Canadian Kenneth Lowe pleaded guilty to selling chemicals used in suicide online. Lowe made the confession at a trial in Newmarket, Ontario, CBS News reported.
Lowe was accused of killing 14 teenagers who committed suicide by consuming chemicals. After he pleaded guilty to incitement or aiding suicide, the murder charges against him were dropped. Sentencing is scheduled for September.
According to investigators, Lowe, a former chef, advertised and sold a chemical used to preserve meat online. If it enters the human body in large doses, it is fatal.
Law enforcement authorities believe that Lowe may have been involved in the suicides of more than 100 people around the world who purchased chemicals from him. He has been detained since May 2023.
It is believed that those to whom Lowe sold suicide chemicals included people in the UK. British law enforcement agencies have not brought charges of their own, saying they rely on Canadian justice.
Charges of inciting or assisting suicide under Canadian law carry a penalty of up to 14 years in prison. For the murder charge, Lowe would have faced up to 25 years without parole.
Residents of Canada have had the right to assisted suicide since 2016. The procedure is regulated by federal law and is only available to adults with severe and incurable illnesses or disabilities who are experiencing unbearable physical or mental suffering. Inciting suicide, especially by minors, is a criminal offense.