The tragic life of a man who killed his wife and then committed suicide in Nghe An.

Tragedy in the poor neighborhood

On April 15th, neighbors and relatives completed the burial of Mr. Thai Ba Tam (49 years old) and his wife, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai (45 years old, residing in Doi Cung 1 hamlet, Ky Son commune, Tan Ky district). Although no autopsy was performed (as requested by the relatives), the Nghe An Provincial Police determined that the incident showed no signs of foul play and may have been caused by the husband's delusional and depressed state.tragedy.

Admitted to her uncle's house for treatment due to psychological trauma, 18-year-old Thai Thi Duyen, the eldest daughter of Mr. Tam and Ms. Dai, is still not fully conscious. Her classmates and neighbors gathered around her bed, waiting for her to regain consciousness. But this morning, upon opening her eyes, the bewildered student still didn't understand what was happening to her family. She kept asking her friends, "What's happening?"

Mr. Tam and Ms. Dai's house is located deep within a small hamlet. Photo: TH

Doi Cung 1 hamlet is located on a road that runs through the western communes of Nghe An province. It's a poor rural area, where most residents have migrated elsewhere to find work due to the barren land. Like many others in this impoverished hamlet, three years ago, Duyen's father mortgaged his land deed to cover travel expenses to Africa to work as a construction worker. In early 2021, Mr. Tam returned home after completing his Covid-19 quarantine.

Mr. Thai Ba Hung, Tam's older brother, recounted that since returning from abroad, Tam had shown signs of depression and mental instability. When he went to Tan Ky Hospital, doctors advised him to stay for treatment, but fearing the cost, he chose to treat himself at home. Recently, his condition worsened. Tam frequently woke up in the middle of the night to rummage through his belongings, mumbled incoherently, felt anxious, experienced unwarranted fears, and always carried a knife with him because he "feared someone would threaten to kill him."

Around 11:30 AM on April 13th, when the eldest daughter returned home from school, she found her mother lying motionless in a pool of blood. She ran to call her father but couldn't find him. She then went to the well and saw her father with nooses around his feet, blood staining the well's surface.

Neighbors and relatives have just finished holding the funeral for Mr. and Mrs. Tâm. Photo: TH

Duyen panicked, clinging tightly to her mother and screaming in despair, blood staining her 18-year-old school uniform. By the time neighbors arrived, it was too late. A small, peaceful family, who had never once raised their voices at their neighbors, had fallen into tragedy, leaving everyone stunned and baffled.

Duyen remained in bed two days after the death of her parents. The severe shock had driven her insane and caused temporary amnesia. Her friends fed her milk and told her funny stories about their group and about the school day she had missed.

"I can't reach Mom because of my teeth! And Mom hasn't called me either, it's so frustrating! I can't even remember where I left my phone," Duyen said naively, giggling as she drank her milk.

A sudden outburst of crying erupted, and a friend nearby, unable to hold back her tears, jumped up, pulled open the door, and burst into tears. No one dared tell the truth for fear the girl would go insane. "Duyen is an introverted person and very affectionate towards her mother. I'm afraid she won't be able to overcome this shock," said Thai Thi Yen, Duyen's cousin.

Tragedy upon tragedy

When the heartbreaking story unfolded for Mr. Tam, Ms. Dai, and their two school-aged children, many who knew Mr. Tam's circumstances couldn't help but feel sorrow for this man who had endured a life of hardship and misfortune. Mr. Tam was the youngest of seven children, and in 1999, this man, who had suffered so much, also once experienced unimaginable pain.

At that time, while crossing the Con River with villagers to plant corn, the fateful boat capsized in the strong current and sank. Tâm's wife was one of the three victims who died. Tragically, she was six months pregnant when she passed away.

But the tragedy didn't end there. Two years after his first wife passed away, his son—the child of him and his wife—also contracted encephalitis and followed in his mother's footsteps. The pain was unbearable. Tâm lived alone in the world, relying on time as his medicine to ease his prolonged suffering.

Mr. Tam's son lost both his father and mother at the same time. Photo: TH

In 2002, Mr. Tam was introduced by an acquaintance to Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai, a village girl from Dai Son commune, Do Luong district. After many hardships, his new family helped Mr. Tam overcome his grief. The couple lived with their elderly parents in Doi Cung 2 hamlet, Ky Son commune (Tan Ky district), and had two children: Thai Thi Duyen (born in 2003) and Thai Ba Nam (born in 2004, currently a 11th-grade student at Tan Ky High School).

According to Mr. Thai Ba Thu, Tam's older brother, in early 2020, while still working in Africa, Tam was hit on the head by falling concrete while dismantling scaffolding at a construction site, requiring 20 stitches. The accident affected his brain, but because he thought he wouldn't have money if he returned home, he endured the pain to stay and work.

In mid-November 2020, Mr. Tam received devastating news from his family: his father had suddenly passed away after a severe illness. Due to his unstable mental state and signs of panic, his family advised him to stay and wait for the Covid-19 pandemic to stabilize before flying back home. In early 2021, after completing the mandatory quarantine period, Mr. Tam returned home to receive treatment and live with his wife and children. Three years of wandering abroad hadn't been enough to pay off all the debts, and now the family was even more worried because of the lingering effects of his accident and the recent death of his father, making the house even more somber.

“On that fateful morning, Dai called and told me that Tam was holding a knife, threatening to stab everyone, screaming and running around the garden smashing things. I was so scared that I told Dai to run out of the house to escape and wait for him to come back. A little while later, Dai called back and said that Tam had calmed down and we could take him to the hospital later. Little did I know that around noon, Duyen called and said that both parents were dead,” Tam’s older brother, Mr. Thai Ba Hung, said in anguish.

Mr. Tam and his wife passed away, leaving behind two children bewildered before they could enter adulthood. The already struggling family now faces a triple funeral: Mr. Tam, Ms. Dai, and Mr. Tam's father. The days ahead will be longer than any hardship as Duyen regains consciousness and confronts the truth. Nam, Duyen's younger brother, though appearing strong, is perhaps not mature enough to understand what awaits him. "I won't stay with you, nor will I go anywhere. I'll stay here to look after the altar for Grandpa and Mom. My sister and I will drop out of school to find work and earn enough to support ourselves," Nam said.

For any assistance, please contact Thai Ba Dung at 0913.032.823, account number 56510000354883, BIDV Bank.