Artwork for Hunting the Suicide Salesman
True Crime

Hunting the Suicide Salesman

CBC

Following the critically acclaimed series Hunting Warhead, Season 2 follows host Daemon Fairless as he takes us inside another dark corner of the internet: the online world helping people take their own lives.


When people around the world started killing themselves with an obscure substance a few years ago, police were unaware that something – someone – was tying many of these deaths together. 


It took grieving families and investigative journalists to piece together what was actually happening and to trace the source of the substance – first, to an online suicide forum and then, to a salesman in Canada: Kenneth Law. 


Police believe he sent more than 1200 shipments to 41 countries… and may be connected to more than 145 deaths around the world. 


But this story is far bigger than any one man… It's about the places desperate people go when they can’t find what they need in the real world – and a deadly problem we’re afraid to talk about.


If you are thinking about suicide or are worried about someone you know, call or text 9-8-8 in Canada or the United States for support. If your life is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. You can find additional and international resources at cbc.ca/hunting.


About HUNTING: Investigating where the internet meets the unspeakable. Host Daemon Fairless tackles subjects most people would rather avoid, like online child sexual abuse (S1: Hunting Warhead), or the forums dedicated to suicide (S2: Hunting the Suicide Salesman).


For the best in true crime from CBC, ad-free, visit apple.co/cbctruecrime.

  • 14 episodes
  • Updated June 22

Episodes14

  • June 22 · 51 min

    Episode 5: ‘What if it's this simple?’

    <p>Putting Kenneth Law behind bars won’t do anything to stop people from wanting to die… or going online to learn how. What – if anything – will?</p><p><br></p><p><em>If you are thinking about suicide or are worried about someone you know, call or text 9-8-8 in Canada or the United States for support. If your life is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. You can find additional and international resources at </em><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/hunting-the-suicide-salesman-resources-hel

  • June 15 · 38 min

    Episode 4: One Star Reviews

    <p>The business of suicide is far bigger than one man. Meet the lawyers taking on the trillion-dollar company that sold far more of the substance than police allege Kenneth Law ever did.</p><p><br></p><p><em>If you are thinking about suicide or are worried about someone you know, call or text 9-8-8 in Canada or the United States for support. If your life is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. You can find additional and international resources at </em><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/h

  • June 8 · 42 min

    Episode 3: Greenberg

    <p>After years of operating under the radar, Kenneth Law is now under police investigation. How does a once-successful businessman find himself bankrupt and in the business of suicide?</p><p><br></p><p><em>If you are thinking about suicide or are worried about someone you know, call or text 9-8-8 in Canada or the United States for support. If your life is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. You can find additional and international resources at </em><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/hun

  • June 3 · 45 min

    Episode 2: The Sting

    <p>A string of suicides across the globe seem to be connected to a salesman in Canada. But does he know what he’s selling is being used for? An undercover journalist uncovers a bombshell.</p><p><br></p><p><em>If you are thinking about suicide or are worried about someone you know, call or text 9-8-8 in Canada or the United States for support. If your life is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. You can find additional and international resources at </em><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/

  • June 3 · 47 min

    Episode 1: ‘Don't touch the glass’

    <p>After a young British man ends his life with a mysterious substance, his grieving family stumbles into the online world that helped him – and countless others – die.</p><p><br></p><p><em>If you are thinking about suicide or are worried about someone you know, call or text 9-8-8 in Canada or the United States for support. If your life is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. You can find additional and international resources at </em><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/hunting-the-suicide

  • June 1 · 3 min

    Season 2 Trailer: Hunting the Suicide Salesman

    <p>This season, host Daemon Fairless takes you inside the business of suicide and a deadly corner of the internet: the online world helping people take their own lives.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p><em>If you are thinking about suicide or are worried about someone you know, call or text 9-8-8 in Canada or the United States for support. If your life is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. You can find additional and international resources at </em><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/hunting-the-s

  • Jun 5, 2025 · 48 min

    Hunting Warhead is coming back, but first: Real talk on high-risk reporting

    <p>They say you should never meet your heroes. Daemon Fairless disagrees. First, he has an update on the return of Hunting Warhead. But then he takes us behind-the-scenes on another project he’s been working on as a story editor: The Outlaw Ocean.</p><p><br></p><p>This is a frank, illuminating discussion with Ian Urbina, the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who quit his New York Times job to do some of the hardest, most difficult and often dangerous reporting in the world. He’s since become the

  • Nov 18, 2019 · 54 min

    Episode 6: Fallout

    <p>At Faulkner’s final sentencing hearing, we finally discover the true extent of his activities on the dark web. We thought we knew everything he had been up to. We were wrong. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/hunting-warehead-transcripts-listen-1.5346693</p>

  • Nov 18, 2019 · 1 hr 6 min

    Episode 5: Becoming Warhead

    <p>What led Benjamin Faulkner to become Warhead? And, more importantly, how do you prevent others like him from following the same path? For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/hunting-warehead-transcripts-listen-1.5346693</p>

  • Nov 11, 2019 · 47 min

    Episode 4: Impact Statement

    <p>Jenn was home alone with her children when she received a call from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. They needed to talk to her as soon as possible. It was about her relative, Ben Faulkner. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/hunting-warehead-transcripts-listen-1.5346693</p>

  • Nov 11, 2019 · 44 min

    Episode 3: Operation Artemis

    <p>After the arrest of Canadian Benjamin Faulkner, Taskforce Argos has to learn how to become Warhead on Child’s Play, before its users realize that the site has been compromised. But time is running out — and very difficult moral decisions will have to be made. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/hunting-warehead-transcripts-listen-1.5346693</p>

  • Nov 4, 2019 · 44 min

    Episode 2: Rude Awakening

    <p>All Gordon wants for his birthday is to travel to Washington, D.C., to visit museums and see the opera. He’s completely unaware that his companion on this trip has very different plans. His friend has an alter ego, Warhead, and it turns out police are not far behind. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/hunting-warehead-transcripts-listen-1.5346693</p>

  • Nov 4, 2019 · 54 min

    Episode 1: Hacker vs. Hacker

    <p>Einar Stangvik is a white-hat hacker — an internet security expert with an expertise in cracking the most secure and disturbing parts of the web. He discovers a troubling phenomenon online and joins forces with journalist Håkon Høydal. It leads them to Australia, to confront two men who are running the largest child abuse site on the dark net. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/hunting-warehead-transcripts-listen-1.5346693</p>

  • Sep 16, 2019 · 2 min

    Trailer - Hunting Warhead

    A new investigative series from CBC Podcasts and the Norwegian newspaper VG, Hunting Warhead follows an international team of police officers as they attempt to track down the people behind a massive child-abuse site on the dark web — and the morally complicated lengths authorities will go to to do so. Coming November 2019.