A former Canadian chef accused of selling “suicide kits” online that led to the deaths of around a hundred people in several countries was charged with first-degree murder in Canada on Friday, the court said.
• Also read: Online seller of 'suicide gear' charged with murder
• Also read: “Suicide suitcase” online: The Canadian affair is expanding internationally
The 58-year-old has already been accused of 14 murders, but the accusation of premeditation has not yet been accepted.
On Friday, these allegations were revised upwards. His lawyer announced his intention to plead not guilty.
“He intends to defend himself against these new allegations in the same way he planned to defend himself against the previous ones,” his lawyer Matthew Gourlay told AFP on Friday.
Kenneth Law was arrested in May for selling a substance on multiple websites that had been used as a food additive since late 2020, targeting vulnerable people.
This case has international implications as Mr Law is suspected of sending more than 1,200 packages containing the “suicide kit” to more than 40 countries.
In Canada, 14 victims aged 16 to 36 used this “kit” to end their lives. That number is expected to rise as authorities estimate that about 160 packages were sent across the country.