Mother Of Young Children Found Guilty Of Killing Them & Hiding Their Bodies In Suitcases

Hakyung Lee, the mother of two young children, has been found guilty of murdering her children and hiding their bodies in suitcases for multiple years.

On September 23rd, 2025, she was convicted in the deaths of her children, Minu Jo (6) and Yuna Jo (8).

The bodies of the children were found inside suitcases located in an abandoned storage locker in Auckland, New Zealand. 

They were found after a family member bought the items through an online auction when Lee stopped paying the rental fees. Said family member was not connected to the murders.

The trial lasted two weeks and during, Lee pled not guilty, while her lawyers argued she was insane during the time of the murders (reportedly 2018).

Her lawyers claimed she killed her children with anti-depressant medication, however, their deaths occurred after she had "descended into madness."

They state her mental health worsened following the death of her husband. According to news outlets, these murders took place only months after Lee's husband passed from cancer.

The jury deliberated for three hours and concluded Lee was guilty. Reportedly. she had no reaction to the verdicts, keeping her head hung down.

After her children had passed, Lee relocated to South Korea and changed her name. Afterwards, she was extradited to New Zealand in November 2022. She was born in South Korea under the name Ji Eun Lee.

While the trial was ongoing, the court had heard that the use of anti-depressant Nortriptyline played a part in the deaths of her children.

Reportedly, Lee chose the medication in August 2017, five months following her husband's cancer diagnosis. 

Prosecutors argued that while she may have been suffering depression, the defense team would have to prove she was incapable of understanding her actions.

Prosecutor Natalie Walker revealed Lee had a "cold calculation," wanting to start a new life without her children present.

Her sentencing is set to take place on November 26th, 2025. She is to remain in custody until then.

According to New Zealand law, murder holds a mandatory life sentence, and judges are expected to set a prison term for a minimum of 10 years before any person can apply for parole.