On the afternoon of 13/9, Ms. Thuong, 46, a resident of Buon Ma Thuot, said she was still shaken after realizing she had confronted Nguyen Nam Dai Thuan, 37, also known as Hao Dien, from Ea Kao ward – the suspect in the murder of four members of his wife's family in Thanh Nhat ward.

Around 6 a.m., Ms. Thuong was riding her SH scooter to her mother's house in Buon Ma Thuot. As she reached the cemetery on Dinh Nup Street, she was startled when a man jumped out from the bushes and blocked her path. He immediately held a knife to her neck and demanded, "Give me the scooter or I'll kill you,".

"I tried to stay calm and said, 'Wait, I'll get off and give it to you'," Ms. Thuong recounted. Looking closer, she noticed that besides the knife, the robber was also carrying a cassava root, and his shirt was stained with blood.

Ms. Thuong's scooter, which Thuan stole to escape. Photo: Dak Lak Police.

At the time, Ms. Thuong had two phones in the handbag hanging on the front of her scooter, nearly 1.5 million VND in cash, and several items in the trunk, including a long sun-protective coat, a raincoat, and scissors.

As she stepped off the scooter, Ms. Thuong tried to pull out the key and retrieve her phone from her pocket, but the robber quickly jumped onto the vehicle and revved the engine. She immediately pushed the scooter, causing the robber to fall into a fence. However, he managed to right the scooter, turned around, and tried to flee.

"Wanting to get my phone back, I tried to push the scooter over again, but I couldn't. I managed to grab the cassava root he was holding and hit him twice on the back. But he rode away," Ms. Thuong said.

Nearby residents then took her to the police station to file a report. When the police showed her a picture of the suspect who had just committed the murders and was on the run, Ms. Thuong recognized him as the man who had just robbed her.

"At the time of the robbery, I only thought he wanted my belongings. When I learned the truth, I realized how lucky I was," she said, adding that she later discovered she had a leg injury requiring five stitches.

Nguyen Nam Dai Thuan at the time of his arrest. Photo: Dak Lak Police.

Thuan has a criminal record for theft and intentional injury and has been a drug addict for many years.

According to the investigation, on the evening of 12/9, after using meth, Thuan took a knife and a hammer and went to the house of his wife, Tran Thi Kim Hoa, 33, in Thanh Nhat ward (former Buon Ma Thuot City). Upon arrival, he attacked and killed Ms. Hoa; her mother, Tran Thi Dung, 55; and her brother, Bui Van Nghia, 23. Ms. Hoa’s 13-year-old son from a previous relationship was seriously injured but survived. Ms. Hoa’s 3-year-old daughter with Thuan was also present but unharmed.

Thuan confessed that his motive was revenge against his wife's family. He claimed they had been ostracizing and shunning him for about 10 days. He also said Ms. Hoa frequently ignored his calls, was often away from home, and prevented him from seeing their daughter.

After the murders, Thuan stole money from his mother-in-law. While escaping, he tried to rob Ms. Thuong of her SH scooter on a deserted road. Despite her resistance, pushing him off the scooter multiple times and hitting him with the cassava root, he managed to escape.

In a secluded area, he put on Ms. Thuong’s sun-protective coat from the scooter's trunk as a disguise. He discarded her two phones by the roadside, took the cash, and bought a new knife, more drugs, and sleeping pills, intending to commit suicide.

Nguyen Nam Dai Thuan fleeing on the stolen SH scooter. Photo: Police Department.

At 8:30 a.m., police apprehended Thuan while he was hiding in a deserted field in Ea Kao ward, about 6 km from the crime scene. They recovered several items, including drugs and a bottle of sleeping pills.

Dak Lak Provincial Police have initiated criminal proceedings and detained Thuan on charges of murder and robbery.

Tran Hoa

* The woman's name has been changed