According to authorities, a man from Canada has been accused of aiding 14 individuals in Ontario to end their lives by sending them poisonous substances through the mail. The police announced on Tuesday that he is facing 14 charges of second-degree murder.
58-year-old Kenneth Law was previously accused of 14 counts of assisting or encouraging suicide.
According to authorities, Law distributed approximately 160 harmful packages to individuals in Canada and also shipped over 1,200 packages to various locations in more than 40 nations.
Inspector Simon James of the York police force, a district in northern Toronto, stated during a televised press conference that the multitude of charges being laid is of great importance and has been thoroughly considered by the investigative team.
The individuals affected were between the ages of 16 and 36. However, James chose not to disclose their identities or provide a reason for the increased charges against Law. He also stated that he was unaware of the number of fatalities among those overseas.
James stated that they are continuously working with law enforcement agencies and are also collaborating with them on a global scale.
According to official records and statements, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp reported that Law could potentially be connected to 117 deaths globally, with the majority occurring in Britain. The report also stated that authorities in New Zealand, France, Ireland, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland have all confirmed that Law sent packages to their respective countries.
The police claim that Law used multiple websites to contact his victims. He is currently incarcerated and is scheduled to appear in court on December 19th.
James stated that a difficulty we encounter is that some of these websites are situated in foreign countries where Canadian laws do not have jurisdiction.
If Law is convicted, he will be remembered as one of the most heinous mass killers in the history of Canada. In April 2020, a man who was 51 years old fatally shot 22 individuals in the Atlantic province of Nova Scotia before being fatally shot by law enforcement.
-
In the United States, you have the option to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 through phone calls or text messaging. You can also chat with a crisis counselor on 988lifeline.org or send a text message with the word “HOME” to 741741. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Samaritans can be reached for free at 116 123 via phone call, or through email at [email protected] or [email protected]. In Australia, you can call Lifeline at 13 11 14 for crisis support. For other international helplines, you can visit befrienders.org.
Source: theguardian.com
