Nguyễn Nam Đại Thuận, 38, during the first-instance trial. — Photo congly.vn

ĐẮK LẮK — The People's Court of Đắk Lắk Province on Tuesday sentenced a 38-year-old man to death for murder, robbery, and illegal use of military weapons after convicting him of killing his wife and two of his in-laws at the first-instance trial.

According to the indictment, Nguyễn Nam Đại Thuận from Ea Kao Ward, Đắk Lắk Province married Nguyễn Thị Kim H. in 2022. They had one child together.

As Thuận was addicted to drugs and failed to earn a living, his mother-in-law, 56-year-old Trần Thị D., took her daughter and grandchild to live at her home on Nguyễn Khoa Đăng Street in Thành Nhất Ward.

On the evening of September 12, 2025, after using drugs, Thuận formed the intention to kill his wife's entire family, believing they had treated him badly.

He had called H. repeatedly, but she did not answer. Thuận prepared a hammer and a butcher's knife, put them in a backpack and took a motorbike taxi to his mother-in-law's house, waiting for the right moment to strike.

At about 12.30am on September 13, Thuận called for his wife's younger brother, 24-year-old Bùi Hữu N., to open the gate.

As soon as the young man did so, Thuận attacked him with the hammer and knife, killing him on the spot.

Thuận then killed his wife and mother-in-law as they ran out calling for help, before entering a bedroom and stabbing his wife's 13-year-old daughter from a previous relationship multiple times.

The child managed to flee through the back door, climb a perimeter wall and escape to a neighbour's house, where she received emergency treatment. Her injuries were assessed at 17 per cent.

Thuận did not harm his own child.

After the killings, Thuận washed away the bloodstains, dragged the victims' bodies into the living room and covered them with a blanket.

He then searched the house, taking VNĐ6 million (roughly US$230) and his mother-in-law's mobile phone before fleeing.

While on the run, he bought and used more drugs, then used his knife to threaten and rob another woman of her motorbike and belongings. The total assets he seized amounted to VNĐ50.4 million (around $1,900).

Đắk Lắk Province Police arrested Thuận at about 10am on September 13 in the area of May 19 Street in Ea Kao Ward.

Forensic examination results showed that all three victims died from multiple wounds, acute blood loss and circulatory failure.

The trial panel found Thuận's actions especially serious and violent in nature, involving the successive killing of multiple victims within the same family and injuring a minor.

After the killings, he also committed robbery to facilitate his escape, demonstrating recklessness and contempt for the law, and warranting the maximum penalty, the panel found.

The panel sentenced Thuận to death for murder, nine years' imprisonment for robbery and six years' imprisonment for illegal use of military weapons, per the Penal Code. The combined sentence is death.

As for the individual known as "K.", who sold drugs to Thuận, investigators have not yet been able to establish this person's identity. The Criminal Investigation Agency under Đắk Lắk Provincial Police has decided to separate this element for continued investigation. — VNS