Heartbreaking murder from the reckless moments of the local boys

Defying the law, the village boys play wild

If Luc Da is considered the poorest commune in Con Cuong district, then Moi village is the poorest commune in the commune. Dan Lai people in Moi village live by farming and exploiting forest products. They are docile people, hard-working and taking care of their families. Therefore, the news that Luong Van Trieu (born in 2000) and Le Van Hong (born in 2002) committed a crime that killed a young man in Khai Son commune (Anh Son) made the villagers extremely surprised.

Mr. Nguyen Canh Dao - Chief of Luc Da Commune Police said: "Trieu finished 5th grade, Hong finished 9th grade and then dropped out. Besides helping their parents with farming, they also worked as acacia peeler for hire. These two young men are basically good and have not committed any violations, but drinking is inevitable. The commune police have never had to warn Trieu and Hong about any mistakes."

As usual, on September 12, 2019, Trieu and Hong went to peel acacia trees for hire for an acquaintance in Lang Son commune (Anh Son). The work was tiring, so the owner of the acacia garden invited a few workers to go out for a drink. The drink seemed not to be enough for the young men, so after the drinking session, the group went to buy more beer to drink. The next landing place was Tri Le bridge, located on the Ho Chi Minh trail, connecting the two communes of Khai Son and Lang Son in Anh Son district. At around 9:00 p.m., this road was quite empty of vehicles, so the village boys brought beer to the middle of the bridge to drink.

A moment later, Chu Van Truong (born in 1990, residing in Lang Son commune) drove his friend across Tri Le bridge. When he met Trieu's group, Truong stopped the car and asked "What are you doing here?". Hong replied "We are sitting here drinking beer". "Why are you sitting in the middle of the road drinking beer?", Truong continued to ask. Hong stood up and said "what do you like" and took out a switchblade to defend herself. Feeling bad, Truong asked Hong what she was holding in her hand, Trieu threw a beer can at Truong, at the same time snatched the knife from Hong and stabbed the victim in the left chest.

After being stabbed, Truong left his motorbike and ran away, but Trieu and Hong still did not let him go. They both chased after him, Trieu threw a switchblade at Truong but missed. Hong ran over, picked up the knife and stabbed Truong in the back. Only when Truong ran to Khai Son commune did the two young men stop and turn back.

The stabbing by Luong Van Trieu and Le Van Hong punctured the victim's lung, causing respiratory failure, acute circulatory failure, and death on the way to the emergency room. Upon learning that the victim had died, Luong Van Trieu and Le Van Hong turned themselves in to the police and confessed to their crime.

Late tears of regret of a young man who committed a crime before he grew up

While waiting for the jury to deliberate, Trieu and Hong sat with their faces down on the floor, avoiding the reproachful and painful looks of the victims' parents and relatives. Photo: Nhu Binh

The crimes of Luong Van Trieu and Le Van Hong were “re-enacted” through the indictment of the Provincial People’s Procuracy and the statements of the defendants and witnesses. Although there were petitions for a reduction in the sentences for the defendants, each statement was like a knife stabbing into Mr. Chu Van Thien’s heart. The father hugged the portrait of his ill-fated son, holding back his pain and not crying. He asked for leniency for the defendants because of the tolerance of a father who wanted to awaken the conscience of those who had gone astray because he knew better than anyone what parents expect from their children.

The judge asked the defendants if they knew that gathering together in the middle of the street to drink alcohol was obstructing traffic and violating the law. Both defendants bowed their heads in silence. Realizing that their actions had taken the lives of others, both Luong Van Trieu and Le Van Hong blamed drinking too much alcohol for not being able to control their actions. “Although their families were poor and could not send them to school, at this age, the defendants should have known right from wrong. The defendants were young but gathered together to drink, and on top of that, they sat in the middle of the street, obstructing traffic. Just because Mr. Truong asked a few questions, the two defendants not only did not realize their mistakes but also stabbed them. The victim had already run away, but the two defendants chased him to death. Do the defendants feel remorse for their actions?”, the judge, a retired teacher, asked.

“The defendants are very remorseful for their actions that took Truong’s life,” Luong Van Trieu and Le Van Hong said in a low voice. The two defendants apologized to Truong’s parents, hoping to receive forgiveness so that they would have more motivation to reform and return soon to rebuild their lives. During the days sitting within the four walls of the prison, when the reckless moments passed, Trieu and Hong realized more deeply the price they had to pay when their life journey seemed to have just begun.

Throughout the trial, defendant Le Van Hong's mother repeatedly wiped away her tears with a handkerchief. Photo 1: Nhu Binh

The jury determined that the actions of Luong Van Trieu and Le Van Hong were hooliganism, dangerous to society, and deprived others of their right to life protected by law. However, after the incident, the defendants had influenced their families to compensate the victims appropriately. During the investigation and trial, Luong Van Trieu and Le Van Hong confessed honestly and showed remorse.

The legal representative of the victim filed a petition for leniency for the defendants. These are mitigating circumstances according to the law. Considering the role of each defendant in the case as well as the aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the panel sentenced Luong Van Trieu to 20 years in prison and Le Van Hong to 12 years in prison for murder.

Hearing the judge read the verdict with a sentence of 12 years in prison, defendant Le Van Hong burst into tears as his mother tried to stretch out to follow him as he was led to the car to return to the prison. She hugged her son tightly to give him words of encouragement through tears. Before he could grow up, her son had to leave his family, away from the protective arms of his parents to pay for his mistakes.

Meanwhile, Mr. Luong Van Phuc and his wife, Mrs. Cam Thi Phuc, sat motionless. 20 years in prison, exactly the amount of time they had spent raising and somewhat pampering their youngest son. When the courtroom gradually became less crowded, the two of them quietly stood up and left. Despite the raindrops hitting their faces, they walked silently side by side. After 20 years, would they still have enough strength to wait for their son to return…