After a thorough trial, the People’s Court of Dong Nai Province sentenced Nguyen Thi Hong Bich to death for using cyanide to poison her husband and three children of her siblings, causing especially severe consequences. The court stated that the sentence serves both as punishment and deterrent.

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Bich confessed to poisoning her husband and three nieces and nephews with cyanide. Photo: Hoang Anh

On November 27, the provincial court found Bich (born 1986, residing in Phuoc An Commune) guilty of murder and also sentenced her to 15 years in prison for the illegal possession, transportation, and use of toxic substances. The combined sentence is death.

The panel concluded that Bich had committed multiple acts of murder, targeting her own family members. The methods were described as calculated and emotionless, reflecting utter disregard for the law and inflicting irreparable damage to family bonds and social order.

Regarding the fourth victim, a boy referred to as T., the court noted that his survival was purely by chance and not due to any change of heart from the defendant. The judges deemed Bich’s actions to include numerous aggravating circumstances and an extreme level of danger, with no potential for rehabilitation.

During the trial, Bich admitted to all charges. Her statements aligned with evidence in the case file and testimony from witnesses.

In her final statement, Bich broke down in tears, apologizing to her brother’s and sister’s families, and pleaded for leniency in hopes of seeing her daughter again.

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Bich at the courtroom on the morning of the trial. Photo: Hoang Anh

According to the indictment, in 2022, overwhelmed by mounting debt and emotional despair, Bich initially bought cyanide online with the intent of committing suicide. However, ongoing conflicts within the family led her to shift her intentions toward harming her own relatives.

On January 5, 2023, knowing that her husband, Mr. Th., was ill and regularly took medication, Bich inserted cyanide into a capsule. After ingesting it, he experienced numbness in his limbs, high blood pressure, and was hospitalized. He eventually passed away ten months later. At the time, his death aroused no suspicion among the family.

Later in 2023, following financial disputes with her younger sister, Bich sought revenge. On January 1, 2024, she laced a drink with cyanide and gave it to her seven-year-old niece D., resulting in the child’s death.

On May 25, 2024, upset with her brother and sister-in-law for what she described as "prying into her private life," Bich gave another poisoned drink to her 12-year-old nephew N., who also died.

In June 2024, Bich attempted to poison another nephew, 19-year-old T., N.'s older brother. He lost consciousness and had to be rushed to the hospital. There, doctors discovered cyanide in his stomach and alerted the family. An investigation confirmed that he had been poisoned but survived. A forensic report later found he had suffered 23% bodily damage.

The family reported the incidents to authorities, and Bich was arrested shortly thereafter.

Prosecutors stated that the case caused public outrage and alarm. Bich’s actions were described as "especially dangerous and brutal," showing complete emotional detachment and flagrant disregard for the law, particularly because she targeted those closest to her within her own household.

Hoang Anh