Warning: Graphic content Kenneth Law paved a path to death for vulnerable people, robbing them of their future and leaving countless families grappling with loss that continues to reverberate through every facet of their lives, court heard Wednesday as the Ontario man linked to dozens of deaths worldwide faced his sentencing hearing. Friends and relatives of those who took their lives using items purchased online from Law laid bare their grief on the first day of the hearing, sharing tender memories of their loved ones alongside gnawing fears and worries as they described the devastating impact of Law’s crimes. Leonardo Bedoya Forero said he used to believe that people who sought help when in distress were “moving toward a safe place.” “Now I live knowing that a person can be suffering, seeking understanding or relief and encounter someone who doesn’t guide them towards hope, but instead paves a path to death,” he said in a statement read by the Crown. He and his wife described feeling a permanent void in their lives after the death of their only daughter, Jeshennia Bedoya-Lopez, who was 18 when they discovered her body in her room four years ago. Bedoya Forero often feels on the verge of collapsing under the weight of his grief, a pain that is compounded by seeing his wife “disappear” as she struggles to cope with the loss, he said. “As a father and as a husband, the powerlessness is devastating,” he said. “I couldn’t save my daughter from what happened. I can’t erase my wife’s pain. I can’t erase my own. All I can do now is fight so that losing our daughter doesn’t mean also losing each other.” Court is expected to hear 74 victim impact statements over the coming days, some delivered in person, some read aloud by prosecutors and some relayed by video recording. Law, a former chef from Mississauga, Ont., pleaded guilty in late May to 14 counts of aiding suicide in the deaths of 14 people in the province, including some who were minors. The plea deal came weeks after Law was set to stand trial on the charges and another 14 counts of first-degree murder related to the same victims. Prosecutors have said they plan to withdraw the murder charges after Law is sentenced. Those found guilty of aiding suicide can face up to 14 years in prison, and lawyers for the Crown and the defence are expected to present what they believe would be an appropriate sentence as part of the hearing. Stephen Mitchell Sr. told the court Law deprived his son of the chance to heal from the depression that led him to end his life at the age of 21. “(Stephen Mitchell Jr.) once had dreams for a future and to have meaning in his life. That is all gone now, but you, Mr. Law are still here,” he said. Law may one day regain his freedom, but he will never be able to erase the consequences of what he has done, the elder Mitchell said. Adrienne Dalli said she feels robbed of the opportunity to make new memories with her brother, Maurizio Vadala, with whom she shared “a lifetime of memories that no one else could fully understand.” “What I have lost is not just my brother, but the only other person who shared my childhood,” she said, tearing up. “He was the keeper of our family memories, our stories, and the experiences that shaped who we became. No one else remembers our lives the way we did together. That history ended with him, and there is no way to replace that connection.” The loss has also made her a fearful parent, worried that she won’t be able to spot the signs if her sons are struggling or won’t be supportive enough to help them, Dalli said. Knowing that her brother, who was so loved, felt there was no future left for him is heartbreaking, she said. Vadala was 36 when he died in March 2023. “It’s devastating to know that during one of the most vulnerable periods in his life, he encountered guidance towards death instead of support, protection or intervention. That is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life,” Dalli said. “Maurizio mattered and he should still be here,” she added. Family members of several other Canadian victims — including 21-year-old Amritraj Rana, 25-year-old Amara Scott and 19-year-old Ashtyn Prosser-Blake — also spoke of their loss in court, often in voices shaky with emotion or punctuated by tears. The father of Ashleigh Harris, a 26-year-old woman in the United Kingdom who died three years ago after consuming a chemical bought from Law, was among those who came to address the court in person. His daughter had been seeking and receiving help, and was set to take part in a new therapy program when she got in touch with Law online, he said. “I still hope that over time, Mr. Law may recognize that the answer he should have given to Ashleigh and to the myriad of others who reached out to him was simply that they were loved, that they were not alone, and that help is available,” he said. Court also heard from a woman from the United Kingdom who consumed a substance she bought from Law three years ago and survived. At the time, Elisabeth Belien said she was struggling with her mental health and “desperate” for an escape. “Kenneth Law’s actions made it a lot easier for me to act on that despair,” she told the court. Belien was rushed to hospital for treatment and managed to recover physically, but the emotional toll continues, she said. Plagued by survivor’s guilt, she spent months starving herself as a form of punishment and to numb her feelings, she said. “I feel like my vulnerability was exploited and my experience has made it harder for me to trust others as well as to trust myself. I still feel a lot of shame about what happened,” she said. Law ran several websites that were used to sell sodium nitrite and other products that can be used for self-harm, according to an agreed statement of fact read in court after his plea. He sent some 1,200 packages to people in more than 40 countries, including close to 160 packages shipped to addresses within Canada, the document said. Between January 2020 and mid-May 2023, nearly $290,000 is sales from his companies were deposited into his accounts, court heard. Law was aware that the people buying his products were likely to use them for suicide, the statement said. He also occasionally commented under a pseudonym on a forum where people talked about using certain substances for suicide, it said. Some of his replies referred people to his websites, it said. In early 2023, a Times of London reporter in the U.K. reached out to Law posing as a potential customer, eventually travelling to Canada to confront Law about seven deaths in the U.K. that were linked to his business. Law later put together a will in which he said he believed he was “helping people to alleviate their suffering while making a small modest profit,” court heard. Prosecutors and the defence are expected to make arguments during the hearing about what Law’s words suggest about his motivation. While the charges against Law only relate to Canadian victims, the deaths of 79 people in the U.K. linked to the products he sold have also been included in the facts of the case. Britain’s National Crime Agency has said that it initially planned to request his extradition but agreed to have his offences there addressed through the Canadian court process. The trial was delayed several times to allow Canada’s top court to rule on a separate case that raised an issue pivotal to Law’s. The outcome of that case eventually made it impossible to prosecute Law for murder, the Crown said in May. The sentencing hearing is scheduled to continue over several days. By Paola Loriggio This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2026. If you or someone you know is in crisis or struggling with mental illness, here are some resources that are available. Canada Suicide Crisis Helpline (Call or text 988 or visit 988.ca) Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (1-800-463-2338) Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) If you need immediate assistance call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
