Vietnamese woman arrested after 43 years on the run for killing friend, stealing gold

Police in Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam, said on Sunday that Nguyen Thi Tuyet, born in 1957, had been transferred to the provincial police detention center for further handling in accordance with the law.

Tuyet, a native of the former Nghia Phuong Commune, in what was then Tu Nghia District and is now Ve Giang Commune, Quang Ngai Province, killed a friend and stole her gold jewelry in 1979.

She was classified as an especially dangerous fugitive and had been sought by authorities for 43 years.

According to case records, Tuyet killed her close friend, Pham Thi Phuoc, who was 22 at the time of her death, in their hometown to steal a gold necklace and a pair of gold earrings.

Tuyet fled after committing the crime but was later arrested by Nghia Binh Province Police. She was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and robbery.

In 1983, while serving her sentence at Kim Son Reform Camp in Gia Lai Province, Tuyet escaped. Nghia Binh Province Police subsequently issued an arrest warrant for her.

While on the run, she changed her name to Tran Thi Bich Lien and claimed to have been born in 1962. She then moved to Cat Tien 2 Commune, Lam Dong Province, where she settled down, married and had children and grandchildren.

After 43 years as a fugitive, Tuyet was arrested on October 16 by Quang Ngai Police.

Her arrest came as a surprise to her family and local residents in the area where she had been living.