A New Zealand court has sentenced Hakyung Lee (45) to life imprisonment, with a minimum jail term of 17 years, for murdering her two young daughters and hiding their bodies in suitcases that were later discovered in a storage unit.
Lee, who lived in Auckland, killed her daughters — Yuna Jo (8) and Minu Jo (6) — in 2018 by giving them juice mixed with antidepressant medication. After the children died, she wrapped their bodies in plastic, placed them inside suitcases and moved them to a rented storage unit. Soon after, she fled to South Korea and lived under a different name.
The crime came to light only in August 2022, when the contents of the storage unit were auctioned due to unpaid rent. The buyers opened the suitcases and found the remains, prompting an immediate police investigation. Lee was later traced, arrested in South Korea, and extradited to New Zealand.
During the trial at the Auckland High Court, Lee claimed she was mentally unstable and suffering severe depression after her husband’s death. However, the jury rejected her insanity plea and found the murders to be deliberate.
The judge ordered that Lee begin her sentence in a secure psychiatric facility under compulsory treatment provisions before being transferred to a regular prison once deemed mentally fit.
Police and prosecutors described the case as one of the most disturbing crimes seen in recent years. Further formalities in the case are underway.
