The 31-year journey of a jealous murderer on the run

Murder out of jealousy

Tran Van Dan (born in 1962), residing in Quy Hop district, Nghe An province, is a man with a jealous nature. Although he has 3 children, his personality has hardly changed.

In 1991, Dan's wife was pregnant with their fourth child, only 2 months away from giving birth, but Tran Van Dan still believed that his wife had feelings for the warehouse keeper of a business located in Quy Hop district. Although his wife explained everything, Dan was always worried and suspicious about that relationship.

Tran Van Dan (born in 1962), residing in Quy Hop district, Nghe An province. Photo: Document

At around 1:30 p.m. on August 12, 1991, provoked by his friends, Dan became so angry that he beat his wife. He then took a knife to find the aforementioned storekeeper, and the two sides argued. Although it was not related to the emotional turmoil between Dan and his wife, the storekeeper received a stab in the chest from the jealous man.

The victim was immediately taken to the emergency room by local residents. Although he was taken to the hospital, his injuries were so severe that he died 5 hours later. Realizing he had committed a serious crime, Tran Van Dan immediately fled, leaving his pregnant wife and 3 young children to fend for him. He disappeared without a trace, and the police searched for him several times but to no avail.

After a period of searching, Quy Hop District Police issued a special wanted notice for Tran Van Dan for the crime of "Murder" but he seemed to have "evaporated" completely. He hid everywhere to hide.wantedThis man only dared to stay in each place for a short time before moving to another location. Gradually doing all kinds of jobs to make a living.

A few years later, Tran Van Dan moved to Cu Ewi commune, Cu Kuin district, Dak Lak province. Realizing that this place was safe and no one knew his whereabouts, in 1996, Dan secretly returned to Quy Hop and brought his wife and children to live with him, leaving only his youngest child to be cared for by his grandparents.

In the new land, Dan changed his wife's name and hometown in his documents. In the new place, he almost never quarreled or had any grudges with anyone in the place he lived. He never even mentioned his hometown or any relatives in front of his children to erase all traces related to the past. During the time he was on the run, Dan never returned to his hometown again. Even when his mother died, Dan did not know.

Since then, relatives, neighbors, and neighbors have not known any whereabouts or information about Dan and his wife. As time passed, it seemed that people had forgotten about the murder case and the murderer, but the wanted soldiers did not...

The killer revealed

Speaking of Tran Van Dan, to avoid being discovered, Dan always appeared to be a gentle, responsible, and unhurried person, especially avoiding causing conflicts with those around him. Dan also chose the location to build his house very carefully, with an escape route ready in case he was discovered. His conscience and remorse occasionally arose, but not enough to make Dan trade what he had, although sometimes the moment of committing the crime still appeared in his sleep, causing him to wake up, staring into the darkness until morning.

Gradually, he did not have enough courage to turn himself in, and unexpectedly, one day, when he thought everything had been forgotten, the police suddenly raided...

Detectives in the case shared: "During 31 years on the run, Dan and his wife completely cut off contact with their relatives. Even when his mother died, Dan did not know. But the more Tran Van Dan hid himself, the more determined we were to capture him."

Wanted paper of Tran Van Dan in 1991. Photo: Document

In early October 2022, through professional measures, wanted soldiers discovered a man named Tran Duy Dan residing in Cu Ewi commune (Cu Kuin, Dak Lak province) with many identifying characteristics similar to Tran Van Dan. The verification work was immediately carried out by PC02 in coordination with professional departments of Nghe An Provincial Police, Tho Hop Commune Police and Dak Lak Provincial Police. Through verification, the detectives confirmed that Tran Duy Dan was Tran Van Dan - the man wanted for "Murder".

The project was established with the goal of bringing Tran Van Dan to justice, restoring justice to the deceased and his family.

On October 6, 2022, the PC02 working group was present in Dak Lak, quietly observing the terrain, coordinating with friendly units to plan a siege because if the scenario was "deviated" just a little, the subject could take advantage of the rubber forest behind and disappear again.

At noon on October 10, three working groups gradually approached Dan's house. Seeing the stranger, the large fierce dog rushed out but was quickly neutralized. While Dan was stunned and did not understand what was happening, the handcuffs were clamped on his hands with the shout: "Tran Van Dan, you have been arrested!". He tried to struggle but failed and understood that his 31-year escape had ended.

After 31 years of committing crimes, Tran Van Dan was finally arrested. Photo: Document

Nghe An Provincial Police Investigation Agency (PC02) has resumed the investigation and issued a temporary detention order for Tran Van Dan (born in 1962, residing in Tho Hop commune, Quy Hop district, Nghe An) for the crime of "Murder". Thus, Dan's 31-year escape has ended. Although it is late, he will certainly have to pay for his mistakes./.