A woman has been convicted of killing her two children and concealing their bodies in suitcases, which were later sold at an auction to a different family. The victims, Yuna Jo and Minu Jo, were eight and six years old at the time of their deaths. Their remains were found inside suitcases purchased at a storage unit auction in August 2022. It is believed that the children had been deceased for approximately three to four years before their discovery.
The mother, Hakyung Lee, aged 44 and originally from South Korea but a New Zealand citizen, denied the charges but was found guilty by the jury after a brief deliberation of two hours. She now faces a potential life sentence in prison with a minimum non-parole period of ten years.
Lee was extradited from South Korea in 2022 after being identified as the mother of the deceased children by authorities. The murder conviction was delivered at the Auckland High Court following a two-week trial.
The bodies of Yuna and Minu were found when Lee ceased payments for the storage unit in Auckland due to financial troubles in 2022. The contents of the locker were sold online, and it was only after the new owners brought the suitcases home that the bodies were discovered.
During the trial, it was revealed that the children were fully clothed and wrapped in multiple layers of plastic bags. The cause of their deaths was challenging to determine due to the extended time between the murders and the discovery of the bodies.
A forensic pathologist mentioned uncertainty regarding whether the children died from an overdose or if the medication was used to render them unconscious before another method caused their deaths. The prosecution stated that the children were victims of homicide by unspecified means, possibly involving the use of an antidepressant called Nortriptyline.
It was disclosed that Lee acquired a prescription for the antidepressant in August 2017, following her husband’s cancer diagnosis. The defense argued that Lee’s mental health deteriorated after her spouse’s passing, leading her to believe that it was best for the family to die together. However, the defense claimed that Lee miscalculated the dosage while attempting to end their lives and woke up to find her children deceased.
Although the defense contended that Lee should be deemed “not guilty of murder by reason of insanity,” the prosecution countered by highlighting Lee’s calculated actions in concealing the bodies, changing her identity, and relocating to South Korea.
The prosecutor, Natalie Walker, argued that Lee’s behavior indicated rational decision-making rather than a loss of sanity. Walker suggested that Lee’s motive was selfish, aiming to relieve herself from the burdens of single parenthood.
Lee displayed no reaction upon hearing the jury’s verdict and is scheduled to be sentenced in November.