Amritraj Rana, a 21-year-old man from Ontario, was remembered by his mother for the simple, everyday moments. She cherished the memory of the sound of his "gallop" down the stairs to ask if the chicken and rice were ready. "Such an ordinary question. Such an ordinary moment," his mother, Sarabjit Rana, later recalled. "Now it's one of the most precious memories of my life."
This cherished memory is one of the few things the family has left after Amritraj died on October 1, 2022, a victim of a man who preyed on vulnerable people across the globe.
Amritraj was one of 14 people in Ontario, and more than 100 suspected worldwide, who died after purchasing poison from Kenneth Law. Operating from his home in Mississauga, the former chef ran a series of websites starting in late 2020. Under aliases like "Greenberg," Law sold sodium nitrite, a chemical compound used as a food preservative that is lethal in high concentrations. He marketed the substance to individuals struggling with their mental health, often participating in online forums where he would encourage them to take their own lives using his products.
The global reach of Law’s operation was staggering. Investigators tracked over 1,200 packages sent to more than 40 countries, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand. The packages contained the poison and instructions for its use. His victims in Ontario were between the ages of 16 and 36. The international scale of the operation prompted police forces across the world to launch their own investigations, trying to identify and intercept the deadly packages before they could reach their destinations.
An investigation by The Times of London first exposed Law's activities, leading to his arrest in May 2023. A joint force of 11 police agencies in Ontario took over the complex case. Initially, Law was charged with counselling or aiding suicide. As the investigation uncovered the extent of his actions and the number of deaths linked to him, the charges were upgraded to 14 counts of first-degree murder. The case was described as unprecedented in Canadian legal history, as it involved prosecuting someone for murder for selling a legal substance.
However, in a move that brought fresh anguish to the victims' families, the murder charges were later withdrawn. Following a Supreme Court of Canada decision in an unrelated case that impacted the prosecution's ability to proceed with a murder conviction, a plea deal was reached. In May 2026, Kenneth Law pleaded guilty to 14 counts of counselling or aiding suicide. As part of the agreement, he also admitted responsibility for 79 deaths in the United Kingdom, which were to be considered during his sentencing.
During Law's sentencing hearing, dozens of families from Canada and the U.K. delivered victim impact statements, painting a picture of the devastation he had caused. Amritraj Rana’s mother spoke directly to the court about the unending pain and the far-reaching consequences of her son's death. "The consequences of Amrit's death reach into every part of our lives," she said. "Our daughters' mental health, my husband's health, my health, my ability to think, my ability to remember, my ability to work, our ability to earn an income, our financial security, our future."
She explained that the loss was not just the absence of her son, but a fundamental breaking of their family. "So when you ask me what the impact of losing Amrit has been, this is part of the answer," she told the court. "We lost our son, but we also lost pieces of the people we were before he died.” The legal proceedings against Kenneth Law are ongoing, as the court continues to hear from the many families shattered by his actions.
