Woman arrested for allegedly killing son for insurance benefits in Vietnam

Colonel Nguyen Ha Lai, deputy director of the Quang Nam police department, said that on Saturday last week, police officers, together with the provincial People's Procuracy, announced the decision to prosecute and arrest To Thi Ty Na, residing in Thang Binh District, Quang Nam Province.

“The case is under investigation, but we can confirm that all the documents and evidence collected by the investigation agency have proven that she is the one responsible for the death of her son," Colonel Lai said.

According to Lai, the child died in a water bucket in 2023.

The investigation into the child's death was later suspended as Thang Binh District police officers concluded they could not determine the cause.

Due to the expiration of the investigation period, the case was suspended so that police could continue gathering more evidence.

Regarding the insurance benefits the mother allegedly sought to exploit, Lai stated that the amount is still being clarified, but it is a substantial sum.

He said that police will provide information to the media in the coming time.

Following the Ministry of Public Security's directive to improve the management and resolution of suspended cases, Quang Nam police director instructed the investigation police agency to review and examine all suspended cases.

After the review, police proceeded to investigate the death of Na’s son.

The investigation revealed that at around 10:05 pm on January 2, 2023, Na’s son, N.V.H., born in 2017, died in the bathroom of her house.

Based on collected documents and evidence, police identified Na as the suspect in her son's murder. She allegedly killed him to collect insurance money.

Na has four children, three sons and one daughter. Her oldest son is in 11th grade, her second daughter is in ninth grade, and the two other sons already passed away.

Na’s husband died more than five years ago from a serious illness. In 2021, her youngest son, born in 2019, passed away, followed by her second youngest son, N.V.H., born in 2017, in early 2023.

At the time, police investigated at the scene and performed an autopsy.

According to locals, Na's son, H., perished in 2023 after falling into a water bucket and suffocating.

After the deaths of two of her children, Na received insurance payouts totaling several billion Vietnamese dong, (VND1 billion = US$38,544)

T., a maternal aunt of the deceased child, told local media that both children were reported to have died after falling into water buckets.

When the first child died, the family did not suspect foul play, assuming it was an accident.

However, when the second child died, the family found the coincidence suspicious, leading her to report the case to the Thang Binh District police department for further investigation.

According to the aunt, after Na’s first son passed away in 2021, Na received about VND2.1 billion ($80,938) in insurance payouts. With the money, Na engaged in gambling and often spent time away from home.

A neighbor of Na's said that after police questioned her, locals began to suspect that she had killed her children, and the rumors spread.

Now that police have prosecuted and arrested her, the community is shocked.