Case of 2 bodies in concrete block: 4 defendants prosecuted for murder

The Investigation Police Agency of Binh Duong Province has decided to prosecute 4 suspects for murder.

The defendants proposed to be prosecuted for the crime of “Murder” include: Pham Thi Thien Ha (31 years old), Trinh Thi Hong Hoa (66 years old, both residing in Tan Phu district, Ho Chi Minh City), Le Ngoc Phuong Thao (29 years old, residing in Tien Giang), Nguyen Ngoc Tam Huyen (40 years old, residing in Go Vap district, Ho Chi Minh City) for the act of murder. Currently, the prosecution file of these 4 defendants is awaiting approval from the People's Procuracy of Binh Duong province.

Pham Thi Thien Ha and her biological mother Trinh Thi Hong Hoa.

The victims in this case are Tran Duc Linh (50 years old, from Nghe An) and Tran Tri Thanh (27 years old, temporarily residing in Phu Nhuan district, Ho Chi Minh City). The group of suspects confessed to killing Tran Tri Thanh because he violated the principles of his practice and was about to be “possessed by a demon”. As for the victim Tran Duc Linh, the group of suspects confessed that Linh jumped off the building to commit suicide because his “demon side” overwhelmed him.

Before being arrested, the group of suspects chose many places to practice an unrecognized sect. This group once went to Nha Trang City (Khanh Hoa Province) to gather to practice, but was administratively punished by the local government, then returned to Ho Chi Minh City and then rented a house in Binh Duong, continuing to practice the sect.

The house discovered 2 bodies hidden in 2 concrete barrels.

In October 2018, Thao rented a house in Hamlet 5, Hung Hoa Commune, Bau Bang District (Binh Duong) for the group to practice the strange cult. In December 2018, Ha organized for everyone to go to Binh Chau, Ba Ria - Vung Tau to rent a villa to live and practice.

Here, Ha informed everyone that the ascetic practice must go through two stages called "Tay Tinh" (removing the dirt from the body) and "Tinh Coc" (the stage of not eating or drinking) until reaching "enlightenment".

When entering the “Tịnh Cốc” stage, everyone was very tired, only Hà had not “Tịnh Cốc” to take care of everyone. After a while of “Tịnh Cốc” (about 10 days), Linh could not bear it anymore and jumped off the building to escape. Seeing that, Hà and Thành helped Linh up to the room without taking him to the hospital to check his injuries for emergency treatment, after that, Linh died.

Victim Linh was hidden in a cylindrical plastic barrel filled with concrete, tightly wrapped in foam and covered with silicone.

After finishing their practice in Vung Tau, the group got into Ha's 7-seat car and took Linh's body to a house in Hamlet 5, Hung Hoa Commune, Bau Bang District, and then disposed of the body by putting the victim in a cylindrical plastic barrel, stuffing it with embalming tea, pouring glue, and sealing it with tape, and setting it up in the bedroom.

Regarding the second victim, Tran Tri Thanh, the group of suspects confessed to killing Thanh because they thought he showed signs of a "demon", so Ha discussed with his three accomplices Thao, Hoa, and Huyen to kill Thanh to eliminate the "demon". The suspects electrocuted Thanh, then Ha used a rope to strangle the victim to death, then continued to put the victim's body in a plastic barrel and poured concrete on top.

After finishing disposing of the two victims, the group locked the house, left and rented a hotel in Tiamo residential area (Thu Dau Mot city) to continue practicing.

At dawn on May 18, the four suspects were detained by the police and taken to headquarters.