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (1-800-463-2338)
Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868)
If you need immediate assistance call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2026.
