The perpetrator of the horrific massacre in Binh Phuoc must pay for his crime with lethal injection.

Two years after the horrific massacre of six people in Binh Phuoc, the execution agency will administer a lethal injection to the mastermind, death row inmate Nguyen Hai Duong, 26, from An Giang, on November 17.

On the evening of November 14, speaking to reporters, Mr. Nguyen Huu Tri, Chief Justice of Binh Phuoc Province People's Court, said that the authorities will execute death row inmate Nguyen Hai Duong on November 17.

According to the schedule, the Execution Council will take Nguyen Hai Duong from the detention camp in Binh Phuoc province to Binh Duong province to perform the lethal injection. "Duong's mental health and condition are quite normal and stable. Previously, the defendant did not file an appeal and the death row inmate filed a request for early execution, so the authorities agreed," said Mr. Tri.

Defendant Nguyen Hai Duong at the mobile first instance trial on December 17, 2015, taking place in Chon Thanh district, Binh Phuoc province.

Duong's accomplice, Vu Van Tien, was also sentenced to death by the High People's Court. "The President has not yet decided on Tien's request for a sentence reduction, so the execution date for this death row inmate has not been determined," said Mr. Tri.

As reported by CAND Newspaper, on the morning of July 5, 2015, Nguyen Hai Duong and Tran Dinh Thoai, 29 years old, from Vinh Long, went to Mr. My's house with the intention of killing and robbing him, but failed. After that, Thoai did not go anymore but still bought a knife to help Duong commit the crime.

Duong continued to entice Vu Van Tien, 26 years old, from Binh Phuoc, to help but lied to Tien that he was there to collect debt from Mr. My and his wife and promised to give Tien a large sum of money.

At dawn on July 7, 2015, Duong and Tien went from Hoc Mon, Ho Chi Minh City to Binh Phuoc, then broke into Mr. My's villa located next to National Highway 13 in Group 3, Hamlet 2, Minh Hung Commune, Chon Thanh District, causing a particularly serious murder and robbery case.

The two perpetrators killed 6 people: Mr. Le Van My (47 years old, owner of Quoc Anh wood company), Ms. Nguyen Le Thi Anh Nga (42 years old, Mr. My's wife), Le Quoc Anh (15 years old, son of Mr. My and Ms. Nga) were killed on the ground floor of the villa.

Le Thi Anh Linh (20 years old, daughter of Mr. My and Mrs. Nga, Duong's ex-lover) and Du Ngoc To Nhu (18 years old, granddaughter of Mrs. Nga) were murdered upstairs. Du Minh Vy (14 years old, granddaughter of Mrs. Nga) was murdered right near the fence outside the gate.

Mr. My's youngest daughter, Le Thi Gia Linh (commonly known as Na, 22 months old), when he saw her crying, Duong did not kill her but instead put her to sleep and left the scene.

After committing the crime, both of them also took away money and some property worth nearly 50 million VND. The two suspects were arrested on July 10, 2015 along with many related evidences and were prosecuted and detained for 4 months from July 13, 2015.

The three defendants (from left) Vu Van Tien, Nguyen Hai Duong and Tran Dinh Thoai at the mobile first instance trial on December 17, 2015, taking place in Chon Thanh district, Binh Phuoc province.

This is a case that shocked public opinion in 2015 because of the seriousness of the incident. On July 17, 2015, in Chon Thanh district, the People's Court of Binh Phuoc province opened a first-instance, mobile trial and sentenced defendants Nguyen Hai Duong and Vu Van Tien to death, and Tran Dinh Thoai to 16 years in prison for two crimes of murder and robbery.

Duong did not appeal but was still summoned to the appeal hearing, which took place in Ho Chi Minh City on July 18, 2016, by the Ho Chi Minh City High Court to testify. Tien appealed for a lighter sentence. Thoai also appealed for a lighter sentence and claimed that he was not an accomplice to murder but only an accomplice to robbery.

Presenting his reasons for appeal, Tien said that he was mentally weak and did not foresee the murder. When he saw Duong attack Vy, Tien panicked and from then on did not know what to do.

Tien tried to stop Duong many times but failed. Because he was afraid of Duong, Tien had to do it. “When strangling the victim, the defendant did not dare to squeeze too hard.” Tien admitted that he was afraid of death and asked to live so that he could have the opportunity to compensate the victim’s family for the damage.

Thoai pleaded innocent, asserting that he was not an accomplice to Duong's murder. The weapon Thoai prepared for Tien was only intended to rob him.

After deliberation, the panel of judges determined that the first instance verdict was in accordance with the law and met public expectations. Tien, although controlled by Duong, accepted to be an active accomplice. Tien’s actions were too cruel, beyond the possibility of reform, and there were no new mitigating circumstances.

Regarding defendant Thoại, the court held that this defendant did not directly carry out the case but knew about the plan in advance. Thoại did not participate because he suddenly received news that his grandmother was sick, so there was no basis for a reduced sentence for Thoại.

Finally, the court upheld the death penalty for defendant Tien and the 16-year prison sentence for defendant Thoai for the two crimes of murder and robbery. The court also declared that defendant Tien has the right to write a letter to the President to request clemency within seven days.

According to CAND