Around 1 am on June 30 the body of Nguyen Ba Son, the culprit, was found on National Highway 1A, where a container truck had hit him after he intentionally ran into it.
Son had earlier killed Dang Thi Ha, 23, his wife, and his little daughter Nguyen Thi Trang at their home in Quang Trung Commune, Quang Xuong District.
Son’s relatives said he had sold his motorbike to a pawn shop and borrowed a large amount of money from friends only to throw all the money into betting on the Euro football tournament.
Son lost all of his bets and his creditors continuously urged him to repay his debts.
On the night before the killings, after failing to obtain a loan to cover the debts, the couple, who married in late 2010, quarreled over Son’s gambling.
Son then left his house to watch a football match at a neighbor’s house, while Ha and Trang went to bed.
Son later returned to kill his wife and child and then rushed to his mother’s house, saying, “Mom, come to my home and see you daughter-in-law and grandchild for the last time. Later, bring my body home from the highway for burial along with my wife and daughter,” recounted Nguyen Thi Van, 60, Son’s mother.
Son had been working at a fishing port in Quang Nham Commune, and his wife farmed on their small plot of land.
The house of Son's family, where he killed his wife and daughter. He then intentionally ran into a container truck to kill himself. (Photo: Tuoi Tre)
“Four days before the murders, Son told Van and Ha that he had lost more than VND10 million to football betting and had no money to repay the amount. Van and Ha then borrowed some money for him to repay a part of his debts,” said Nguyen Ba Loa, 50, Son’s uncle.
“He could have killed his wife and daughter after finding himself in a hopeless situation,” Loa said.
A police investigation of the crime scene showed that Ha had been hit in the head with a stone, while the baby had many bruises on her neck. There was also a broken glass bottle near their bodies.
Autopsies were later performed on both victims to determine the exact cause of their deaths.
The police are continuing their investigation into the shocking case.