Latest news with #KennethLaw
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Daily Mail
The Poison Killer' denies wrongdoing for encouraging vulnerable people to kill themselves in chilling new documentary
A journalist has revealed the chilling response he received when confronting the 'Poison King', who is linked to 99 deaths in the UK and is facing 12 murder charges in Canada. Kenneth Law, a chef from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is accused of sending over 1,200 packages of poison across the globe and is facing multiple first-degree murder charges in Canada. He has pleaded not guilty. Outside of Canada, the National Crime Agency said it launched its probe into the deaths of people in the UK who bought substances online to assist with suicide. Law is thought to have knowingly sold poison to vulnerable people who intended to commit suicide, resulting in devastated families who have lost children and siblings to the poison flogged on the chef's website. When grieving family members went to the authorities regarding the website, they reported being brushed off, with police telling them there's nothing they can do. James Beal, Deputy Investigations Editor at The Times, took the case on and, after a long search in the dark world of online suicide forums, he managed to track Law down in his hometown in Canada, where he led him to admit to selling poison online. 'When I started looking into this story, I had no idea it was going to become as prolific as it's become,' Beal said in Channel 4's Poisoned: Killer in the Post, adding, 'I had no sense that it was going to involve the deaths of hundreds of people from a deadly poison being sold all over the world, intentionally.' However, when Beal finally tracked Law down, he refused accountability. He said, 'It's not my business, it's their life,' adding, 'You can buy a gun, they are committing suicide, I'm not doing anything, I'm just selling a product.' The two-part documentary followed Beal after he heard from a father, who lost his son to the poison purchased on Law's website. He told Beal of his frustrations about the police's failure to pursue Law's website, despite knowingly assisting suicide being a criminal offence. 'When I spoke to [the father], I couldn't understand why police weren't investigating,' Beal said, continuing, 'It was his belief that the person who was selling the poison knew he was assisting a suicide, and it is illegal to assist suicide. 'I felt there was the chance to expose something going on here that hadn't been noticed before. 'After the call with David, I went straight onto [the website], and the first thing you could see is a plate of cold meats, and if you scroll down on the website, it appears to be selling products you might use around the home, liquid food flavouring, salts, and then nestled among them was the poison.' Beal continued, 'I wanted to find out who was behind it, who ran it, and what exactly was going on.' 'Under the contact information, there was a P.O. box address in Canada, located in a city called Mississauga, about 45 minutes west of Toronto. There was also a phone number and an email address. 'These two websites were definitely more explicit with their content and quite clearly selling goods for purposes of suicide.' One testimony reviewing the poison on the website read: 'Yeah, it's a little pricey, but it's probably the last $1000 I'm going to spend.' After browsing the website, Beal said, 'It was shocking to see a website like this could operate under the radar. On both websites, the email address and contact details were the same. 'I googled his name, and immediately a CV popped up of a Kenneth Law, dated from 2005, and then at the bottom of the website, there was a picture of Kenneth Law himself dressed up in a tuxedo smiling at the camera.' 'I had no doubt that there was someone called Kenneth Law living in Ontario, but would somebody really be as brazen or as foolish to use their real name on a website that may well be conducting criminality?' To get to the bottom of the website, Beal settled on tracking down Law. He said, 'I was looking for any information about him, where he might live and what he might be up to other than these websites. 'When I did social media searches, I found the same picture as on the CV for a Kenneth Law in Canada. 'He didn't have many public posts; there was one strange post about erotic art, and there were other posts about the TV show Star Trek. 'A large percentage of his Facebook friends appeared to work at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, a five-star hotel in downtown Toronto. I guessed that either he worked there or had worked there at some stage. 'I was beginning to piece together who this person was,' Beal said, adding, 'There was enough information in front of me to try and conduct a full investigation around the website and the substance.' 'This is someone who's evaded scrutiny and accountability for almost two years...I needed to get him on the phone to admit this.' By January 2023, Beal managed to get Law on the phone by purchasing a 40-minute consultation call advertised on one of his websites, designed to guide prospective buyers. Beal said 'I decided to speak to Kenneth Law under the guise of someone who needed help to get him to tell me things. 'I needed to get him to admit on the phone that he was selling intentionally to a person who was suicidal. This would be the one and only chance to nail down who he was and find out the scale of his operation. Under the name of John, James told Ken that he wanted to be sure about the purchase he would soon be making, asking, 'What do you think the chances are that it will kill me?'' Kenneth said, 'There's a very high probability it will kill you, it's killed hundreds of others.' When asked whether it's illegal, he responded, saying, 'It's a grey area, as long as I don't sell it with intent to commit suicide, then it's fine.' Tom then asked, 'And you can assure me that you've done this before will people in the UK?' Ken assured him that he has, and that they've died because of it. (PICTURE) He added that he believes the figure of deaths caused by the poison in the UK is in the hundreds. Beal said, 'After the undercover call with Kenneth Law, I was enormously shocked. He was being incredibly reckless and open, it clearly didn't cross his mind that he could be speaking to a journalist.' The journalist had received the confirmation he needed to travel to Canada to search for Law. Beal managed to track him down by the PO address on his website. But after months of searching and longing to confront the poison seller, Law seemed indifferent when he approached him. Law told him, 'They're committing suicide themselves, I'm just selling a product. You can buy a gun. I'm sorry - they had their intentions, I can't stop them.' Beal said, 'He took no responsibility for the fact that people had already died because of this poison, and I knew he would continue to sell it if I didn't try and stop him. In April 2023, The Times published Beal's investigation, leading to Law's arrest one week later. He is facing 14 counts of first-degree murder and 14 counts of aiding and assisting suicide in Ontario, Canada. He is being held at Central East Correctional Facility until his trial. In the UK, no charges have been brought against him, even though he has been linked to 99 deaths in Britain. The suicide forum is still running, and the poison is still readily available from other sellers. Law's trial for the 14 victims is scheduled for January 2026. He did not respond to allegations made in the Channel 4 series.
Scottish Sun
10-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Who is Kenneth Law, and when will alleged ‘poison killer' stand trial?
Find out what he's on trial for and why it has been delayed TRIAL TIME Who is Kenneth Law, and when will alleged 'poison killer' stand trial? Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A BRITISH university student's death uncovered a string of suicides across the world that involved buying lethal but legal substances online. Poisoned: Killer in the Post is a two-part documentary series on Channel 4 which exposes how a deadly poison was sold online to aid people to commit suicide. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Poisoned: Killer in the Post is a two-part documentary series on Channel 4 Credit: Wonderhood 4 Tom Parfett died alone in a Premier Inn room after buying and using the poison often found on suicide forums. Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk The investigations began after university student Tom Parfett died alone in a Premier Inn room after buying and using the poison often found on suicide forums. Police in Canada have arrested and charged one man, Kenneth Law, with first-degree murder and aiding suicide in connection with providing the product to people in Ontario. But after Tom's father, David and The Times investigated further they found an eerily similar pattern of deaths using the same method in the UK, US, Canada, Germany and Australia. Samantha Anstiss, from Wonderhood studios which produced the documentary, said: 'This urgent and powerful series is testimony to the bravery of bereaved families determined to prevent further deaths and stop young people from being preyed upon online.' Who is Kenneth Law? 4 Law began working as an aerospace engineer before becoming a chef Credit: The Times Kenneth Law is a 59-year-old Canadian from Ontario. He holds degrees in industrial engineering from the University of Toronto, management science from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from York University. Mr Law began as an aerospace engineer before he became a chef working at a five-star hotel in Toronto called the Fairmont Royal York. It was there where he allegedly ran a sideline business selling poison online to people who wanted to take their own lives. What has he been alleged to have done? 4 Law has been charged with 14 counts of first-degree murder and 14 of counselling or aiding suicide relating to 14 Canadian victims Credit: AP The 59-year-old was arrested by police in Canada in May 2023, after The Times had published a piece revealing the findings of their investigation. Canadian police allege he sent 1,209 packages to 41 countries but cannot say how many contained poison. The UK's National Crime Agency has connected Law to 99 deaths in Britain. Mr Law was originally charged with two counts of counselling or aiding suicide, but this has now been upgraded to 28 counts, including 14 of first-degree murder and 14 of counselling or aiding suicide relating to 14 Canadian victims. Under Canadian law, first-degree murder is defined as being the deliberate and planned killing of another person. All of the charges are linked to the deaths of people from across Ontario, aged 16 to 36. He is intending to plead not guilty. When is he to stand trial? Mr Law is set to stand trial for all 28 charges in January 2026. The trial was scheduled initially for autumn 2025 but prosecutors requested the Supreme Court of Canada give an opinion on whether assisting suicide can be charged as murder. This request is why the trial has been delayed until the start of next year. Mr Law is currently in prison awaiting trial. If convicted, he faces imprisonment for life with no possibility of parole for 25 years.
The Irish Sun
10-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Who is Kenneth Law, and when will alleged ‘poison killer' stand trial?
A BRITISH university student's death uncovered a string of suicides across the world that involved buying lethal but legal substances online. Poisoned: Killer in the Post is a two-part documentary series on Channel 4 which exposes Advertisement 4 Poisoned: Killer in the Post is a two-part documentary series on Channel 4 Credit: Wonderhood 4 Tom Parfett died alone in a Premier Inn room after buying and using the poison often found on suicide forums. Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk The investigations began after university student Police in Canada have arrested and charged one man, Kenneth Law, with first-degree murder and aiding suicide in connection with providing the product to people in Ontario. But after Tom's father, David and Samantha Anstiss, from Wonderhood studios which produced the documentary, said: 'This urgent and powerful series is testimony to the bravery of bereaved families determined to prevent further deaths and stop young people from being preyed upon online.' Advertisement Read more on Kenneth Law Who is Kenneth Law? 4 Law began working as an aerospace engineer before becoming a chef Credit: The Times Kenneth Law is a 59-year-old Canadian from Ontario. He holds degrees in industrial engineering from the University of Toronto, management science from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from York University. Mr Law began as an aerospace engineer before he became a chef working at a five-star hotel in Toronto called the Fairmont Royal York. Advertisement It was there where he allegedly ran a sideline business selling poison online to people who wanted to take their own lives. Most read in The Sun What has he been alleged to have done? 4 Law has been charged with 14 counts of first-degree murder and 14 of counselling or aiding suicide relating to 14 Canadian victims Credit: AP The 59-year-old was arrested by police in Canada in May 2023, after The Times had published a piece revealing the findings of their investigation. Canadian police allege he sent 1,209 packages to 41 countries but cannot say how many contained poison. Advertisement The UK's National Crime Agency Mr Law was originally charged with two counts of counselling or aiding suicide, but this has now been upgraded to 28 counts, including 14 of first-degree murder and 14 of counselling or aiding suicide relating to 14 Canadian victims. Under Canadian law, first-degree murder is defined as being the deliberate and planned killing of another person. All of the charges are linked to the deaths of people from across Ontario, aged 16 to 36. Advertisement He is intending to plead not guilty. When is he to stand trial? Mr Law is set to stand trial for all 28 charges in January 2026. The trial was scheduled initially for autumn 2025 but prosecutors requested the Supreme Court of Canada give an opinion on whether assisting suicide can be charged as murder. This request is why the trial has been delayed until the start of next year. Advertisement Mr Law is currently in prison awaiting trial. If convicted, he faces imprisonment for life with no possibility of parole for 25 years.
The Sun
10-07-2025
- The Sun
Who is Kenneth Law, and when will alleged ‘poison killer' stand trial?
A BRITISH university student's death uncovered a string of suicides across the world that involved buying lethal but legal substances online. Poisoned: Killer in the Post is a two-part documentary series on Channel 4 which exposes how a deadly poison was sold online to aid people to commit suicide. 4 The investigations began after university student Tom Parfett died alone in a Premier Inn room after buying and using the poison often found on suicide forums. Police in Canada have arrested and charged one man, Kenneth Law, with first-degree murder and aiding suicide in connection with providing the product to people in Ontario. But after Tom's father, David and The Times investigated further they found an eerily similar pattern of deaths using the same method in the UK, US, Canada, Germany and Australia. Samantha Anstiss, from Wonderhood studios which produced the documentary, said: 'This urgent and powerful series is testimony to the bravery of bereaved families determined to prevent further deaths and stop young people from being preyed upon online.' Who is Kenneth Law? 4 Kenneth Law is a 59-year-old Canadian from Ontario. He holds degrees in industrial engineering from the University of Toronto, management science from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from York University. Mr Law began as an aerospace engineer before he became a chef working at a five-star hotel in Toronto called the Fairmont Royal York. It was there where he allegedly ran a sideline business selling poison online to people who wanted to take their own lives. What has he been alleged to have done? 4 The 59-year-old was arrested by police in Canada in May 2023, after The Times had published a piece revealing the findings of their investigation. Canadian police allege he sent 1,209 packages to 41 countries but cannot say how many contained poison. The UK's National Crime Agency has connected Law to 99 deaths in Britain. Mr Law was originally charged with two counts of counselling or aiding suicide, but this has now been upgraded to 28 counts, including 14 of first-degree murder and 14 of counselling or aiding suicide relating to 14 Canadian victims. Under Canadian law, first-degree murder is defined as being the deliberate and planned killing of another person. All of the charges are linked to the deaths of people from across Ontario, aged 16 to 36. He is intending to plead not guilty. When is he to stand trial? Mr Law is set to stand trial for all 28 charges in January 2026. The trial was scheduled initially for autumn 2025 but prosecutors requested the Supreme Court of Canada give an opinion on whether assisting suicide can be charged as murder. This request is why the trial has been delayed until the start of next year. Mr Law is currently in prison awaiting trial. If convicted, he faces imprisonment for life with no possibility of parole for 25 years.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Yahoo
Two new U.K. deaths probed for links to alleged poison seller Kenneth Law
British authorities are investigating whether a man facing murder charges in Canada — where he has been in custody for two years — may be linked to two additional recent deaths. Investigators now suspect Kenneth Law may have supplied as many as 99 people in the U.K. with a toxic salt, or other items used to die by suicide. CBC News has learned the two recent deaths in Britain occurred this past April and May. Law, who worked as a cook at a Toronto hotel, was arrested by Peel Regional Police at his Mississauga, Ont., home in May 2023. He has been in custody ever since. He is charged with 14 counts of first-degree murder and 14 counts of counselling or aiding suicide in connection with 14 deaths in Ontario. Authorities have called it one of the largest murder cases ever prosecuted in the province. Law's lawyer Matthew Gourlay has said his client will plead not guilty when his trial begins in January. WATCH | Police sought to intercept packages sent by Law: Police say Law, 59, ran websites selling a legal — but potentially lethal — chemical, and other suicide paraphernalia, to at-risk clients around the world. Investigators say Law sent some 1,200 packages to buyers in 40 countries before his websites were shut down. Canadian authorities alerted Interpol to the potentially dangerous parcels in the spring of 2023 after Britain's Times of London first reported on Law's online sales. Officers carried out wellness checks on buyers in several countries, while Peel police sought to intercept packages already in the mail. The addition of two further deaths in the U.K. this year raises the prospect that authorities did not manage to seize all the parcels shipped by Law before his arrest. Britain's National Crime Agency said in a statement Wednesday it's exploring "all viable leads linked to these websites and a Canadian suspect in order to identify evidence of crimes committed in the U.K." Before his arrest, Law told CBC News the allegations against him are "false." "This has been a very distressing experience," he said. A CBC News investigation has found Law's products may be linked to 133 deaths worldwide, including in the U.S., Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, New Zealand and multiple Canadian provinces. The criminal charges stem from deaths across Ontario, including that of a 16-year-old whose identity is covered by a publication because they were a minor. The families of 18-year-old Jeshennia Bedoya Lopez, 19-year-old Ashtyn Prosser, and Stephen Mitchell Jr., 21, have all identified their loved ones as alleged victims in the case. Charges could be 'impossible' to prosecute The murder charges laid against Law appear to hinge on a separate case before the Supreme Court of Canada. The top court is reviewing a ruling by Ontario's Court of Appeal which deals with the interplay between murder and assisted suicide. That ruling — involving a nurse who injected insulin into herself, her mother and her daughter — suggests a person may only be liable for murder if they both provided a person who died by suicide with the lethal substance but also "overbore the victim's freewill in choosing suicide." Ontario Crown lawyers argue that standard, which they contend shifts focus onto the victim's intent from the accused's actions, may make it practically "impossible" to prosecute cases where the victim dies, since their intent may be unknowable. Law's lawyer said the matter shows the case against his client is "not legally viable." A decision from the Supreme Court of Canada is expected in the coming months.
