New Zealand mother found guilty of murdering two children after bodies stored in suitcases for four years

Auckland, New Zealand — Hakyung Lee, 43, was found guilty by the High Court in Auckland of murdering her two children, eight-year-old Yuna Jo and six-year-old Minu Jo, and placing their bodies in suitcases that she left in a storage unit for four years. The verdict was delivered on Tuesday after a trial that spanned more than two weeks and concluded with the jury reaching unanimous verdicts on both counts following about three hours of deliberation. Justice Geoffrey Venning ordered Lee remanded in custody until her sentencing on November 26 and said a mental health assessment would be prepared ahead of that hearing.

Prosecutors said Lee administered an overdose of prescription medication to her children in June 2018, then packed their bodies into two suitcases and abandoned them at an Auckland storage facility. The remains were not discovered for years, surfacing only when Lee stopped paying rental fees and the unit’s contents were auctioned online in August 2022. Buyers found the two suitcases containing the children’s bodies inside the abandoned unit. Lee, who later changed her name after the killings and traveled to South Korea, is believed to have left New Zealand in 2018.

Lee, a New Zealand citizen, traveled to South Korea after the deaths and adopted a new identity. The court heard that her husband died of cancer in 2017, an event prosecutors described as a factor in Lee’s later actions. The defense argued that Lee’s mental state at the time could have amounted to insanity, but the prosecution contended that she understood the nature of her actions and deliberately concealed them. The jury rejected the insanity defense, returning guilty verdicts on both murder counts after a trial marked by distressing testimony and evidence about a family spiraling toward tragedy.

During the trial, Justice Venning granted Lee permission to watch the proceedings from another courtroom via videolink with an interpreter, noting the proceedings could be distressing for her. He ordered a mental health report to inform sentencing. In New Zealand, murder carries a mandatory life sentence, with a minimum term of 10 years before a convicted offender is eligible to apply for parole. While Lee will be sentenced on November 26, prosecutors and defense teams alike are awaiting the mental health assessment to determine whether any additional factors should influence the duration of her incarceration.

The case drew significant attention in New Zealand and abroad because of the prolonged period before discovery and the unsettling details surrounding the children’s deaths and concealment. The court’s decision to proceed with a high-profile trial, while providing accommodations for Lee’s mental health considerations, underscores the seriousness with which New Zealand judicial authorities treat cases involving the death of children and the subsequent concealment of evidence. As the sentencing date approaches, both sides are preparing to present further aspects of the defendant’s history and the impact of the alleged crime on the family, the community, and the broader public interest in safeguarding vulnerable children.