A 57-year-old former chef from Canada, Kenneth Law, is now facing multiple murder charges for allegedly supplying a lethal chemical to individuals who died by suicide.

Canadian police have charged him with 14 counts of second-degree murder, elevating the legal action beyond the initial charges of aiding suicide in cases where people had reportedly obtained the deadly substance from him through online means.

Additionally, British authorities have connected Mr. Law to 90 deaths in the United Kingdom. Mr. Law's lawyer, Matthew Gourlay, stated in an email to the BBC that his client plans to plead not guilty to the charges.

The recent murder charges signify a heightened level of prosecution for Mr. Law in Canada, as he has been under investigation by 11 police agencies in Ontario, the country's largest province.

Speaking on behalf of the multijurisdictional investigation, Simon James, an inspector with York Regional Police, said the new murder charges were related to a total of 14 victims in Ontario.

Mr James said that "evidence has come in that supports the charge of second-degree murder", but declined to add further details as the investigation was ongoing.

Along with the murder charges, Mr. Law faces 14 counts of aiding and counseling suicide in connection to the same Ontario deaths, for a total of 28 charges. He faces imprisonment for life if he is found guilty of second-degree murder under Canadian law.

Mr Law, who remains in police custody, is also the subject of probes by police agencies in other parts of Canada and countries, including the UK.

Mr James said police in Ontario are cooperating with those international investigations.

Canadian detectives said Mr Law had run several websites offering equipment and substances to help people end their lives. Police believe he may have sent more than 1,200 parcels containing lethal substances to around 40 countries.

He was first arrested and charged in May with counseling or aiding suicide. In August, police brought additional counts against him, all linked to deaths that occurred in Ontario.

The ages of the people who died ranged from 16 to 36. Mr James said more than one victim was under the age of 18.

Many of Mr Law's alleged victims were also based in the UK. There, the National Crime Agency (NCA) in London said Mr Law was known to have sent packages to 272 people.

The NCA, which is now investigating if any criminal offenses were committed in the UK, said 90 of those recipients later died, though they could not confirm that a toxic substance was the direct cause of each death.

One individual died after police had carried out welfare checks on all the addresses that received a parcel, the agency added.

A spokesman for the NCA said: "This investigation will explore viable leads that help us identify evidence of crimes committed in the UK or against its citizens."

The news of the charges was welcomed by David Parfett, whose 22-year-old son Tom bought the chemical from Mr Law and ended his life in October 2021.

"It sends a signal to other people who encourage vulnerable people to self-harm and provide suicide kits that they're not beyond the law," Mr Parfett told the BBC.

He said there are wider lessons for the authorities on what more needs to be done to protect people online.

"Actions like encouraging others to kill themselves that would be prosecuted in real life are tolerated online. That has to stop," he said.

While this is a significant moment for many of the victims' families, some said they still have outstanding concerns.

They worry other sellers out there have taken Mr Law's place and are still selling the poisonous chemical he allegedly supplied. Many also feel the UK government has not done enough to stop this type of crime.

Mr James of York Regional Police said one major challenge is that some of the websites used by Mr Law are based in countries outside of Canada, where Canadian law does not apply.

Families of victims said they also want action taken against those who set up and run a pro-suicide forum that encourages and instructs the vulnerable on how to die.

The BBC reported on the forum in October and even confronted one of its founders, who claimed he is no longer involved.

Many of the dead found out about Mr Law and other sellers through the forum, which the BBC is not going to name.

They followed detailed instructions posted there on how to end their lives.

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