Two years ago, on July 11, 2011, an Orange County woman by the name of Catherine Kieu, carefully plotted against her husband. Kieu, age 50, states that her husband had sexually and verbally abused her. This, along with problems she developed from growing up in Vietnam during war time, sparked her imagination. After Kieu’s husband had filed for divorce, the plan was to take place. After an argument Kieu drugged her husband, and with a 10-inch long kitchen knife cut off his penis. After severing it from his body she tossed it down the garbage disposal. The year and a half marriage was certainly over.
Catherine Kieu has now been sentenced with life in prison, but with a possible chance of parole. The judge during the trial had seen plenty of murder cases in his time, and commented that this was just as cold and calculated as any murder case he had seen. During the trial, Kieu’s victim and estranged husband expressed to the courtroom his very depressing testimony against her. He states that his attacker took away any chance of happiness for his future, and also states that it in fact feels like she killed him. During his testimony he also stated that his penis could not be reattached. In his final moments with news reporters the victim expressed that : “I’m hoping that this will be the last time I ever have to see her.”
Experts say that there is a lot to think about when it comes to this case and also that Kieu showed remorse for her actions as well. She even went as far as to ask for probation, which the judge denied. Catherine, who has been detained since the attack, is going to be eligible for parole in around seven years. The experience was traumatic and Catherine expresses that she now deeply regrets her actions. Stories like Catherine Kieu’s cannot be made up.