DONG NAI – The People’s Court of the southern province Đồng Nai on Tuesday handed a death sentence to 37-year-old former doctor Danh Sơn for the brutal murder and dismembering of his lover.

He also received four years imprisonment for robbery, and two years for possessing and transporting military weapons.

The trial panel determined that the defendant committed a gruesome and despicable murder. In addition to killing the victim, the defendant also committed robbery, warranting permanent removal from society.

Since the victim’s side did not demand or accept compensation, the defendant was not granted any mitigating circumstances for damages.

According to the indictment by the Đồng Nai Provincial People’s Procuracy, Danh Sơn was working as a surgeon at Đồng Nai General Hospital in Biên Hòa City. While already married, he had an affair with T.T.B.N. who was 38 years old and lived in Biên Hòa City, with the two frequently meeting at motels.

Later, N. informed Sơn that she was pregnant and demanded that he take responsibility or she would expose their affair to his family and workplace. Fearing the consequences, Sơn lured N. to his office at Đồng Nai General Hospital, where he secretly injected ten vials of sleeping medication into her IV drip.

Once N. fell into a deep sleep, Sơn used a knife to dismember her body into 11 parts, which he later disposed of in vacant lots in An Bình Ward (Biên Hòa City) and Thiện Tân Commune (Vĩnh Cửu District).

Afterward, Sơn took nearly VNĐ50 million (nearly US$2,000) worth of cash and gold from the victim.

During the investigation, Đồng Nai Provincial Police searched Sơn’s home and found a revolver and five bullets, which were classified as military weapons. On April 26, 2024, Sơn was arrested.

At the trial, Sơn testified that N. had repeatedly threatened him, claiming she was pregnant but from his own experience, he said she was only bluffing. Additionally, she demanded that Sơn make his wife terminate her pregnancy—Sơn’s wife was also expecting at the time—warning that if he refused, she would cause an accident to harm his wife.

Sơn claimed he did not intend to kill N. but only wanted to put her in a coma to access her phone and delete evidence of their affair. However, the excessive dose of sleeping medication led to her death.

“I sat there for over 30 minutes after N. died, thinking. Then I decided to dismember the body to dispose of the evidence. I wanted to buy myself two more weeks before turning myself in so I could take care of my family. Also, I moved the body outside to prevent any impact on the hospital,” Sơn admitted.

The judges rejected Sơn’s claims.

The court determined that the defendant had intended to kill the victim from the start, as evidenced by his decision to inject her with ten vials of sleeping medication. To ensure her death, Sơn slit her throat before dismembering her body into 11 parts and disposing of them. The court described his actions as exceptionally brutal.

The judge remarked that Sơn’s account was one-sided. “The victim is gone, so no one can confirm whether it’s true or not. She is no longer alive to refute or verify the claims. But the ultimate consequence is that she is dead. The dismemberment, the drug injections, and the preparation of tools—did these things happen or not?” the judge asked him during the trial.

The court also pointed out that although Sơn claimed the hammer and knife were intended for another purpose (amputation of a finger), he ultimately used them to kill and dismember the victim. Upon hearing this, Sơn bowed his head and admitted: “I plead guilty.”

When asked why he needed two weeks before surrendering, Sơn explained that his wife was experiencing pregnancy complications and needed bed rest. He also needed time to settle his work and family affairs before turning himself in. However, he was arrested before he could do so.

Regarding the victim’s belongings, Sơn claimed he had no intention of taking them for himself. He planned to return them to N.’s father, Mr. T., during a follow-up visit or upon giving himself up, along with the evidence.

Asia News Network/Viet Nam News