The Murder of Cao Mỹ Duyên
Cao Mỹ Duyên disappeared while making a delivery during the Tết holiday in 2019. A coordinated kidnapping led to a major criminal prosecution in Điện Biên; nine defendants were tried, and six death sentences were later upheld on appeal.
Disappearance during Tết
Cao Mỹ Duyên disappeared in Điện Biên Province in early February 2019 while delivering chickens to a customer during the Lunar New Year period. Her disappearance quickly became a major investigation.
Authorities later alleged that the delivery had been used as part of a plan to lure and kidnap her. Her body was subsequently found, and the case expanded into an investigation involving multiple suspects.
The prosecution theory
According to the indictment reported by Vietnamese authorities and state media, Vì Văn Toán was accused of organizing the kidnapping. Prosecutors said he wanted to pressure Duyên's mother over a claimed drug-related debt and enlisted other men to help seize Duyên.
The prosecution attributed different conduct to different defendants. Several were accused of kidnapping, sexual assault and murder; others faced narrower charges. Crime by Region preserves those distinctions rather than describing all nine defendants as having identical roles.
Trial
The Điện Biên People's Court opened a public trial in December 2019. Nine defendants were prosecuted in connection with the case.
On December 29, 2019, six men — Vì Văn Toán, Bùi Văn Công, Vương Văn Hùng, Lường Văn Hùng, Lường Văn Lả and Phạm Văn Nhiệm — received death sentences for the most serious offenses. Phạm Văn Dũng and Cầm Văn Chương received prison terms for rape, while Bùi Thị Kim Thu received a prison sentence for failing to report a crime.
Appeal
The High People's Court in Hanoi heard appeals in June 2020. On June 17, the appellate panel upheld the six death sentences and rejected the principal appeals seeking acquittal or reduced punishment.
The appellate outcome is important to this archive's classification: the convictions were not merely first-instance findings. The principal judgments were reviewed and left in place.
Status
The murder of Cao Mỹ Duyên is classified as Solved / Adjudicated. The criminal responsibility of the defendants was determined through trial, and the key convictions and sentences were upheld on appeal.
This classification does not collapse the defendants into one undifferentiated group. Their convictions and penalties varied according to the conduct the courts found proved.
Sources
- Viet Nam News — December 2019 trial verdicts and defendant roles
- VnExpress International — six death sentences and remaining prison terms
- VOV — appellate court upholds six death sentences, June 17, 2020
- Điện Biên Radio and Television — appellate proceedings and appeals
Last reviewed: August 28, 2026