New Zealand Mother Guilty Of Killing 2 Children, Stashing Bodies In Suitcase

A New Zealand court has convicted Hakyung Lee, a 45-year-old South Korean-born New Zealand citizen, of murdering her two children in a case that garnered widespread international attention.

Lee was extradited from Seoul to New Zealand in 2022 following the grim discovery of her children's remains inside suitcases at a storage facility in south Auckland.

The victims, Yuna Jo (8) and Minu Jo (6), had been deceased for approximately three to four years before their bodies were found.

While Lee had admitted to killing her children, the central question at trial was not whether she committed the acts, but rather if she understood the moral wrongness of her actions at the time.

Under New Zealand's legal framework, defendants are presumed sane unless proven otherwise, with the burden falling on the defense to establish insanity.

Defense attorneys argued for a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming that Lee's husband's 2017 death triggered a severe depressive episode.

A forensic psychiatrist testifying for the defense described Lee's mental condition, including depression, suicidal ideation, guilt, and a distorted belief that ending her children's lives was morally justified.

Prosecutors countered that Lee was fully aware of her actions, citing her efforts to hide the bodies and her subsequent flight from the country as evidence of her lucidity.

"Ms Lee deliberately, and in sound mind, deliberately murdered Minu and Yuna and the right verdict is guilty of murder," stated prosecutor Natalie Walker in her closing remarks.

The prosecution highlighted that Lee had methodically severed connections with her past life, changing her name and abandoning her New Zealand ties before returning to South Korea.

After just two hours of deliberation, the Auckland High Court jury returned guilty verdicts.

During his instructions to the jury, Justice Geoffrey Venning acknowledged the emotional complexity of the case, noting, "It's natural to feel sympathy for the young children who were killed. It's also natural to feel someone should be held responsible for their deaths."

"On the other hand, some of you may feel sympathy for the defendant," he added, emphasizing the importance of basing their decision solely on the evidence presented.

Lee may initially be placed in a mental health facility under a compulsory treatment order before being transferred to prison.

Under New Zealand law, she faces a potential life sentence with a minimum non-parole period of ten years.

Her sentencing has been scheduled for November.

Throughout the three-week proceedings, Lee maintained a withdrawn demeanor in court, keeping her head lowered with her hair covering her face, positioned between an interpreter and a security guard.

Although technically representing herself, she remained completely silent throughout the trial, never asking questions or making statements.