HANOI - A man who murdered four members of his own family to free them from poverty has been sentenced to death by a Hanoi court on July 8 .

The Hanoi People’s Court handed down the death penalty to 52-year-old Vu Van Vuong for the brutal killings of his daughter, son, wife and elderly mother early in 2025 .

According to court proceedings, Vuong carried out the murders over two days in mid-January at the family’s home in the former Phu Xuyen District of Hanoi.

On the morning of Jan 15, he strangled his 19-year-old daughter and hid her body under the bed. Later that afternoon, he did the same to his 17-year-old son.

After his wife returned home from work that night, he killed her at around 11pm and concealed her body in the same place. In the early hours of the next morning , Vuong strangled his 79-year-old mother, who had been bedridden with illness.

After committing the murders, Vuong wrote a letter and attempted to take his own life by overdosing on sleeping pills, but survived. He then fled Hanoi by bus to Danang, and then to the southern city Vung Tau.

He was eventually arrested at Lien Tri Pagoda on Jan 18, where he was holding a ritual for the victims.

At the time of arrest, Vuong showed signs of severe depression and mental instability, but tested negative for drugs, the police said. In his confession, he said he committed the murders because he wanted to “free” his family from poverty.

During the trial, Vuong admitted to all charges. Prosecutors described his actions as “extremely cruel and inhumane”, arguing that he was beyond rehabilitation and should receive the harshest possible sentence.

The court agreed, concluding that he was no longer capable of being reformed into a productive member of society.

Before the sentencing, Vuong told the court he wished to be executed soon, saying he wanted to “free himself”. VIET NAM NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

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