On 9/2, during the lead-up to the Lunar New Year 2026, as many prepared to return to their hometowns, Binh Phuoc Ward Police received a report of an "electrical accident" that sent a 46-year-old woman to the emergency room that night.
Inside the small rented room, furniture was hastily tidied, but the smell of burning and traces of blood remained. In the washing machine, located in a corner, police discovered a 2 m long electrical cord, one end stripped of its insulation. This detail led authorities to suspect a staged murder scene.
Verification revealed that Le Van Thuong, 53, the victim's husband and key witness, had left the hospital immediately after receiving a suspicious phone call. Clues indicated Thuong had fled to his hometown in Ca Mau.
 |
The stripped electrical cord exposes the cruel husband. Photo: Thai Ha |
On 10/2, as many families prepared offerings for the Kitchen God on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, a Binh Phuoc Ward Police task force received orders to travel to Dat Mui, a journey of over 400 km. "We only had time for a quick sandwich in the car. The goal was to reach the suspect as quickly as possible, preventing him from hiding in the mangrove forests", a detective recounted.
The task force coordinated with Khanh An Commune Police to summon Thuong for questioning. Before investigators, he remained calm, claiming his wife "unluckily suffered an electrical accident" and that he returned home only to gather money for hospital fees. Later that day, Thuong was escorted back to Binh Phuoc ward.
At the ward police headquarters, the questioning lasted for several hours. Thuong repeatedly stated that his wife accidentally touched an exposed washing machine wire and that he rushed to save her after hearing an explosion. He feigned distress to avoid answering questions about previous family conflicts.
According to detectives, recognizing Thuong's "emotional facade" to conceal his actions, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Duc Thanh, Head of Binh Phuoc Ward Police, directly confronted him with collected arguments and evidence. After some time, the suspect confessed to the entire crime.
 |
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Duc Thanh, Head of Binh Phuoc Ward Police, confronts Thuong. Photo: Thai Ha |
According to the husband's confession, marital disputes frequently arose from late 2025 due to his suspicion of his wife's infidelity. During the 2026 Lunar New Year, Thuong wanted the family to leave their jobs in Dong Nai and move to Ca Mau, but his wife disagreed and requested a divorce.
In the early morning of 8/2, while his wife and child were sleeping, Thuong decided to murder his wife. He took an old electrical cord, plugged it directly into a 220V power source, and approached his sleeping wife. The cord then fell onto her head and neck, electrocuting her and rendering her unconscious.
Hearing a noise, their son woke up in the loft, turned on the light, and saw his mother bleeding from the mouth. He and his father then rushed her to the emergency room. Afterward, Thuong returned to the rented room, hid the electrical cord in the washing machine, and staged the scene as an accident.
Thuong is currently detained by Dong Nai Police for investigation into murder.
Hoang Truong
