Because a plot of cemetery land was exchanged for a human life.

Murder over cemetery land.

Defendant Duong Van Chuong at the trial. Photo: An Quynh.

At approximately 7 PM on April 9, 2019, Duong Van Chuong (born 1972; residing in Khanh Son commune, Nam Dan district, Nghe An province) returned home from work when Mr. NVT (born 1977; residing in Khanh Son commune, Nam Dan district) came to visit. Being long-time neighbors, Chuong offered Mr. T. some alcohol and invited him to stay for dinner with his family.

While drinking, Mr. T. questioned Chuong about his promise to give him land to build a cemetery, but why he hadn't kept his word. An argument ensued, and Mr. T. raised his voice to intimidate Chuong. At that point, Duong Van Chuong continued to take out more food and drinks. Chuong then called Mr. Nguyen Duc Th. (a neighbor) to join him and Mr. T. for drinks. During the drinking session, Mr. T. and Chuong continued to argue about building graves in the cemetery. Seeing this, Mr. Th. went to a table to drink some water and then left.

Then, Mr. T. said to Chuong, "This guy isn't afraid of anyone," and slammed the bowl down in the middle of the table. Duong Van Chuong, annoyed, raised his voice, "I came home from work and you don't respect me."

Duong Van Chuong at the investigative agency. Photo: An Quynh

Mr. T. said, "I'm not afraid of ten men." Angered, Chương turned and went into the kitchen to get a knife and tried to stab Mr. T., but missed. Mr. T. bent down and used his right hand to pick up a bowl to defend himself, but Chương continued to stab him in the right side of his chest.

Seeing the victim collapse on the spot, Duong Van Chuong ran outside and asked someone to take Mr. T. to the hospital for emergency treatment. However, due to the severity of the injuries and significant blood loss, the victim died shortly afterward. Knowing that Mr. T. had died, Chuong went to the Nam Dan District Police Station to surrender and confessed to his crime.

The pain remains

The trial of Duong Van Chuong opened at the end of July 2020, the trial date also marking exactly 100 days since the death of Mr. T.

Despite the scorching sun, Ms. M. (the victim's wife), along with her three young children and relatives, arrived at the courtroom on time. Ms. M.'s family stated that today marked the 100th day since Mr. T.'s death. They had tried to hold a memorial service for Mr. T. early before attending the trial. Seeing the defendant, Chương, being escorted into the courtroom by the police, Ms. M. burst into tears. She couldn't believe Chương would brutally attack her husband, as they hadn't had any major conflicts before.

At the trial, the defendant Chương initially denied the charges but eventually admitted his crime. He stated that he had been drinking at the time and therefore could not control his emotions. He claimed there had been no prior conflict between him and the victim. The conflict only arose spontaneously at the drinking table, due to T.'s challenge, causing him to lose control of himself.

It is known that Mr. T.'s family is in very difficult circumstances. The family's finances depend entirely on him. Ms. M. has been deeply shocked and depressed since her husband's death. Seeing her frail and weak body, everyone felt sorry for her. Although she deeply resented the person who caused her husband's death, Ms. M. still stood up and pleaded for leniency for the defendant. Faced with the victim's wife's forgiveness, the defendant, Chương, could only lower his head. Ms. M. also requested that the defendant compensate her 210 million VND for emotional distress and funeral expenses. She also demanded that the defendant provide monthly support of 1 million VND per child for the victim's three children.

Previously, the defendant's wife had borrowed 50 million VND to give to the victim's family for funeral expenses and medical bills for Mr. T. Before the trial, the family also compensated the victim's family with an additional 100 million VND. However, for some unknown reason, the defendant's family and relatives did not attend the trial. The defendant agreed to provide monthly child support of 1 million VND per child. However, the defendant considered the 210 million VND compensation requested by Ms. M. to be too high.

Ms. NTM stood up and asked for a reduced sentence for the defendant. Photo: An Quynh

After a comprehensive review of the case, the panel of judges sentenced the defendant Duong Van Chuong to 18 years in prison for the crime.KillingRegarding the civil aspect, the court ordered the defendant to pay over 199 million VND in compensation to the victim's family and provide child support of 1 million VND per month to each of Mr. T.'s three children until they reach adulthood.

In a moment of uncontrolled rage, Chương took someone's life and landed himself in legal trouble. He was imprisoned, and the burden of debt fell heavily on his wife and children. The case is closed, but the remorse lingers for those involved. This is also a valuable lesson for those left behind: don't let words or a moment of pride ruin the good relationships around you.