A New Zealand court has sentenced Hakyung Lee to life imprisonment, with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years, for the 2018 murders of her two children, whose bodies were found hidden in suitcases at a storage facility. The case, widely referred to as the “suitcase murders”, shocked New Zealand and drew global attention.

The High Court in Auckland heard that Lee, 45, admitted to killing her children, aged eight and six, but claimed she was not criminally responsible due to mental illness. The murders occurred a year after the death of the children’s father, Ian Jo, from cancer.

---

Details of the Crime and Investigation

Lee’s victims, her son Minu Jo and daughter Yuna Jo, were poisoned with an overdose of prescription medication laced in fruit juice. After their deaths, Lee wrapped the children in plastic and placed them in suitcases, which she stored at a suburban warehouse in Auckland.

The bodies remained hidden for several years until 2022, when an unsuspecting family opened the storage unit they had purchased at an auction. Police subsequently used DNA testing and forensic evidence to identify the children and trace the crime back to Lee.

Lee, who had fled New Zealand and returned to her native South Korea, was eventually extradited to face trial. She represented herself during proceedings, assisted by two lawyers.

---

Trial Focus: Mental Health vs. Criminal Responsibility

The trial did not focus on whether Lee killed her children—she confessed to the acts—but whether she understood the moral wrongfulness of her actions.

Her defense argued that the death of her husband had caused a severe mental health decline, leading her to believe that ending her children’s lives, alongside her own, was justified. A forensic psychiatrist testified regarding her depression, suicidal ideation, and impaired judgment.

The prosecution, however, emphasized that Lee’s actions were calculated and deliberate, citing her efforts to conceal the bodies and flee the country as evidence that she knew the killings were wrong.

---

Sentencing and Court Remarks

Judge Geoffrey Venning rejected calls for a lesser sentence, highlighting the vulnerability of the victims and the premeditated nature of the crime. He sentenced Lee to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years and ordered compulsory psychiatric treatment, stipulating that she would return to prison once deemed mentally fit.

“You knew your actions were morally wrong… perhaps you could not bear to have your children around you as a constant reminder of your previous happy life,” Judge Venning said during sentencing.

Lee reportedly showed little emotion as the sentence was read, bowing her head throughout the proceedings.

---

Impact on Family and Public

The murders left profound emotional scars on Lee’s family. Her mother, Choon Ja Lee, questioned why her daughter did not take her own life alone, sparing the children. Lee’s brother-in-law described the ongoing distress caused to the children’s surviving relatives, including a grandmother still battling cancer.

---

Life Imprisonment in New Zealand

Life imprisonment is the most severe penalty available under New Zealand law, which abolished the death penalty in 1989. The case underscores the challenges courts face in balancing mental health considerations with accountability for premeditated violent crimes.