On March 29, 2012, Tran Thi Thuy Lieu was convicted of the murder of her husband, journalist Le Hoang Hung, after a one-day trial in southern Long An province. Hung died January 30, 2011, after he was set ablaze while sleeping in his home in Tan An, news reports said. Reports said Lieu, who had suffered gambling losses, was motivated by her husband’s refusal to sell their home.
Journalists initially believed Hung, a reporter for the newspaper Nguoi Lao Dong, was killed for his aggressive coverage of official misconduct in the Mekong Delta region His wife had said Hung had been receiving threatening text messages. Based on that information, CPJ initially classified his death as work-related. CPJ’s classification was updated in light of the conviction.