A mother accused of murdering her two children and hiding their bodies in suitcases has been found guilty by a court in Auckland, New Zealand. The case, known as the 'suitcase murders', shocked the nation when the remains were discovered in August 2022.
The bodies of Yuna Jo, eight, and Minu Jo, six, were found inside suitcases bought at a storage unit auction. Authorities believe they had been dead for three to four years before being discovered. The mother, Hakyung Lee, a 45-year-old New Zealand citizen originally from South Korea, was extradited from her home country following a police investigation.
Lee, who represented herself at the High Court in Auckland, did not speak or answer questions throughout the trial. She admitted giving her children the antidepressant nortriptyline and placing their bodies in the suitcases, but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, citing a depressive episode after her husband's death from cancer in 2017.
The jury deliberated for just two hours before returning a guilty verdict. Crown prosecutor Natalie Walker argued that Lee's actions were calculated, saying she hid the remains, changed her name, and moved to Korea. 'It was not the altruistic act of a mother who had lost her mind,' Walker said.
Lee now faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a non-parole period of at least a decade under New Zealand law.
