On October 10, 2023, 18-year-old beauty-pageant finalist and Hanoi University student Huyen Hy was reportedly stabbed to death in Hanoi by Thado E. Kan, a 38-year-old man with whom she allegedly had a romantic relationship. According to the video report, Kan became angry after Hy allegedly borrowed 50 million Vietnamese dong and 2,000 U.S. dollars and then distanced herself from him. He allegedly dismembered her body, placed some remains in a cement-covered container, wrapped other remains in a blanket, and dumped them in the Red River. The remains were discovered on October 13, 2023. Kan reportedly fled, was located in an abandoned house, attempted suicide by stabbing himself, survived, and was arrested while awaiting trial.
Country: None
State/Province: None
City/Region: Hanoi
Incident Type: Murder
Relationship Status: Dating
Relationship Duration:
Recorded context: New relationship started
Reported initiator: Alleged suspect / offender
Relationship timing: After divorce / relationship ended
Incident Date: Oct. 10, 2023
Primary reported outcome: Homicide
Reported self-harm outcome: Attempted suicide; survived
Person(s) reported to have died by or attempted suicide: Thado E. Kan
Reported role: Alleged suspect / offender
Reported sequence: Homicide or serious injury, then suicide or attempt
Additional victims reported: 0
Relationship Origins:
Relationship Stages:
Contributing Factors:
Red Flags:
Motives:
Relationship Outcomes:
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How the relationship or connection began.
Important relationship phases recorded for this case.
Reported red flags or early concern points.
Contributing factors and possible motives from the available sources.
2023-10-10
Recorded relationship or case outcome.
English labels are shown first. Original-language titles are preserved for source verification.
elham kamyab99 - Iran · Original language: Persian
Murder of a Vietnamese beauty queen in Hanoi, Vietnam
Romantic Triangle
The reported relationship developed after Kan used a family connection to approach Huyen Hy while he was still married or separating from his wife. The source describes deception about his wealth, a substantial money transfer, Hy's subsequent distancing, and escalating conflict over repayment. The homicide and later concealment are presented as occurring within a volatile romantic and financial dispute, but the exact motive remains source-limited.
Police reportedly identified the remains through a distinctive tattoo and DNA testing after fishermen found body parts in the Red River. Friends reportedly identified Kan as a possible suspect, and police traced his movements through bus-ticket information, CCTV review, and coordination with border posts. He was reportedly located behind the walls of an abandoned house, where thermal cameras detected him. He stabbed himself several times, survived after hospital treatment, and was then reported arrested and transferred to custody while awaiting trial. The source says he would likely face life imprisonment, but it does not provide a verified charge, court judgment, or conviction.
The remains were initially unidentified and severely decomposed. The source contains inconsistent or unclear spellings of the victim's and suspect's names and presents some details as statements learned after police questioning without independently identifying the underlying evidence. The exact legal status, formal charges, and whether the killing was motivated primarily by debt, relationship rejection, revenge, or another factor remain unclear.
The reported sequence begins with Huyen Hy's death from multiple stab wounds on October 10, 2023. Kan allegedly remained with the body, dismembered it, used cement and a blanket to conceal the remains, and transported them by taxi to the Red River. On October 13, fishermen found floating remains, allowing police to recover the body and identify Hy through her ankle tattoo and DNA. Friends reportedly connected Kan to Hy, police traced his attempted flight, and officers located him in an abandoned house after reviewing travel routes and using thermal cameras. After surviving a reported suicide attempt, Kan allegedly told investigators that the relationship began through a family connection and deteriorated after a disputed loan.
The reported risk indicators include a large age and power imbalance, alleged manipulation, concealed or overlapping relationships, financial dependency or conflict, heavy alcohol use, emotional deterioration, and rapid escalation after perceived rejection or financial loss. The source does not establish a documented prior assault or formal protective intervention. The account is a video report and contains allegations and possible narrative inconsistencies that require verification.
The source highlights how romantic deception, an age and power imbalance, financial entanglement, separation from a spouse, substance use, and perceived rejection can combine with rapid escalation. The most useful historical comparison points are the concealed relationship pathway, financial dependency, alleged manipulation, post-incident concealment, flight, and attempted self-harm. These are source-reported indicators, not proof of a general causal pattern or legal guilt.
The reported early signals included Kan's alleged manipulation of the relationship, his presentation of himself as a wealthy single man, his recent divorce or separation, multiple prior relationships, substantial spending, heavy alcohol use, reported depression, and increasing anger over the loan and Hy's distancing.
The main reported clues were the lotus-flower tattoo on the victim's right ankle, DNA identification, interviews with Hy's friends and acquaintances, the alleged romantic connection, the reported loan, Kan's disappearance from his apartment, bus-ticket and CCTV information, and the taxi driver's observation that Kan appeared highly anxious.
The strongest reported evidence types were forensic recovery of the remains, the tattoo and DNA identification, medical findings concerning stab wounds, CCTV and travel-route investigation, thermal-camera detection at the abandoned house, and Kan's reported post-arrest account. The source does not provide documentary exhibits, forensic laboratory records, or court-tested testimony.
A fisherman and his wife reportedly found floating remains and called police. Friends reportedly described Kan as angry and controlling and said they expected Hy to distance herself from him. A taxi driver reportedly noticed that Kan was anxious and stressed but did not know what was inside the heavy container. Kan's former wife reportedly described his alcohol use, dissatisfaction, depression, financial problems, and explanation that separation was needed because creditors were pursuing him.
Follow-up reporting, as presented in the video, changed the case from an unidentified-body investigation to a suspected romantic-partner homicide after the tattoo and DNA identified Hy and friends connected her to Kan. Police later reportedly located Kan, survived his self-harm attempt, arrested him, and obtained an account linking the incident to the relationship and disputed loan. Verified court developments after the reported arrest are not available in the source.
The formal criminal charges, court outcome, conviction status, exact relationship status, exact amount and legal character of the money transfer, and the full forensic evidence remain unclear. The source also does not independently establish whether financial conflict, perceived betrayal, relationship rejection, revenge, or another motive predominated.