The tragic death of a 72-year-old man poisoned by his young lover.

A tragic love affair

On April 9th, the trial concerning the death of Mr. Nguyen Quoc Phu (72 years old, residing in Thanh Tien commune, Thanh Chuong district) was held. The defendant was none other than Nguyen Thi Thanh (44 years old, residing in Thanh Chi commune, Thanh Chuong district), who had a four-year relationship with him.

Thanh's stated reason for killing Mr. Phu was shame and anger over the gossip and rumors circulating among the villagers about their mismatched relationship. However, strangely, at the trial, Thanh showed no shame towards Mr. Phu's wife and children. While she apologized, it was an apology for having acted rashly and foolishly, killing the husband and father of the couple, not for any remorse for destroying another family's happiness.

Defendant Nguyen Thi Thanh in court. Photo: Phuong Thao

Mr. Phu had a wife and children in Vinh City. He also owned gardens and a house in his hometown, so he often visited. In 2013, during a trip back home, he met Thanh, a divorced woman. Mr. Phu openly expressed his desire to have a son to carry on the family line. As for Thanh, after more than a decade of lacking affection, her longing for love led her to hastily enter into an immoral relationship.

Their clandestine affair lasted for four years, yet it couldn't escape the gossip and slander of others. Thanh even heard rumors that Mr. Phu only wanted a son and didn't truly love Thanh. Recalling the times Mr. Phu kept their relationship secret and didn't want to make it public, Thanh became even more resentful. And then, a tragic ending occurred that no one could have foreseen...

On the evening of August 8, 2017, during dinner at Mr. Phu's house, Thanh secretly poured pesticide into Mr. Phu's beer. Having no reason to be suspicious of the woman who had been by his side for years, Mr. Phu drank the entire glass of beer. That night, he suffered severe stomach pain and vomited repeatedly. Thanh stayed to care for him. The next morning, Thanh cooked a pot of porridge for Mr. Phu, but before he could eat it, neighbors arrived at the house. The porridge was later confirmed by investigators to contain pesticide. Mr. Phu was rushed to the hospital, but after five days, he passed away.

Speaking of Thanh, that morning, seeing someone arrive, she quickly hid under the bed but was discovered along with the evidence: a package of pesticide. The tragic love affair between the 72-year-old man and his mistress ended with one dead and the other imprisoned.

A meaningless apology

In court, the defendant Thanh repeatedly turned to apologize to Mr. Phu's wife and children. However, all of Thanh's apologies became meaningless when the demands of Mr. Phu's wife and children were not met.

"We know you belong to a poor household, so the compensation will be according to the law; we won't demand anything. I also have children, so I understand what your child will go through without a mother. But please tell us, why did you kill my father? Then, in the middle of the night, my father had stomach pains and vomited; normally, people would panic and take him to the hospital. But you remained calm as if nothing happened," said Mr. Phu's daughter.

Defendant Thanh expressed remorse towards the victim's wife and children. Photo: Phuong Thao

In response to those questions, Thanh couldn't offer any reasonable explanation. All she could say was, "I was just having suicidal thoughts, please forgive me, and please forgive me, Auntie (Mr. Phu's wife)."

The presiding judge repeatedly questioned the defendant Thanh about the reason for killing Mr. Phu, stating that "killing your lover because of others' gossip is completely illogical." However, Thanh consistently maintained that she had acted impulsively.

In the end, Thanh received a 15-year prison sentence for what he himself admitted was a foolish act. Only Mr. Phu's wife, children, siblings, and friends attended and observed the trial; not a single relative of Thanh was present. Therefore, when the trial ended, Thanh received no sympathetic glances from anyone. This relationship, from the very beginning, was wrong for Thanh. Perhaps 15 years is enough time for Thanh to reflect on that mistake and correct his ways.