Suspect Vũ Văn Vương was arrested by police in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province. — Photo courtesy of Hà Nội City Police

HÀ NỘI — Legal proceedings have been launched against a man in Hà Nội who allegedly murdered four of his family members last week, said the capital city’s police.

According to the initial investigation, Vũ Văn Vương, 52, admitted to using a hard object to kill his wife and two children, then strangling his bed-ridden 79-year-old mother to death in their house in Phú Xuyên District, Hà Nội, on January 15.

Vương then attempted suicide by taking sleeping pills but failed.

On the afternoon of January 16, he took a coach from Hà Nội to Đà Nẵng City, then to the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, where he was arrested on January 18 and transported back to Hà Nội for investigation.

Vương allegedly travelled to Liên Trì Pagoda in Vũng Tàu City to pray for his victims. He told the police he was trying to free his family from poverty.

The police said that Vương was showing signs of depression and mental disorders. His drug test returned negative.

In the early afternoon of January 17, Vương’s younger sister found out their mother had passed away when visiting his house.

She called for help and later discovered the bodies of her sister-in-law, niece and nephew under the bed in the bedroom.

Given the severity of the case, Hà Nội City Police deployed investigative units to the scene and worked with the municipal People's Procuracy and Phú Xuyên District People's Procuracy to carry out investigations per the laws. — VNS