SAEDNEWS: Hakyung Lee, 45, has been found guilty of murdering her two children and concealing their bodies in suitcases for years, after a shocking trial that captivated New Zealand and the world.
Auckland High Court has found Hakyung Lee, 45, guilty of murdering her six-year-old son, Minu Jo, and eight-year-old daughter, Yuna Jo, in June 2018. The jury reached a verdict after just two hours of deliberations, rejecting her insanity defence.
Justice Geoffrey Venning ordered that Lee remain in custody until her sentencing on November 26. In New Zealand, murder carries a mandatory life sentence, with a minimum of ten years before an offender can apply for parole.
The case made international headlines in 2022, when the children’s remains were found inside suitcases at a disused Auckland storage facility. Lee had stopped paying rental fees due to financial difficulties, and the shocking discovery occurred after the contents of the storage unit were auctioned online.
Lee, a New Zealand citizen, had fled to South Korea after the killings, changed her name, and was subsequently extradited to New Zealand in November 2022.
Lee represented herself in court with the aid of two standby lawyers. She argued that the death of her husband had caused a “deep descent” into insanity, leading to the tragic killings.
However, Crown Prosecutor Natalie Walker described Lee’s actions as calculated. “It shows her thinking rationally, even clinically, about taking her children’s lives and then covering up her heinous crimes,” Walker said. “It was a selfish act to free herself from the burden of parenting alone.”
The trial began on September 8, with Justice Venning granting Lee permission to watch the proceedings from another room due to the distressing nature of the case. When the verdict was announced, Lee returned to the dock, standing with her head bowed and hair covering her face.
The jury’s rapid decision highlighted the clarity of the evidence and the seriousness of the crime. Public reactions in New Zealand and abroad have described the case as deeply shocking and tragic.
Murder in New Zealand carries a mandatory life sentence, and judges are required to impose a minimum of ten years before parole consideration. Lee’s sentencing on November 26 will determine whether she serves life in prison without early release or a lesser term.
This case also raises discussions about mental health defences and the pressures of personal tragedy, as Lee’s lawyers argued her actions stemmed from psychological distress. Experts, however, noted that the evidence suggested calculated intent, rather than an uncontrollable breakdown.
The gruesome nature of hiding children’s bodies in suitcases and the unusual circumstances of the discovery attracted global media coverage. The case has been featured in international news outlets, drawing attention to child protection, legal processes, and societal responses to extreme familial violence.
