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New Zealand Mother in 'Suitcase Murders' Sentenced to Life With 17-Year Minimum

The case stems from the 2018 killings of two siblings later found in suitcases purchased from a storage locker in 2022.

Flanked by security guards and a translator, 45-year-old Hakyung Lee showed little reaction as the sentence was handed down

Overview

  • High Court Judge Geoffrey Venning imposed life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years for Hakyung Lee.
  • Prosecutors said Lee killed her children, Minu Jo and Yuna Jo, ages six and eight, using an overdose of prescription medication in 2018.
  • The victims’ remains were discovered four years later after an unrelated family bought the abandoned storage unit’s contents in an online auction.
  • Lee left New Zealand for South Korea after the killings and was later extradited to face trial in Auckland.
  • The defense argued she was legally insane following her husband’s 2017 death, but the court found she understood her actions and worked to conceal the crimes.