Hakyung Lee was found guilty of killing her eight-year-old daughter and six-year-old son with antidepressants before hiding their bodies in luggage for four years.
An Auckland jury convicted 45-year-old Hakyung Lee on Tuesday for murdering her two children and concealing their remains in suitcases. The High Court jury rejected Lee’s insanity defence after just two hours of deliberation. Lee faces a mandatory life sentence with a minimum 10-year non-parole period.
Figure 1: Hakyung Lee was found guilty in court on Tuesday for killing her two children
The Murders
Lee killed eight-year-old Yuna Jo and six-year-old Minu Jo in June 2018 by giving them the antidepressant nortriptyline dissolved in juice. The children died seven months after their father Ian Jo passed away from cancer in November 2017.
Lee administered the medication to her children and took what she believed was a lethal dose herself. She woke the following afternoon to discover both children had died. The mother then wrapped their bodies in plastic bags and placed them inside peach-coloured suitcases secured with duct tape.
Figure 2: Yuna and Minu Jo in April 2018, before their murder
Discovery of the Bodies
The children’s remains lay undiscovered for four years until August 2022. Lee stopped paying rental fees for her Safestore storage unit in Papatoetoe due to financial difficulties. The facility auctioned the unit’s contents online for $NZ401.
A Clendon Park family won the auction and collected household items including two suitcases. They detected a foul odour and opened one suitcase at their home on August 11, 2022. Police confirmed the family had no connection to the murders.
The Investigation
Detective Sergeant Ryan Singleton testified that Lee’s mother Choon Ja Lee reported her daughter and grandchildren missing in December 2018. Police conducted an immigration check, which showed Lee had left New Zealand in July 2018. Officers performed no checks on the children because their birth dates were unavailable and their names were spelled incorrectly.
The children’s PlayStation gaming accounts provided crucial evidence. Digital forensic analyst Damian Govender revealed both children received Minecraft trophies on June 27, 2018. This date became significant in establishing the timeline of their deaths.
Figure 3: A photo of Hakyung Lee at Safe Store after she killed the children, paying for a storage unit
Lee’s Actions After the Murders
Lee changed her name from Ji Eun Lee to Hakyung Lee shortly after killing her children. She applied for a new passport and signed contracts for the storage facility. Lee departed New Zealand for South Korea on a business-class flight in July 2018.
Crown prosecutor Natalie Walker argued these actions demonstrated Lee knew her behaviour was wrong. Walker told the court Lee acted with “cold calculation” and murdered her children selfishly to start a new life without parenting responsibilities.
The Family Background
Ian Jo worked as a supervisor at Auckland International Airport and provided the family’s sole income. Lee worked in hospitality before becoming a homestay mother for Yuna and Minu. The family attended church where Lee served as a Sunday school teacher.
Teacher Mary Robertson from Papatoetoe South School described the children as well-behaved students from a caring family. The children stopped attending school in 2018 after their father’s death. Robertson assumed the family had returned to South Korea when the children failed to re-enrol.
Mental Health Evidence
Lee received a nortriptyline prescription in August 2017 after reporting sleep difficulties to her GP. Doctor Rama Velalagan testified Lee never mentioned mental health issues during consultations. The prescription contained 60 tablets meant to help with sleeping problems.
Defence psychiatrist Dr Yvette Kelly testified Lee suffered from major depressive disorder and anhedonia following her husband’s death. Kelly argued Lee believed killing her children was “morally right” at the time because she feared they would face worse suffering without parents.
Mental health nurse Natalie Woodward assessed Lee at Totara Hospice after she sent suicidal text messages to her husband. Lee told Woodward the threats were “irrational” reactions and claimed she no longer felt suicidal.
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Extradition Process
Lee lived in South Korea under her new identity until 2022. She was admitted to a psychiatric ward where hospital staff tracked down her mother. During a phone call, Lee told her mother she had no children.
New Zealand police issued an international arrest warrant and travelled to South Korea in November 2022. Detective Sergeant Sung Kyu Hwang escorted Lee on the 11-hour flight back to Auckland. Lee told Hwang she volunteered to return and wanted to hold funerals for her children.
The Trial Proceedings
Justice Geoffrey Venning presided over the three-week trial which began on September 8, 2025. Lee represented herself but relied on standby counsel Lorraine Smith and Chris Wilkinson-Smith. She watched most proceedings via video link from a separate courtroom.
Defence lawyer Smith argued Lee’s “descent into madness” began with her husband’s death. Smith claimed Lee was a “fragile” person who could not cope with her loss. The defence team contended Lee miscalculated the drug dosage and never intended to survive.
Prosecutor Walker systematically presented evidence showing Lee’s rational behaviour after the murders. Walker emphasised Lee’s ability to hire storage, change identity documents, and flee the country. The Crown argued these actions proved Lee understood her crimes were wrong.
Forensic Evidence
Pathologist Dr Simon Stables found no evidence of blunt force trauma on either child. Toxicology tests revealed nortriptyline in both children’s chest cavity fluid and liver samples. The drug levels were within lethal range despite decomposition over four years.
Forensic toxicologist Helen Poulsen testified that determining exact drug concentrations was impossible due to time passage. Poulsen confirmed nortriptyline was unsuitable for children and could cause seizures, drowsiness, or death in overdose situations.
The Verdict
The jury returned guilty verdicts on both murder charges after brief deliberation. Lee stood with her head bowed and hair covering her face as Justice Venning read the verdicts. She remained silent throughout the entire trial proceedings.
Justice Venning remanded Lee in custody until sentencing on November 26, 2025. Under New Zealand law, murder convictions carry mandatory life sentences with minimum 10-year non-parole periods. The case drew international attention and represents one of New Zealand’s most disturbing child murder cases.
