New stories about solving the case of the murder of 5 people on the first day of Tet (Lunar New Year).

Hundreds of detectives solve cases during Tet holiday.

To date, Colonel Nguyen Sy Quang – head of the Staff Department and spokesperson for the Ho Chi Minh City Police – has confirmed that the details of the case have been clarified, including the initial statements of suspect Nguyen Huu Tinh (born in 2000, from An Giang province) related to the massacre that killed 5 people just before Tet (Lunar New Year). Currently, the police have determined that Tinh committed the crime alone and had no accomplices.

On the evening of the first day of Tet (February 16th), right after the police arrested the suspect, the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee promptly visited, encouraged, and commended the units that had made efforts to solve the case, such as the Criminal Police Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Police, the Binh Tan District Police, and the Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security.

To date, suspect Nguyen Huu Tinh has admitted to single-handedly murdering five members of Mai Xuan Chinh's family.

Returning to the beginning of the case, at 9:00 AM on the 30th day of the Lunar New Year (February 15th), a delivery person delivering chicken to the family of Mr. Mai Xuan Chinh (born in 1972, from Thanh Hoa province) at their house in alley 131, Street 7, Quarter 8, Binh Hung Hoa Ward, Binh Tan District, was shocked to discover the body of a woman slumped dead at the entrance. Upon receiving the report, local police forces sealed off the scene and investigated the incident.

"Upon entering the house, a heavy stench of death filled the air. Right by the door was the body of a woman. Going deeper inside and checking each room, we were horrified to discover the bodies of four more people, scattered across three bedrooms. The scene was heartbreaking; all five members of the family had died tragically, their bodies covered in injuries," recounted an officer involved in the initial on-site investigation.

The case caused a public outcry when five members of one family were deprived of their lives...

Accordingly, hundreds of people from multiple units collaborated in the investigation and solving of the case.

Solving the case in just 24 hours.

Upon arriving at the scene, the police assessed this as a murder and robbery case with extremely brutal circumstances.

In addition to the two bloodstained knives sent for forensic examination, the police also identified several missing items, including two mobile phones belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Chinh, and an AirBalde motorbike.

Based on the crime scene investigation, the police quickly identified a suspect.

Another detail is that the house had a ferocious German Shepherd, and any strangers entering or leaving would surely be met with a violent reaction from the dog. However, from the 27th of Tet, when Mr. Chinh's family was celebrating their New Year's Eve, until the incident was discovered on the morning of the 30th of Tet, neighbors did not hear the dog barking, indicating that the perpetrator must have been someone familiar.

On the other hand, the police believe that the perpetrator murdered Mr. Chinh's entire family at the same time, including a 6-year-old child, because they knew the victim and wanted to cover their tracks.

The police also reviewed numerous security cameras in the surrounding area. This investigative technique helped them narrow down the suspects, targeting people entering and leaving Mr. Chinh's house on the night of the 27th and early morning of the 28th of Tet, the time period when the crime occurred according to the investigation.

The police focused on taking statements from several acquaintances and neighbors of Mr. Chinh's family and gathered important information.

Some neighbors testified that Mr. Chinh's family held a year-end party on the afternoon of the 27th of Tet (Lunar New Year). They did not see the two long-time employees of the family, but only a young man recently hired by Mr. Chinh was present. The neighbors had little contact with this young man; seeing his dark complexion, they assumed he was from an ethnic minority group.

Suspect Nguyen Huu Tinh at the time of his arrest.

Based on the various details revealed, Major General Phan Anh Minh directed the focus to the group of people working for Mr. Chinh's family, and eventually the number one suspect was identified as Nguyen Huu Tinh. The police tried to contact Tinh but were unsuccessful. A quick verification at Tinh's hometown in Chau Lang commune, Tri Ton district, An Giang province, revealed that Tinh's parents said he had not returned home for Tet and they had lost contact with him.

Investigators from the Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security and the Criminal Police Department of Ho Chi Minh City Police targeted a series of border crossings in An Giang, Tay Ninh, Long An, etc., setting up checkpoints due to concerns that the suspect might escape across the border.

At noon on the first day of the Lunar New Year, a task force spotted Tinh drinking with friends at a location in Can Giuoc district, Long An province, with Mr. Chinh's motorbike right next to them. The team immediately approached and arrested the suspect before he could react.

Thus, less than 24 hours elapsed from the discovery of the crime to the arrest of the suspect, Tinh.

On the afternoon of the first day of Tet (Lunar New Year), Tinh was transferred to the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department. Faced with irrefutable evidence, Tinh confessed that his motive for the crime was revenge against his employer and his wife, as well as robbery.

At this point, all the investigators breathed a sigh of relief… Only a few investigators continued to take Tinh's statement to clarify related details. The remaining hundreds of detectives and investigators… were considered to have completed their nhiệm vụ and could go home for Tet (Lunar New Year).

They celebrated Tet (Lunar New Year) a little later than usual due to their duties, but felt relieved to have eased some of the pain of the families of the five victims and reassured society when the perpetrator of the massacre was quickly apprehended.