One death in Thunder Bay has been linked to a province-wide investigation into a man charged with selling sodium nitrite to people at risk of suicide.
At a news conference Tuesday, police agencies announced that 57-year-old Kenneth Law of Mississauga is facing 12 additional counts of counselling or aiding suicide as a result of investigations into deaths across the province.
Law had previously been charged by Peel Regional Police with two counts of counselling or aiding suicide earlier this year.
A multi-jurisdictional case management team was formed, with participation from 11 law enforcement agencies in the province, including the Thunder Bay Police Service.
York Regional Police Insp. Simon James, the multi-jurisdictional case manager, said the case remains an active and complex investigation.
James said the victims identified were Ontario residents, both male and female, between the ages of 16 and 36. The identities of the victims are not being made public to protect the privacy of families and to maintain the integrity of the investigation, he added.
“On behalf of the investigative team, we offer our sincerest condolences to the loved ones of those we have lost due to these unimaginable set of circumstances,” James said. “We continue to offer support to the friends, the family members, and the survivors.”
Police said the victims are believed to have consumed sodium nitrite that was purchased from an online company owned by Law. Other materials that could be used for self-harm were also allegedly sold.
The new charges announced Tuesday include the death in Thunder Bay, along with four in Toronto, three in York Region, one in Durham Region, one in London, one in Waterloo, and a third in Peel Region.
All charges have been filed at the Newmarket courthouse, James said.
James said the multi-jurisdictional team is aware of other police investigations being conducted outside of Ontario. Investigators believe more than 1,200 packages were sent to over 40 countries, with 160 packages sent within Canada, James added.
Police listed five business names — Imtime Cuisine, AmbuCA, Academic/ACademic, Escape Mode/escMode, ICemac — they believe to be associated with Law, and urge anyone who has received a package from those businesses to contact local police.
