The Canadian man who helped scores of people worldwide kill themselves by selling them poison pleaded guilty on Friday to 14 counts of aiding suicide, as prosecutors said they will withdraw murder charges.

Since Kenneth Law’s arrest in 2023, details of the online forums where he advised distressed people on how to end their lives have caused public outrage and triggered investigations in several countries.

In Canada, Law faced 14 murder charges and an additional 14 charges for aiding suicide.

At a court in Newmarket, north of Toronto, prosecutors said they did not believe they had a viable path towards a murder conviction.

Law then stood in a semi-enclosed area reserved for defendants, flanked by his three defence lawyers, and said “I plead guilty” to aiding the suicide of 14 people in Canada.

Sentencing will be determined at a separate hearing, probably in September, when the court will hear victim impact statements.