Grieving mother speaks out after Kenneth Law charged with 14 counts of 2nd-degree murder

The mother of a teenage boy who died by suicide using products believed to have been sold by Kenneth Law said she could see the “light at the end of the tunnel” Tuesday after hearing that police had laid a dozen new charges of second-degree murder on the Mississauga man.

“It’s infuriating. It’s very heavy to carry,” Isabella, of Langley, B.C., told CTV News. Her son, Jaden, took his own life in February 2021 with the use of a nitrogen tank and regulator after consulting with Law over e-mail.

•  READ MORE: Here’s why the world will be watching Kenneth Law's court battle

No charges have been laid in connection with the death of her son Jaden, who corresponded with Law in the weeks before he died by suicide using a nitrogen tank and regulator, Isabella said the Ontario charges have allowed her to see “the light at the end of the tunnel.”

In a news conference Tuesday morning, police announced that 14 charges of second-degree murder had been laid on Law in addition to the 14 counts of aiding and abetting he already faced.

The alleged victims, who range in age from 16 to 36, resided in regions across Ontario, including Toronto, York Region, Durham Region, London, Ont., Thunder Bay, Waterloo, and Peel Region. While police are not releasing any information about the individuals, they said more than one is under the age of 18.

Law was arrested in May after allegedly operating number of online storefronts to sell sodium nitrite, a preservative used for meat processing that can be lethal in large doses, alongside additional products such as rubber tubing and gas masks, for the purpose of suicide.

The charges against Law have not been tested in court. Law's lawyer, Matthew Gourlay, told CP24 Tuesday that his client plans to plead not guilty to all charges.

One of the deceased named in the charges is Stephen Miller Jr., a 21-year-old from Toronto. His father declined to discuss the investigation, but shared a eulogy that he gave in March.

“Stephen was caring and giving, quiet, introspective and thoughtful,” Stephen Mitchell Sr., said. “He would give anyone a bear hug if they asked. Stephen was kind and he would literally give you the shirt off his back if asked. Stephen was also super intelligent with a keen intellect and an absolutely incredible memory.

“But unfortunately, he battled with depression for most of his adolescent life. For most of that time, he hid his feelings because he did not want to be a trouble to anyone. Stephen suffered in silence and finally lost all hope in what I believe was a tortuous moment of complete and total despair and hopelessness,” he wrote.

Mother Kim Prosser, from Thunder Bay, Ont. told CTV News in September that her son Ashtyn was a “brilliant, amazing kid” who was knocked off track through isolation during COVID-19 measures. He was on a waitlist for mental health care when he died in March, she said at the time.

In the UK, authorities have now linked 90 deaths to suicide products sold from Canada.

Lee Cooper, whose brother Gary Cooper died, said he believes that the murder charge more accurately represents what happened to his brother.

“It’s a relief that this is being dealt with on the right level,” he said from the UK. “We’ve just got to hope our authorities see what Canada is doing and step up their game.”

Tracking by CTV News of cases reported by family members, authorities, and media suggests that the number of deaths connected to Kenneth Law’s products has surpassed 100.