Mom Found Guilty of Killing Her 2 Children and Hiding Their Bodies in Suitcases at Abandoned Storage Unit

A mother accused of killing her two children and storing their bodies in suitcases for several years has been found guilty.

On Tuesday, Sept. 23, Hakyung Lee was convicted over the deaths of Minu Jo, 6, and Yuna Jo, 8, in Auckland, New Zealand, according to NBC News.

The children’s bodies were discovered in suitcases inside an abandoned storage locker in Auckland in 2022 after a family member purchased the items in an online auction when Lee stopped paying the rental fees, according to local media outlet RNZ. The family member who bought the suitcases had no connection to the killings, per The Sydney Morning Herald.

During the two-week trial, Lee pled not guilty to two counts of murder, according to BBC News. Her lawyers argued that she was insane at the time of the killings, which PEOPLE previously reported took place in 2018.

Lee’s attorneys admitted that she had killed the children using antidepressant medication, but they claimed the deaths occurred after she had “descended into madness,” according to NBC News. Lawyer Lorraine Smith said Lee’s mental health had deteriorated following her husband’s death.

The BBC reported that the killings occurred months after Lee’s husband died of cancer, though prosecutors argued that her actions were deliberate.

It took the jury around three hours to reach a verdict, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Lee reportedly showed no reaction and kept her head down as the verdicts were read.

Following the deaths, Lee moved to South Korea and changed her name, The Independent reported. Born in South Korea as Ji Eun Lee, she was extradited to New Zealand in November 2022.

The court heard that the antidepressant Nortriptyline contributed to the children’s deaths, according to the BBC. Lee had reportedly obtained the medication in August 2017, five months after her husband’s cancer diagnosis.

Prosecutors told the court that while Lee may have been depressed, the defense would have needed to prove she was incapable of understanding that her actions were wrong to claim insanity. Prosecutor Natalie Walker said Lee had a “cold calculation” and sought to start a new life without her children, per NBC News.

Lee’s sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 26. The judge ordered that she remain in custody until that date. In New Zealand, murder carries a mandatory life sentence, and judges must set a minimum prison term of 10 years before the offender can apply for parole, according to NBC News.