The Tormenting Pain of a Woman Whose Husband Was Murdered, and Her Brother Who Became the Murderer and Went to Prison

Heartbreaking tragedy

One day at the end of February, Ms. Cao Thi X. (44 years old), residing in Nghi Yen commune, Nghi Loc district, came to the People's Court of Nghe An province to attend the Murder trial in two capacities: as the wife of the victim and as a relative of the defendant. Because in this case, the victim was her husband, while the defendant was not a stranger but his own younger brother - Cao Van Sy (born in 1987, residing in the same commune).

Sisters met in court in an ironic situation that left both sides confused. However, Ms. X. tried to stay calm to send her brother words of encouragement before the court. The hard-working, dark-skinned woman who had been working in the fields all year round did not expect such a painful tragedy to happen to her family.

Ms. Cao Thi X came to the trial of her brother as the wife of the victim. Photo: Tran Vu

Cao Van Sy is the younger brother of Ms. X. Their family is in difficult circumstances, their mother died early so all 7 siblings have to be self-reliant. Feeling sorry for her brother who is in difficulty, Ms. X always encourages him and his wife to do business. Because the two siblings live close to each other, when there is delicious food, Sy and his brother-in-law Hoang Van Thin (born in 1976) invite each other to drink alcohol. The joy from the glass of alcohol but also because of this drink has pushed the two families into a painful tragedy. The fact that Sy punched his brother-in-law in the head leading to his death shocked and surprised relatives and neighbors.

According to the investigation agency's documents, at noon on October 6, 2019, Sy went to Mr. Thin's house to drink alcohol. At the wine table, Sy commented to his brother-in-law about his habit of drinking and beating his wife and children, which made his brother-in-law "hot-headed", leading to a conflict. After a few words, Sy was annoyed and said that his brother-in-law was a patriarch, and from now on he would not come to his brother-in-law's house anymore. Sy took his motorbike to go home, but Mr. Thin picked up a pipe and a knife and said, "If you're good, come here." Sy also left his motorbike and went in to challenge him, "If you're good, then beat me up."

Mr. Thin used a pipe and a knife to hit him, but Sy was able to grab them. At that time, Mr. Thin's son came to hug Sy's arm but was thrown away. Sy used his hand to push Thin, causing him to fall to the ground. After that, Sy used his hand to punch Mr. Thin three times in the head and face. When Mr. Thin's mother and wife discovered the incident, they shouted and took him to the emergency room, but Mr. Thin died late that night.

Defendant Cao Van Sy in court. Photo: Tran Vu

The incident happened right at Ms. X's house, haunting this woman. She said that when she discovered the incident, it was too late. Her husband died of a brain hemorrhage due to multiple injuries. This woman's pain was multiplied when the perpetrator was none other than her younger brother. "Nothing can compensate for the loss of my husband. But seeing my younger brother being taken away, I was even sadder because he did not do it on purpose, and he had young children. After many nights of thinking, I decided to forgive and ask for a reduced sentence for my brother," Ms. X said.

Taking advantage of the deliberation time, Ms. X tried to approach the defendant and said: “Don’t worry about reforming. I will try to take care of my child and your children. Don’t think too much.” Her words of encouragement to her erring younger brother seemed to be stuck in her throat. Seeing her sister shed tears, Sy raised his handcuffed hands to cover his face, his shoulders shaking.

Lessons from a glass of wine

According to relatives, before the murder, the victim and the defendant had a close relationship. The two had never had any conflicts with each other. They even often sat at the same table, called each other to celebrate with delicious food, and drank a glass of wine. But unexpectedly, the heartbreaking tragedy struck when both sides were drunk. This was also confirmed by the defendant in court.

In the presence of a large number of people attending the court, the panel of judges analyzed that in the recent murder cases brought to trial by the provincial court, most of them were related to alcohol. When sober, there was nothing between the two parties, even close to each other. However, when drinking, many people could not control their actions, causing regrettable incidents, and then regretted it too late. This is a lesson not only for the defendant but also for many others, always know how to control your actions, do not abuse alcohol or stimulants.

Not allowed to attend the court, the three defendants’ children stood outside the hallway. While the three-year-old girl did not understand what was happening to her family, the two older sisters sobbed. The eldest daughter, 10 years old, hugged her younger sister and cried every time she saw her father. Seeing her father after a long time apart, the second daughter immediately said to her mother: “Mom, let’s wait for dad to come home together.” The simple words of the little child made the young wife unable to hold back her tears. In her emotions, she could only hug her child and lie: “Good boy, dad will be gone for a few years and then come back. Soon…”.

Defendant Cao Van Sy's late remorse. Photo: Tran Vu

For the crime of murder, Cao Van Sy was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The sentence was higher than the prosecutor's request, surprising the defendant and the victim's wife. Seeing her brother being taken away, Ms. X could only shed tears. Following behind the defendant were her three young children and their relatives. Seeing their father, the children burst into tears. Hearing their father's advice to be good and study well, the three children both cried and nodded.

When the covered car left the court yard, Ms. X quietly left. Since her husband passed away, she not only had to endure great pain but her relationship with her husband's brothers and sisters was also somewhat damaged. This woman hoped that her husband's brothers and sisters would soon overcome their pain and join hands to take care of her three children. After all, those unfortunate children were the ones who suffered the most.