A woman, Hakyung Lee, aged 43, has been found guilty of murdering her two young children, Yuna Jo, aged eight, and Minu Jo, aged six. The High Court verdict was delivered on Tuesday, convicting Lee of the heinous crime.
The court learned that in June 2018, Lee fatally dosed her children with prescription drugs before placing their bodies in suitcases at a storage facility in Auckland, where they remained undiscovered until August 2022 due to Lee’s failure to pay storage fees. The new owners, who acquired the contents through an auction, made the grim discovery of the children’s remains wrapped in multiple layers of plastic bags.
A forensic pathologist testified that the prolonged delay in finding the bodies made determining the exact cause of death challenging. It remains uncertain whether the medication was used to sedate the children before their deaths or if it directly caused their demise.
Following the incident, Lee fled to South Korea, where she changed her identity and distanced herself from friends and family. She was eventually located in a hospital in 2022 by her mother, who later informed authorities about Lee’s whereabouts.
During the trial, Lee’s defense argued that she was mentally unstable due to her husband’s death in 2017 and believed that killing her children was the right decision to spare them from discovering her suicide. However, the prosecution contended that Lee’s actions showed premeditation and rationality, indicating a deliberate attempt to evade parenting responsibilities.
After a two-week trial and short jury deliberation, Lee was convicted of both murders. The sentencing is scheduled for November 26, and she is currently in custody awaiting a mental health evaluation. In New Zealand, murder carries a mandatory life sentence with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years.
Throughout the trial, Lee was permitted to attend via videolink from a separate courtroom to alleviate the emotional distress of the proceedings.
