A Coroner has found four New Zealanders have died after buying packages online from a Canadian man awaiting trial for multiple charges of first-degree murder.
Kenneth Law, 58, has had 28 charges brought against him in the state of Ontario for murder and aiding suicide.
More than 1200 of his packages were believed to have made their way to over 40 countries, including New Zealand.
A 21-year-old Wellington student was found dead in a hotel room in the city's CBD in 2022, two months before a 40-year-old personal trainer was also found deceased in a similar set of circumstances, also in a Wellington hotel room.
Another 21-year-old woman had CPR performed on her by a friend, after being found unresponsive in her grandmother's house later that year. She was unable to be revived.
An 18-year-old student was also found dead in their Otago University residential college room, just a few months after beginning their studies last year.
All had died by suicide between April 2022 and April 2023, and their deaths were caused or assisted by the contents of the packages ordered from Law, Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame ruled, in findings released today.
"Law is a Canadian who is accused of assisting suicides by enabling the distribution and marketing of materials online, and hosting discussion forums, for people considering suicide," Cunninghame wrote.
In August 2023, the Classification Office made eight discussion threads from forums associated with Law objectionable under the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act.
The Suicide Prevention Office had also requested that New Zealand internet service providers block access to Law's website.
In November 2023, another Coroner held a joint inquiry into the deaths of six people by suicide in similar circumstances to the people in Coroner Cunninghame's rulings.
In that finding, the Coroner made recommendations to Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand, general practitioners, first responders, WorkSafe New Zealand, and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to reduce the chance of further deaths in these circumstances.
As a result, a working group that included Customs, the EPA and Ministry for the Environment was set up.
Its work involved monitoring online sales from overseas, among other actions, Coroner Cunninghame said.
"[Law's] activities are outside the jurisdiction of the New Zealand Courts and I do not make any recommendations that are directed towards his activities," she said.
"Other agencies are already working together to reduce the risk posed to vulnerable New Zealanders by Law's activities."
Coroner Cunninghame concluded her findings by passing on her condolences to the families and friends of those who died.
Law's trial was set down for eight weeks next September, CBC reports.
Where to get help:
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If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
