On 22/9, the Tay Ninh Provincial People's Court sentenced Nha to death for murder and three years in prison for property robbery, resulting in a combined death sentence.
The trial panel deemed the defendant's actions savage and vile, concluding he had no potential for rehabilitation and should be permanently removed from society.
In court, Nha admitted his actions and apologized to the victim's family.
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Nguyen Thanh Nha being escorted by police. Photo: Nam An |
Nha, whose wife passed away many years ago, completed only 3rd grade and worked odd jobs. Despite lacking professional qualifications, he claimed to be a healer.
Two years ago, Thu, 32, a divorced woman, sought Nha's help for bone and joint treatment in Khanh Hung commune after hearing rumors about his healing abilities. After several meetings, they developed a relationship and rented a room together in An Ninh commune, formerly part of Duc Hoa district, Long An.
According to the indictment, their relationship became strained last June when Nha discovered Thu was seeing another man, leading to arguments. Even after moving to Duc Hoa commune, their conflicts persisted.
On the evening of 29/8, Nha argued with Thu after seeing her continue to contact another man. According to court documents, after being expelled from their room, Nha embraced Thu to reconcile. However, she allegedly attacked him with a knife and struck him in the face. Nha then disarmed her, grabbed a wooden stick, and struck her repeatedly, leading to her death.
After the murder, Nha attempted to conceal the body and evidence in their rented room. Early the next morning, he used a motorcycle to transport the body over many roads to Binh Hiep commune, near the Cambodian border, approximately 70 km from the crime scene, disposing of it in multiple locations.
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The scene where the body was disposed of. Photo: Tay Ninh Provincial Police |
Two days later, Nha returned to the room, collecting belongings including Thu's motorcycle, which he pawned for 4,5 million dong. He also gathered other items related to the crime and discarded them in a nearby vacant lot.
The following day, Nha again visited the rented room area, staying for about five minutes to observe before leaving.
Eight days after the murder, Nha confessed to his sister, who then advised him to surrender to the police.
Based on Nha's confession, investigators located parts of Thu's body at the sites he described.
Nam An
*Victim's name changed.
