A Canadian chef dubbed the 'poison killer' who has been linked to 112 deaths in the UK is set to admit to lesser offences in a courtroom twist that will see murder charges against him abandoned.
Kenneth Law, 60, had been facing 14 counts of first-degree murder in Canada after an investigation exposed claims he had supplied a lethal substance to vulnerable young people in 2023.
But in a significant development, his defence lawyer Matthew Gourlay confirmed on Saturday that a plea agreement has now been struck.
Under the deal, Law will plead guilty to aiding in the suicides of 14 Canadians - a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 14 years per count.
The agreement spares him the prospect of a mandatory life sentence and is expected to mark the first time he formally admits to the allegations against him.
The decision has sparked anger among grieving families, who say justice is being watered down.
Relatives of Jeshennia Bedoya Lopez, one of the young victims linked to the case, branded the outcome a 'disgrace for the victims' and said it falls far short of accountability.
Lopez died in 2022 at the age of 18 after allegedly receiving poison sent by Law.
Kenneth Law (pictured) leaves the post office in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The National Crime Agency is investigating whether Harvey Allen's death was linked to the Canadian national
It is alleged that Law charged $59 (£47), not including postage, for a packet of the compound — labelled '99.999 percent pure' — used in most of the deaths
Her mother, Maria, said: 'We only ask for justice, not pity. The greatest treasure I had was taken from me by Kenneth Law.'
Law, who lived on the outskirts of Toronto, is alleged to have operated a website selling the toxic substance for two years.
Investigators found he had shipped around 1,200 packages worldwide.
In total, 288 individuals in the UK were identified as having allegedly purchased products from the websites over two years, up to April 2023.
He was confronted about his activities by journalists in 2023 and arrested just a week later. Since then, he has remained behind bars.
Law is accused of setting up an account on the forum and naming himself 'Greenberg,' then posing as a retired New York medical examiner.
Prosecutors in Ontario had initially brought 14 counts of first-degree murder alongside 14 charges of aiding or abetting suicide, relating to victims within the province.
However, families were informed last week that the murder charges could no longer proceed.
The decision follows a recent ruling by the Canadian Supreme Court in an unrelated case, which cast doubt over the legal threshold required to pursue murder charges in cases involving alleged encouragement of suicide.
The court declined to clarify in December when such charges should apply.
Law is due back before the Ontario Superior Court on Monday for a brief hearing to schedule his formal guilty plea and sentencing.
Meanwhile, authorities in the UK are continuing to examine his activities.
The National Crime Agency has linked the sale of his products to 112 deaths across Britain, although it remains unclear whether extradition proceedings will be pursued.
In Britain, Tom Parfett, Michael Dunham, Neha Raju, Imogen Nunn, and an unnamed student allegedly died after buying products from Law's company.
Parfett, who died in 2021 in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, reportedly obtained poison through Law's website.
His father, David Parfett, said he wanted to see the Canadian 'brought to account' for his role in his son's death
The parents of Canadian Jeshennia Bedoya Lopez (pictured), who was 18 when she died by suicide, sued Law and the hospital where their daughter was treated for her mental health issues
Tom Parfett was a British university student who enjoyed watching football and had a passion for Lego. He allegedly died after buying a lethal substance from Law
'If Kenneth Law hadn't traded poison, I think Tom would still be here,' he said.
Of the decision to drop the murder charges, he added: 'This doesn't send the right message - that people who actively encourage others to die are being appropriately punished when they are caught doing so.
'It was an opportunity to make sure the full force of the law was applied.'
He said his focus remained on making it harder for people to obtain lethal substances online.
'Years after Tom died, I meet people who are still losing family members through the same route,' he said.
Anthony Jones, a 17-year-old from Michigan, was also one of Law's alleged victims.
'It was 3am and he went running into his mom's room, screaming and begging to call emergency responders,' New York lawyer Carrie Goldberg told CTV News Toronto.
He ran to his mother shouting: 'I want to live' after ingesting the substance, which eventually killed him, the initial investigation revealed.
One person who survived ingesting poison, Emma Morrison, 23, from Scotland, said that the Greenberg character gave her the chef's website address three times.
Morrison previously told The Times: 'He wanted to know when it arrived and when I'd taken it.' She told the newspaper that she survived after being rushed to hospital and was given the antidote.
'I think Greenberg and Law are the same person,' she added.
The Times went on to report last year that Law's website became active on the same day that Greenberg posted about it on the forum.
'I came across a new source in Canada. PM (personal message) me if you like the link,' Greenberg wrote.
Greenberg allegedly shared similar interests to Law, including food and Star Trek. He and Law also used the same sign-off in online messages, 'Cheers.'
Law denied The Times' allegation in 2023 and told CBC that the allegations have 'been very, very distressing for me'.
Law's alleged victims included teenagers and young adults in their 20s and 30s.