A New Zealand mother who murdered her two young children and concealed their bodies in suitcases for four years has been sentenced to life imprisonment, exposing how mental health excuses failed to shield her from justice for these heinous crimes.
Story Highlights
- Hakyung Lee sentenced to life with 17-year minimum for murdering children ages 6 and 8
- Judge rejected mental illness defense, ruling her actions were “deliberate and calculated”
- Children’s remains hidden in storage unit for four years before accidental discovery
- Case demonstrates New Zealand’s firm stance on criminal responsibility despite mental health claims
Justice Served Despite Mental Health Claims
Justice Geoffrey Venning delivered a life sentence to Hakyung Lee on November 26, 2025, rejecting defense arguments that severe depression should excuse her brutal murders of 8-year-old Yuna Jo and 6-year-old Minu Jo.
The High Court judge determined Lee’s actions were “deliberate and calculated” despite her documented mental illness following her husband’s 2017 cancer death. This ruling reinforces that personal tragedies cannot justify the deliberate taking of innocent lives, particularly those of defenseless children.
Calculated Murder and Cover-Up Exposed
Lee administered antidepressant medication to both children in 2018, resulting in their deaths. Rather than seeking help or reporting the deaths, she methodically concealed the bodies in suitcases and stored them in a rental facility.
Lee then fled to South Korea, changed her identity, and attempted to establish a new life while her victims’ remains lay hidden. The prosecution successfully argued that these post-murder actions demonstrated clear knowledge of wrongdoing and deliberate intent to evade justice.
Shocking Discovery Through Storage Auction
The children’s remains were discovered only when Lee stopped paying storage fees in 2022, prompting the facility to auction the contents. An unsuspecting family purchased the suitcases, making the horrific discovery that had been concealed for approximately four years.
This accidental discovery highlights the calculated nature of Lee’s cover-up and the innocent family’s trauma in uncovering such evidence. The extended concealment period demonstrates Lee’s sustained effort to avoid accountability for her crimes.
Legal System Upholds Criminal Responsibility
The jury’s rejection of Lee’s insanity defense despite documented severe depression establishes important precedent regarding criminal responsibility. New Zealand’s stringent legal standard requires defendants to prove they were incapable of understanding their actions or recognizing their wrongfulness.
Lee’s case fell short of this threshold, with the court distinguishing between mental illness that affects judgment versus complete incapacity to understand right from wrong. This maintains the principle that individuals remain accountable for deliberate criminal acts regardless of mental health challenges.
Lee will initially serve her sentence in a locked psychiatric facility before transferring to prison when deemed mentally well enough. The 17-year minimum non-parole period ensures public safety while acknowledging the severity of crimes against the most vulnerable victims. This case reinforces that justice for innocent children must prevail over sympathetic circumstances surrounding perpetrators.
Sources:
New Zealand woman who stuffed children’s bodies in suitcases jailed for life
Mother who killed children, hid bodies in suitcases jailed
