A court in Dong Nai Province has handed down a death sentence to 38 year old Nguyen Thi Hong Bich after concluding she poisoned her husband and 3 young family members with cyanide in a series of calculated attacks that shocked the country.
On 27 November, the provincial court convicted Bich of murder and handed her an additional 15 year prison term for illegally storing, transporting and using toxic chemicals. The combined sentence is the death penalty.
A Pattern of Calculated Poisonings Inside Her Own Family
According to the court, Bich carried out multiple poisonings over a 2 year period targeting her own husband, nieces and nephews. Judges said her methods were “cold, deliberate and extremely dangerous,” showing disregard for human life and causing severe damage to family relationships and social order.
The only surviving victim, a 19 year old nephew identified as T., escaped death by chance. He was hospitalized in time and later tested positive for cyanide exposure with a 23 percent bodily injury rate.
At the hearing, Bich admitted to all charges. Evidence and witness statements matched her confession. In her final words, she cried and apologized to her siblings and asked for a chance to see her daughter again.
Financial Pressure and Family Conflict Led to Deadly Intent
According to the indictment, Bich was heavily indebted in 2022 and initially bought cyanide online with the intention of taking her own life. She stored the chemical at home. But ongoing family disputes later fueled a desire for revenge.
On 5 January 2023, knowing her husband Th. was ill and taking medication, she filled a capsule with cyanide. After ingesting it, he experienced numbness and high blood pressure, was hospitalized and died 10 months later. At the time, his death did not raise suspicion.
By late 2023, after a dispute over money with her younger sister, Bich mixed cyanide into a drink and gave it to her 7 year old niece D. on 1 January 2024. The child died soon after.
On 25 May 2024, irritated that her brother and sister in law were “interfering in her private life,” Bich poisoned another drink and gave it to her 12 year old nephew N. He also died.
In June 2024, she poisoned her 19 year old nephew T., who collapsed but survived thanks to emergency treatment. Doctors detected cyanide in his stomach and alerted the family. Police were notified soon after, leading to Bich’s arrest.
A Case That Shocked Vietnam
Prosecutors said the case caused nationwide alarm because the attacks happened within a single household and involved children. Authorities described Bich’s actions as “exceptionally cruel” and a severe threat to public safety.
The court said the severity of her crimes and the repeated nature of the poisonings meant she was no longer capable of rehabilitation.
Bich is currently held under special conditions as authorities complete post trial procedures.
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Source: Vietnam Insider